Astros Agree To New Deal With Cuban Lefty Cionel Perez
The Astros and young Cuban left-hander Cionel Perez have agreed to a new deal that comes with a $2MM signing bonus, reports MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). Houston and Perez had originally agreed to a $5.15MM signing bonus back in September, but in October it was reported by Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen and ESPN’s Keith Law that the deal had been voided for medical reasons. The precise medical problem that derailed the first deal remains unclear.
The new arrangement comes with less financial risk for Astros, who in addition to the bonus figure are also on the hook for a 100 percent luxury tax due to the fact that they’d already exceeded their 2016-17 international bonus pool. As such, Perez drops from a $10.3MM total expenditure to a $4MM total expenditure for the Astros, who clearly are intrigued by Perez’s talent despite some apparent physical red flags.
Perez, 21 next April, ranks fourth on Sanchez’s list of top 30 international prospects at MLB.com. He’s undersized, though Sanchez notes that he still has room to add to his 5’11”, 170-pound frame. Perez already features a fastball in the 92-95mph range, and that velocity could tick upward a bit as he continues to grow. Perez also shows good feel for a slider and changeup, Sanchez continues. Longenhagen offered similarly high praise for Perez at Fangraphs, rating him seventh among international prospects. While Longenhagen’s report is down a bit more on Perez’s slider, he also notes that Perez flashes a potentially plus curveball. At the time of Perez’s original signing, Baseball America’s Ben Badler wrote that the changeup was a fairly new pitch for Perez, who has only added it since leaving Cuba. His slider has improved since leaving Cuba as well, Badler notes.
Perez spent just two seasons playing in the Cuban National Series, logging a 2.20 ERA while pitching as a professional at ages 17 and 18. He totaled 139 innings with 100 strikeouts against 61 walks, although 13 of those free passes were issued intentionally. Perez should be ticketed for the lower levels of the minor leagues to begin his pro career in the United States.
Astros Void Deal With Cuban Prospect Cionel Perez
10:10pm: A medical matter of some kind gummed up the arrangement, ESPN.com’s Keith Law tweets, though the precise issue isn’t known.
7:37pm: The Astros have voided their agreement with top Cuban pitching prospect Cionel Perez, sources tell Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs (via Twitter). It’s not yet clear what caused the deal to fall apart, though it’s certainly possible that a health problem was identified.
Perez, 20, reportedly agreed in September to a $5.15MM signing bonus to go to Houston. The team had already spent beyond its international bonus pool, meaning that it had to match that amount in an overage tax. Perez was (and will still be) subject to the international signing limitations given his age and lack of experience in Cuba’s top league.
The youngster has drawn rave reviews from prospect hounds. Longenhagen rated him the seventh-best player available in this year’s July 2 signing period — second only to fellow Cuba lefty Adrian Morejon among pitchers.
While he lacks a large frame and hasn’t quite fully harnessed his command, Perez features good arm speed and athleticism, per Longenhagen’s assessment. He works into the mid-nineties with his fastball and has shown several promising secondary pitches.
It’s not known whether Houston will look to renegotiate with Perez, but the team is stuck regardless with the max penalty (two years without $300K+ international bonuses) due to its other additions. Other teams could certainly jump into the mix, though presumably Perez won’t have quite the same earning capacity now. Reports at the time of his signing suggested that the Orioles, Padres, and Reds had chased the young southpaw, though Longenhagen noted that as many as ten teams were interested to some degree.
AL West Notes: Perez, Astros, Weaver, Prospects
Earlier today, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reported that the Astros have reached an agreement with Cuban southpaw Cionel Perez on a $5.15MM signing bonus (which will cost the team a total of $10.3MM after luxury tax considerations). Ben Badler of Baseball America provides an updated scouting report on the newest member of the Astros’ farm system, noting that since leaving Cuba he’s added a two-seam fastball to his repertoire and made improvements to his slider. Badler also adds that Perez had been slated to pitch in the Dominican Winter League this summer, though it’s possible that the new signing could impact that schedule. Moreover, Badler reports that Houston has already reduced the bonuses of two high-profile international prospects — Anibal Sierra and Freudis Nova — after their physicals revealed some causes for concern. With Perez’s deal still pending a physical, it’s possible that his bonus could change.
Here’s more from the AL West…
- ESPN’s Buster Olney opines that even with the postseason eligibility deadline having passed, the Astros should pursue trades for rotation upgrades to help ensure that they’re even able to reach the playoffs. With the Pirates recently suffering a sweep and falling six back in the NL Wild Card race and the Marlins presently five back in that same hunt, Olney suggests right-handers Ivan Nova and Andrew Cashner as possible targets for Houston. Of course, neither would be likely to make more than three starts for Houston anyhow, and the Astros themselves aren’t in much better shape than Pittsburgh or Miami. Houston currently sits 3.5 games back in the AL Wild Card race, and they’re trailing Baltimore, Toronto, New York and Detroit in the standings at the moment.
- Jered Weaver is dealing with more uncertainty than he ever has in his professional career, writes Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, as the lifetime Angels right-hander doesn’t know whether he’ll be back with the team next season. “It’s definitely a ball of confusion going on in my head, but I’m trying to focus on going out and pitching,” said the 33-year-old. Per Fletcher, even the Angels may be uncertain as to whether they’re truly interested in re-signing Weaver, as that interest level is likely dependent on whether ace Garrett Richards ultimately requires Tommy John surgery or not. Weaver’s diminishing velocity has been a notable storyline in Anaheim for the past couple of seasons, though as Fletcher points out, it’s actually ticked upward late in the 2016 campaign. Weaver has a 3.97 ERA and a 21-to-5 K/BB ratio over his past four starts, so perhaps even getting his heater back up into the mid-80s is enough for him to rediscover success. However, he’s also currently leading the league with 195 hits and 35 homers allowed, which has resulted in a 5.25 earned run average.
- The Mariners are likely to recall first base prospect Dan Vogelbach, whom they acquired in the trade that sent Mike Montgomery to the Cubs, per Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune (Twitter link). While Vogelbach didn’t hit quite as well as he did in the Cubs’ minor league system following the trade, he did slash .240/.402/.422 with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma, demonstrating a keen eye at the plate and some pop to go along with it. Vogelbach could factor into the picture for the Mariners at first base and/or DH next season, so getting a look at him over the final few weeks of the year, even if it’s in a limited capacity, should give the Seattle front office a chance to plan for the 2017 season.
- Meanwhile the Athletics are bringing up even more young players now that the Triple-A season has ended, announcing that Renato Nunez and Matt Olson are joining the club. (Olson’s contract was selected to the 40-man roster and will fill the spot that was vacated by Billy Butler‘s release.) Both players rank among Oakland’s top 15 prospects, with Nunez in particular receiving high praise from outlets like MLB.com and Baseball America. Nunez struggled somewhat as one of the youngest players in the Pacific Coast League, slashing just .228/.278/.412, and his primary position (third base) is presently occupied by fellow youngster Ryon Healy. However, Nunez has seen some time at first base and in left field in the minors and could be evaluated for a potential fit at either spot. Olson, meanwhile, entered the season as a Top 100 prospect at MLB.com (No. 100, to be exact) but struggled through the first half before salvaging his season with a .260/.349/.462 batting line from July 1 through season’s end. He’s seen more time in right field than at first base this season but has plenty of experience at both spots.
Astros To Sign Cuban Left-Hander Cionel Perez
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.
Cuban Pitching Prospects Norge Ruiz, Cionel Perez Declared Free Agents
The MLB commissioner’s office has declared Cuban hurlers Norge Ruiz and Cionel Perez free agents, leaving them free to sign with any team, according to Baseball America’s Ben Badler. Both will remain subject to international bonus pool restrictions.
As Badler notes, both players required long waits to obtain their clearance to sign. Both Ruiz and Perez left their home island way back in May of 2015 (see here and here), but only just reached eligibility. Clearly, there is still a long ways to go smooth the transition for players seeking to jump from Cuban ball to affiliated organizations.
The right-handed Ruiz, now 22, is seen as one of the top recent pitching prospects from Cuba. Badler has suggested that he’s ready for the Double-A level, with an advanced mix of pitches that he generally mixes and commands well. With mid-rotation upside, he’s a highly intriguing target.
And Perez, a 20-year-old southpaw, has also shown promise during his work in the Serie Nacional. His stuff isn’t as polished, per Badler, but he is working on refining secondary offerings to go with a low-nineties heater. Perez isn’t considered prepared for an aggressive assignment in the upper minors, but seems to be a rather intriguing young pitcher in his own right.
Both players are slated to pitch in the Dominican winter league in a few months’ time, rather than relying simply upon showcases. That figures to afford major league organizations a long and valuable look at how they stack up against high-quality competition.