Earlier this week, reporter Nathanael Pérez Neró of Diario Libre reported that Major League Baseball voided over 50 official and unofficial agreements between teams and international prospects. In a follow-up piece for The Athletic, Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal wrote that the league is trying to again crack down on a spate of suspected age and identity fraud cases within the international signing circuit, as some Dominican Republic-based trainers (known as buscones, who scout and help develop future prospects) have figured out how to work around a past set of guidelines established around 15 years ago.
International prospects can only be officially signed at age 16, yet is widely known that teams line up these deals sometimes multiple years ahead of a prospect’s eligibility period, which can lead to some paperwork confusion (at best) or outright fraud as worst. In several of the 50-odd scuttled agreements, teams including the Astros, Athletics, Mets, Red Sox, Royals, Twins, and Yankees learned that they were scouting or had agreements to sign prospects who were years older than their reported ages, including some who were lined up for hefty bonuses in future int’l signing windows.
More from around baseball as we start a new week….
- The Red Sox have some level of interest in first baseman Garrett Cooper, with MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo (links to X) describing Cooper as a backup plan if the Sox can’t re-sign Adam Duvall. Cooper has some right field experience but has played only first base and DH over the last two seasons, so Duvall is perhaps the better fit as a right-handed hitter who could complement any of Boston’s lefty-swinging outfield options. Known for his solid production as a member of the Miami lineup, Cooper’s slash line dipped to .251/.304/.419 over 457 plate appearances with the Marlins and Padres in 2023
- Coming off a down year that involved an ongoing battle with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, Carlos Correa is feeling fully recovered, as the Twins shortstop told the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Gavin Dorsey and other reporters. Correa got an early start to his usual offseason work due to both his effort to entirely rehab his foot, and to make changes to his swing mechanics. It is a marked difference from last offseason, when Correa’s unusual free agent situation and concerns about a past ankle injury resulted in his taking about a month off to prevent any further injuries to impact his market. As a result, Correa said “coming into spring training, I didn’t feel like I was prepared….This year, I do feel ready.”
- Free agent reliever Matt Barnes is planning to throw for scouts next week, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports (X link). Barnes entered the market in November when the Marlins spent $2.25MM to buy out Barnes’ $9MM club option for 2024 — an expected move, considering Barnes had a 5.48 ERA over 21 1/3 innings before his season was cut short by hip surgery. An All-Star as recently as 2021, Barnes usually posted numbers in the Red Sox bullpen from 2016-21, but injuries and inconsistency have cropped up over the last few years.
Barnes usually posted numbers. Very true!
And now I shall post a number. 42.
Thanks for all the Fish!
Correa has a lot to prove. The Mets and Giants aren’t holding their collective breaths.
I laugh everytime someone brings Correa up as a missed free agent by the giants. Like you say above they exhaled long ago.
Does anyone know which agent ‘sold’ Correa – and who that agent might be trying to ‘oversell’ now?
Correa was in the Playoffs while Mets & Giants not so much. Correa is a game changer and one of the best Shortstops. Any team would be happy to have him.
Only 1 way to stop the corruption.. Cease the IFA FA period altogether and roll it into the rule4 draft, no other way will ANY attempt at placating corrupion, which is ingrained in most 3rd world countries deep stop and in this regard? It can be stopped by pretty much tossing the heads of the snake (buscones) out of a job to begin with.
MLB teams/owners, if they really wanted to could finance development in many caribean countries, doing away with much more fraud.
The league and this country in general has no appetite to stop it, plain and simple.
There’s always more than one way… they don’t have to roll them into the draft. Investments could be made in, Caribbean, Central,and South American leagues in order to make them more viable; then institute a posting system similar to the ones in Korea and Japan rather than continuing the current IFA process. It may lead to different types of problems, state run teams and leagues, etc… because even at 10-20% of the contracts/posting fees going to the teams it would end up sending a lot of money that way. Economy altering money. A million dollars does a lot more in some parts of the world than it does others. Could do some good… or could just benefit a handful of people who were already rich to begin with. Either way… the buscones do need to go.
The issue is the Dominican Republic not having a data bank of births. Venezuela doesn’t have this problem. Cuba does not have this problem. I don’t know of any other country that has this problem. It’s a Dominican problem. It’s the Dominican government or lack of one.
Not true.
Name three non-Dominicans from any non-Dominican country with fake birth certificates.
You trust “data banks” in Central and South America?
Wasnt Rusney Castillo’s DOB about 5 years off?
The rule 4 draft is a way to suppress salaries and prevent players from having any say in where they play. IFA needs to be fixed, but the draft isn’t the solution.
The same rules should apply to all prospects.
Only if the conditions they live under are the same.
Its interesting how many people forget that Correa had an MLB leading 7.2 WAR in 2021 and 5.5 WAR in 2022. A healthy Correa is scary for the rest of the AL Central.
Also Correa went 9 for 22 with 3 doubles in 6 games in the postseason last year
You are right to point that out and I would remind others that he is the best shortstop in baseball. Also has a great baseball brain as he showed with that Guerrero pickoff play in the post season.
In Guerrero’s defense, he’s not a smart base runner.
But yeah, it was a heads-up, smart play by Correa.
A Healthy Correa is a fantasy. Its like a contact hitting Baez. It just doesn’t exist.
Except it did in 2021 and 2022. What is an anomaly is him being hurt
Is it me or does Cotillo seem like he just makes stuff up? The guy can’t play outfield, there is no need for yet another DH and Casas is not going to lose games so this guy can play.
Now that I’ve explained why this is absolutely preposterous, I wonder when it will happen. The illogical always wins out over the logical.
“An ongoing case of plantar fasciitis in his left foot”. As I read that sentence the ongoing plantar fasciitis in my left foot growled. That’s a hell of a chronic ailment. Wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
I don’t think people realize how debilitating it is. I had it in both feet when field training at an old job. It hurt so much being on my feet all day and took years to recover. Still acts up from time to time. Now imagine being an athlete with it. I was just climbing up ladders.
How excited are you if you are a Red Sox fan?
just hoping they sign at least monty or snell and scrap together a above 500 season.. maybe sell the team and get a competitive owner who is willing to spend. so basically not excited at all
Duran – Not sure it’s as much the owner’s fault as it is the crap GMs we have hired. Yes, the owners take responsibility for the hire just like owning the horrendous decisions to hire Cora TWICE but I’ve yet to hear ANY deal has been nixed by ownership since DD tried to get Mookie for $36MM a year.
Wanting ownership that wants to win and has deep pockets – CHECK
Wanting a knowledgeable GM who makes smart choices – CHECK
Wanting an honest and knowledgeable Manager – CHECK
Wanting a 3B who can field – CHECK
Wanting two top flight SPs on 5 year deals – CHECK
Wanting two Left Handed late inning relievers – CHECK
Wanting Breslow to stop his trend for reclamation projects – CHECK
This team can add two SP1s, a 3B and two lefty relievers and NOT finish last in the division. In fact, they are likely to make the playoffs if the team stays reasonably healthy. The young outfield needs to gain playing time along with Grissom and Casas. 5 young players in the daily line-up plus more coming means the big money all-star players acquired have specific holes to fill. The top of the pitching staff and a 3B are the only expensive guys this team needs. They also need to move Yoshi to a team needing a DH.
As the teams stands right now, it could win as many as 95 games by adding all-star SPs and a two dimensional 3B that hits and fields.
They could also do nothing like Breslow has done so far and win 75 games or less.
It’s all on Breslow.
If Breslow wants to win and yet be cheap, sign Bauer to a contract with a team buyout clause if the fans really hate the move it affects ticket sales. Sign Bauer and Monty move Story to 3B and give Meyer a shot at every day SS. That pretty much solves it, ya may not get Monty but you’d get Bauer and we got a good bullpen. It seems they love Bauer in Japan.
Story can barely make the throw from ss, he can’t play 3rd.
Tf –
I totally agree on your point on getting starting pitchers and a 3b.
no teams are gonna want to take yoshis contract bc in 1-2 years hes just a over payed dh.
Looking at the recent J Turner and J Pederson contracts, how is Yoshida overpaid?
Giants & Mets definitely made the right choice not to hand the bag to Carlos Correa. Guy isn’t worth the amount he was trying to earn. Above average player at best.
At best, he is one of the best shortstops in the league and arguably a top 15 player. Look at what he was able to do in 2021-2022 when he was able to stay mostly healthy .285/.366/.476, 48 home runs, sub-20% K-rate, great SS defense, 12th most fWAR among position players.
@mlb1225
Agreed, pretty overrated, given that you’re defending him on 2 good years. No thanks. His defense is faltering mainly due to age. As I said, good thing the Giants & Mets aren’t holding that bag.
I am not defending Correa based on two years. You said “At best”, which I assume you mean at his peak, when he’s healthy and playing to his potential, which 2021-2022 is arguably his peak thus far in his career. When he is at his best, he is one of the best position players in baseball and arguably the best at his position. Calling him “Above average player at best” sells him short.
Yes, I agree that the Mets and Giants are probably better off without him, but when Correa is ‘at his best’, he can be one of the best in baseball.
@mlb1225
I just don’t see it but that’s fine. You’re free to think how you want.
What do you mean by “at best” then? Do you mean when a player is playing the very best they possibly can? If so, then Correa was by far one of the best position players in the league in 2021 and 2022, because those were his best seasons and he was among the best players in multiple statistcs.
Overall, not just 1 or 2 years. I don’t look at players who have a decent few years and say, that’s a Mega Star. I think it’s the biggest problem with HOF voters. It’s 90% emotion and 10% logic.
I don’t think Correa is a mega star or anything. He doesn’t stay healthy enough to do so. But when he has everything clicking, he’s healthy, he’s playing well, he’s hitting consistently, he is one of the best in baseball. He just doesn’t hit that peak very often.
@mlb1225
Right, but given he’s not as dependable given he doesn’t hit those peaks, he’s an above average player at best. Are there single seasons where he does great? Sure, but I’m not evaluating the guy on single seasons.
Barnes can be fixed. Good luck to MB.
Having watched Carlos Correa play for the Twins, injuries notwithstanding, he adds a lot to the team. He’s an all-in guy rather than a malingerer. I wish him and the Twins the best in 2024.
Correa is a good shortstop and def was the reason the twins made the playoffs but hes def a risk and prolly wont play out in the long term
If the Sox are going to go the Garrett Cooper route they might as well just play Bobby Dalbec
Fenway Experience . It doesn’t matter who they put out there as long as Wally the green monster is there to greet fans and Sweet Caroline is playing in the 7th inning all is good in Sox Nation . Full throttle indeed .lOl