The Astros have agreed to sign left-handed pitching prospect Cionel Perez for a $5.15MM signing bonus, reports MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). The 20-year-old Perez, a client of Octagon according to Sanchez, was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball just last week after having left Cuba back in May of 2015. Due to his age and limited professional experience, Perez qualifies as an international amateur, meaning he is subject to international bonus pools. The Astros are already over their $2.197MM pool allotment, so the signing of Perez will come with a 100 percent luxury tax, thus making this a $10.3MM expenditure for Houston.
Perez currently rates fourth on Sanchez’s list of top 30 international prospects at MLB.com. Perez currently has a fastball that sits 92-95 mph, per Sanchez, though there’s room to add to his growing frame still, so some scouts feel the velocity will tick up another couple of miles per hour. Baseball America’s Ben Badler wrote back in December that Perez had shown some improvements with his once-fringe breaking pitch, which at the time was flashing the potential to be an average or better offering. He’s also added a changeup that he’s still working on since leaving Cuba.
Per Sanchez’s report, the Astros were joined by the Orioles, Padres and Reds in their pursuit of Perez, but it’ll be Houston who adds the intriguing young arm to its farm system. The aforementioned report from Badler noted that Perez could be ready for Low-A ball, but it’s of course possible that he begins his pro career in the United States a level higher now that he’s a year older — especially if he puts in some work over the winter. Perez appeared in just two seasons in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, logging 139 innings with a 2.20 ERA, 6.5 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in his age-17 and age-18 seasons.
The Astros are killing it with international signings this year! I guess with no top 5 pick they feel like they need to add a slew of players in other ways. I love it! This is especially good with free agency being such a barren wasteland this coming offseason.
Except that they will be banned for the next few signing periods. It’s all about scouting and choosing the right prospects to invest in.
Maybe not. There will be a new CBA this offseason and lot of people seem to think the restrictions after spending big could be altered along with qualifying offers to free agents to get draft picks. Both could be altered
I’m excited to see what the new CBA brings. Lots of potential changes on the table: Qualifying Offers, Amateur Draft, International Amateur Free agents. No threats of a labor shutdown, too!
I doubt the rules are going to change in such a way that allows teams to avoid the consequences that other teams have faced.
Even if they are banned it’s still a great sign of things to come! If the QO rule stays in place (doubtful) I look at these signings and think of them as a way for the Astros to atone for losing a draft pick if they sign a big free agent.
I feel like it’s a slight overpay– I would feel better giving the money to Norge
Houston has signed like every international player there is this year! (Slight exaggeration)