The Orioles have acquired shortstop Milton Ramos from the Mets for international signing bonus slots, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter link).
Baltimore, which is known for largely eschewing the international market, has now acquired several players in 2017 in exchange for bonus slots. After this year’s international signing period opened Sunday, the Orioles landed pitchers Matt Wotherspoon and Jason Wheeler from the Yankees and Dodgers, respectively. Previously, the O’s picked up the likes of Damien Magnifico, Paul Fry and Alex Katz for international spending space earlier this season.
The 21-year-old Ramos, who topped out as Baseball America’s 19th-best Mets prospect after the 2015 campaign, has hit just .242/.296/.312 at the lower levels of the minors since New York chose him in the third round of the 2014 draft. He owns a .227/.272/.276 line in 197 plate appearances at Single-A this season. He’ll remain at that level with the Orioles, per Kubatko.
It’s unclear how much international money the Orioles have traded away during the current period, but they opened the proceedings with $5.75MM. The Mets entered Sunday with $4.75MM to work with and have since agreed to use a combined $3.6MM on Dominican shortstops Ronny Mauricio and Adrian Hernandez.
I thought this said Wilson Ramos and was very confused.
Angelos probably thought the name was Milton Pappas and said, “Now that’s a use of international money that I can support.”
What the hell is with the Office’s aversion to international signings? What archaic thinking
Actually it’s pretty unconventional, and potentially progressive. Effectively scout organizational talent that is undervalued and exchange it for something said organizations value more (and potentially too much).
Owners probably don’t want to dish out the money it will take to sign the high end IFAs and doubt the owners want to go in a free for all like the Padres Cubs and other teams have over the years. 100% tax rate if you go over your allotment so it may be an ownership thing.
Plus, they’ve done a good job finding gems like Davis Trumbo Rickard and developed Machado Schoop Mancini Gausman Bundy
Since 2012 theyve won 93, 85, 96 81 89 games so they’ve been competitive without hitting the IFA.
In what world is Joey Rickard a gem?
Now, imagine possibly how good they would be if they had been hitting/dipping into the IFA market….
They don’t have to spend big to find future, all-star caliber players…I mean every year you have guys like the Ronald Acuna’s and the Ozzie Albies’ out there, where it only takes 300-400k to sign them…
If Baltimore did dabble much more in the IFA market, then their minor league system would almost positively be significantly better…
For front offices, scouts, coaches, and GM’s there are basically only SIX different ways to acquire talent….
#1.) First year player draft and UDFA’s
#2.) Rule 5 Draft (Major and MiL Portions)
#3.) Through trades/waiver wire
#4.) Through Free Agency
#5.) Signing professional players in non-MLB leagues (Qualified International Signees, Independent leagues, Etc.)
#6.) International Signing Period
When you foolishly decide to eliminate one of those six ways to find and acquire talent, you are severely limiting your teams opportunities, and you are neglecting your duties as a GM…
Hell, even if you just took a list of the top 100 International prospects, and one by one negotiated contracts with those guys, until you ran out of your allotted bonus money….Just even doing that would be SIGNIFICANTLY better than nothing…One of those players could easily turn into an asset for your organization…
Hell, honestly, just to become an asset for your team, the prospect doesn’t even have to fully pan out. The GM could just use his previous prospect pedigree to use him as part of a package to acquire a ML proven player…
It really isn’t rocket science to see Baltimore is severely doing themselves a huge disservice!!
I bet when Duquette gets his yearly memo from Angelos about getting rid of all of their international money he just throws darts at every teams non-prospects and that’s who he acquires
I can’t wait til Angelos is gone
Was suppose to be a no hit great fielder player, turned ou he is a no hit mediocre fielder.
Once again our owner is forcing Duquette to throw away international money on worthless prospects just so he can force his nationalistic politics on the baseball team. Angelos is a POS.
This is the same Angelos who briokered a deal to play in Cuba.
How much.
Need Ripken n Plank to wrestle team from Angelos, problem is Angelos doesn’t want to include tv rights in deal 4 team, knows MASN deal w/nearby Nats tv rights is cash cow, he negotiated that deal, crying how Expos were gonna steal O’s fan base, MLB still pissed bout that, why O’s lost hosting All-Star gm, leagues hard-on 4 Angelos, he’s goin on 117 yrs ol, made all his money off other ppl’s pain n suffering, mesothelioma class action suit, he needs to go the way of Loria n leave the game….
“Previously, the O’s picked up the likes of Damien Magnifico…”
…who they promptly DFAed.
Good thing the O’s made that trade.
I don’t really see the big deal about trading international bonus slots. Either way the team is acquiring players. I mean it’s hit or miss with any of these acquisitions. Whether there born here or not shouldn’t matter. I believe Schoop was an international signing.
It’s basically giving away at a chance of a good prospect. Let’s be clear, the guys they are picking up are worthless. They’ll never be anything more than AAAA players. And what makes it worse is that these guys that they refuse to sign would help their farm which has been pretty bad for years now
As long as the Orioles aren’t even landing decent lottery tickets for their international money I think Angelos should honor his roots and pour their entire budget into scouting and signing Greek players.
Imagine if Duquette could find Angelos the next Nick Markakis, this time direct from Greece!!
Good to see both GMs getting a head start on the off-season by getting the obligatory Mets to O’s rule V pick out of the way