Cubs 2015-16 International Signings

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sun, 02/21/2016 - 12:41pm

The Cubs have signed 27 International Free-Agents (IFA) since the start of the 2015-16 International Signing Period (ISP) that began on July 2nd.

The 2015-16 ISP concludes on June 15th.

The 27 IFA signed by the Cubs so far are from seven different countries, including ten from the Dominican Republic, six from Mexico, six from Venezuela, two from Panama, one from Cuba, one from Colombia, and one from Korea (ROK). 

It's notable that Cubs have signed as many 2015-16 IFA out of Mexico as they have out of Venezuela, as the Cubs continue to increase their scouting presence in Mexico. (The Cubs signed three players out of Mexico in the 2014-15 ISP--RHP Jesus Camargo, RHP Hector Garcia, and 2B Carlos Sepulveda--after signing only two players out of Mexico in the previous five years).

The percentage of Venezuelan IFA players signed by the Cubs (so far) in the 2015-16 ISP (only 25%) is lower than it has been in the last few years, which is perhaps related to the Cubs pulling out of the Venenuelan Summer League post-2015 (which led to the disbanding of the VSL).  

*  bats or throws left
# bats both 

NOTE: age listed is age the player was when he signed

PITCHERS: 10 
Jose Albertos (Mexico) - age 16 
Maikel Aguiar (Venezuela)  - age 19 
Javier Assad (Mexico) - age 17 
* Faustino Carrera (Mexico) - age 16 
Carlos Ocampo (Colombia) - age 17 
* Brailyn Marquez (Dominican Republic)  - age 16 
Hector Matos (Dominican Republic) - age 16 
Yunior Perez (Dominican Republic) - age 16
* Jose MacDonna (Dominican Republic) - age 19 
Edison Novas (Dominican Republic) - age 18

CATCHERS: 4 
Miguel Amaya (Panama) - age 16 
Henderson Perez (Venezuela) - age 16 
# Herson Perez (Venezuela) - age 18
Kevin Zamudio (Mexico) - age 17 

INFIELDERS: 6 
* Aramis Ademan (Dominican Republic) - age 16 
Luis Diaz (Dominican Republic) - age 16 
* Christopher Morel (Dominican Republic) - age 16  
Orian Nunez (Dominican Republic) - age 17 
# Yonathan Perlaza (Venezuela) - age 16
Isaac Paredes (Mexico) - age 16
NOTE: Five of the six 2015-16 IFA infielders were signed as shortstops (Nunez was signed as a second-baseman)

OUTFIELDERS: 7
# Jose Gutierrez (Venezuela) - age 16 
* Kwang-Min Kwon (South Korea) - age 17
Fernando Kelli (Venezuela) - age 17 
Eddy Julio Martinez (Cuba) - age 20
* Ruben Reyes (Mexico) - age 19 
* Abraham Rodriguez (Panama) - age 16 
* Jonathan Sierra (Dominican Republic) - age 16 
NOTE: Kwon and Sierra are strictly corner OF (and Kwon also plays 1B), while the other five can play all three OF positions

Albertos, Amaya, Ademan, Diaz, Paredes, Kwon, and Sierra attended Fall Instructs in Mesa last September, and Kwon won the Instructs HR Derby (Eloy Jimenez was asked not to participate, to give others a chance to win).

Tags: 
Cubs International Scouting

Comments

Submitted by The E-Man  on Sun, 02/21/2016 - 3:18pm  
Thank you PHIL! That is interesting to hear about the Mexi-Cub connection. I hope one or two stick. Also, glad to see the Cubs are continuing with more Perez' success. It has been a long enough break since Neifi.

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 12:24am  

E-MAN: I think what you are seeing is the Cubs attempting to take advantage of a perceived market inefficency by establishing and maintaining a much heavier scouting presence in Mexico than they have in the past, developing close relationships with Mexican League clubs and (more importantly) with Mexican minor league clubs, and then aggressively pursuing and signing the best Mexican IFA their scouts can find.

Whether this pursuit will bare fruit remains to be seen, but it's certainly worth a try.

Submitted by crunch  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 12:48am  
something has to give in mexico. it has a pool of talent that's very used to the game and internal player development, but it's not given the game many MLB quality players of note (or too many MLB players on whole, really). it's worth mentioning that venezuela didn't become much of a player source powerhouse until the mid/late-80s even though they've been playing quality organized baseball there since the 40s (even before then, really). now we just expect greatness to flow out of the area.

Submitted by jacos  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 7:08am  
You would think with large population more Mexican players would be in mlb. Is soccer taking all the athletes?

Submitted by VirginiaPhil  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 9:20am  
Same problem in soccer. Internationally, Mexico is not very good, and in spite of immigration there has never been much of a Mexican presence in the US Men's National Team. So maybe the question is, what athletes?

Submitted by johann  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 1:22pm  
Soccer of course will always be more popular outside of the US for many reasons, one of which is that baseball is more expensive to play for kids but baseball in Mexico is quite popular. One rule that hurt the opportunity for Mexican players to come here was just eliminated: basically any player who signed with a us team before signing with a Mexican one was blacklisted from ever playing in Mexico. This allowed Mexican teams to basically sign players there at very early ages and then charge US teams a crap load of money to sign the player which they were only going to do for the best players. There's no free agency there so contracts in Mexico are for life. MLB finally convinced them to get rid of that as part of a plan to have more of a presence there so hopefully the combo will help.

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 2:17pm  

I discussedt this subject here a little over a year ago when the Cubs signed Camargo, Garcia, and Sepulveda. 

link 

Submitted by jacos  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 2:52pm  
AH HA! I knew Phil would back me up

Submitted by crunch  on Sun, 02/21/2016 - 7:51pm  
took long enough, but the O's finally signed y.gallardo (pending physical) yesterday. it's commonly believed that once that domino falls, d.fowler will sign with the O's shortly afterwards.

Submitted by Charlie  on Sun, 02/21/2016 - 8:44pm  
Damn. Was banking on my absurd Gallardo to Rockies prediction to help my case on the spreadsheet.

Submitted by azbobbop  on Sun, 02/21/2016 - 11:00pm  
Phil, any thoughts on what the Cubs are up to with additional Cuban signings?

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 12:07am  

AZBOBBOP: Although the Cubs have blown through their $3,230,700 2015-16 International Signing Bonus Pool (ISBP) to such an extent that bonuses they pay right now to International Free-Agents (IFA) who are subject to bonus restrictions feature a 100% tax  (for example, a $500K bonus costs the Cubs $1M), they can continue to pay top dollar (with the accompanying 100% tax) to any IFA they might wish to sign who wants to sign with the Cubs up through the end of the 2015-16 International Signing Period (ISP) on June 15th.

Unless the rules are changed in the next CBA (like if the long-anticipated "international draft" is implemented, even if it's just one or two rounds), the Cubs will be under severe signing restrictions in both the 2016-17 and 2017-18 ISPs such that they will not be able to sign any IFA subject to bonus restrictions for more than $300K for two full years, so they really should try and make the most of the remaining 3-1/2 months up to 6/15, and that would almost certainly involve pursuing most any decent Cuban IFA subject to ISP bonus restrictions who becomes available between now & then (since most-all of the best Dominican, Venezuelan, Central American, Mexican, and Pacific Rim IFA subject to ISP bonus restrictions have already signed). 

Submitted by Hagsag  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 4:51am  
I love the fact that the Cubs are stockpiling a huge group of young Latin shortstops. Of course, not all will make it, but there is strength in numbers for sure. It will be interesting to see how aggressive they will be in the Cuban market.

Submitted by Hagsag  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 4:54am  
I cant wait for AZ Phil's minor league reports. It should be an interesting camp.

Submitted by jacos  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 8:45am  
Donnie's whining again Donald J. Trump Verified account ‏@realDonaldTrump I hear the Rickets family, who own the Chicago Cubs, are secretly spending $'s against me. They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!

Submitted by crunch  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 12:39pm  
trump's daily temper tantrum and threats aside, the rickets family seems to be really bad at secretly spending money on politics.

Submitted by Hagsag  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 10:11am  
Cubs have signed Manny Parra LHP to a minor league contract this morning.

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 12:59pm  

Manny Parra joins Munenori Kawasaki as post-2015 Article XX-B free-agents who have signed 2016 minor league contracts with Cubs. 

An Article XX-B MLB free-agent who signs a minor league contract at least ten days prior to MLB Opening Day and then is either not released by 12 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day prior to MLB Opening Day or added to an MLB Active List (25-man roster) or MLB Disabled List by 3 PM (Eastern) on MLB Opening Day automatically receives a $100,000 retention bonus, and the player can unilaterally opt-out of the minor league contract on June 1st if he has not been added to an MLB Active List (25-man roster) or an MLB Disabled List by that date.

Submitted by Hagsag  on Mon, 02/22/2016 - 12:42pm  
Chi Sox sign Jimmy Rollins to a minor league contract.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 02/23/2016 - 10:14am  
Starting to feel Cards are taking steps back. Hi Dale! http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/benjam...

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 02/23/2016 - 3:46pm  
"FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal confirms that the Orioles are concerned with Yovani Gallardo's physical." this could impact the O's going after d.fowler. O's and cle are linked to him (with the "loser" of that chase expected to snag a.jackson). O's were heavily favored to snag fowler since they'd get a draft penalty for signing gallardo as it is.

Submitted by Charlie  on Tue, 02/23/2016 - 4:05pm  
Gallardo to the Rockies back in play? Eh? Eh?

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 02/23/2016 - 4:07pm  
ha. supposedly there might be some restructuring of the original agreed-to contract, but that seems to be speculation since it's not even being reported exactly what's irking the O's about his physical.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 02/23/2016 - 4:42pm  
Obviously the free spending win now Reds are back in the picture

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 02/24/2016 - 7:31pm  
y.gallardo restructures to 2/20...2m buyout, 13m option.

Submitted by John Beasley  on Tue, 02/23/2016 - 6:52pm  
Good luck in Baltimore, Dexter. You made a fan of me.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 02/23/2016 - 7:11pm  
glad that's over...now CLE (or someone) needs to sign a.jackson before the cubs get any ideas about him. fowler rumored to be a 3/35 contract.

Submitted by billybucks  on Tue, 02/23/2016 - 9:13pm  
Good for you, Dexter -- you seemed like a good dude. Of course, I liked you much better after the All Star break than before.

Submitted by jacos  on Wed, 02/24/2016 - 7:01am  
Hello draft pick! /we wii always have LaTroy and Coors field, Dexter

Submitted by The E-Man  on Wed, 02/24/2016 - 7:13am  
You're really referring to the pick that will go to the Cardinals anyway?

Submitted by tim815  on Wed, 02/24/2016 - 7:16am  
Probably the one in the second round, that was going to the Cardinals, but comes to the Cubs if Fowler passes his Orioles physical.

Submitted by johann  on Wed, 02/24/2016 - 9:29am  
Yes the 1st round and sandwich pick are both forfeited so 2nd round will be our first pick.

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Wed, 02/24/2016 - 9:32am  

An MLB club that signs a Qualified Player forfeits its 1st round selection in the Rule 4 Draft, unless the club selects in the Top 10 of the 1st Round, in which case the club would forfeit its next-highest pick. NOTE: In determining whether a club would forfeit its 1st round draft pick, the ten "protected" picks at the top of the 1st round would NOT include any compensation draft pick received by a club for failing to sign a 1st round draft pick from a previous draft. 

The next highest draft pick (or draft picks) will be forfeited if the club signs more than one Qualified Player (one draft pick forfeited for each Qualified Player signed). Draft picks subject to forfeiture include the club's own Rule 4 picks, compensatory draft picks awarded to the club after losing an Article XX-B Qualified Player, and draft picks that were awarded as the result of the Competitive Balance Lottery or as the result of the Rule 4 SBP Forfeited Draft Pick lottery (including any lottery draft pick originally awarded to another club and then subsequently acquired in a trade). A compensatory draft pick awarded to a club for failing to sign a pick from a previous Rule 4 Draft is NOT subject to forfeiture. NOTE: A Rule 4 Draft pick forfeited as the result of a club signing a Qualified Player is not transferred to any other club (it just disappears).

If a Qualified Player signs a Major League contract with a new club after the MLB Rule 4 Draft, or if a Qualified Player signs a minor league contract with a new club and either remains in the minor leagues or is later added to the new club's MLB 40-man roster, the player's new club does NOT forfeit a Rule 4 Draft pick, and the player's former club does NOT receive Rule 4 Draft pick compensation. However, MLB clubs are not permitted to sign a Qualified Player to a minor league contract just to avoid losing a draft pick.

So the Cubs forfeited their 1st round pick when they signed John Lackey and they forfeited their 2nd round pick when they signed Jason Heyward, but they get the 2nd round pick back (which will be #68 overall as things stand right now) and instead will forfeit the compensatory draft pick they get for losing a Qualified Player (Dexter Fowler) as soon as Fowler's signing becomes official. 

Meanwhile, once the Fowler signing becomes official, the Orioles will forfeit their highest draft pick subject to forfeiture, but nobody gets that pick. It just disappears. Same goes for the Cubs 1st round draft pick and the Fowler compensatory draft pick the Cubs get (and then immediately forfeit). They just disappear, too. 

So I guess you can think of it this way... the Cubs traded Dexter Fowler and their 2016 1st round draft pick for Jason Heyward and John Lackey. 

Submitted by jacos  on Wed, 02/24/2016 - 1:35pm  
I was wrong again, thanks for clearing up AZ Phil.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Wed, 02/24/2016 - 7:52pm  
Dang PHIL. What happened to the good old days, Cir. 1965, where the "GM's" (were they even called that) would meet with cigars and scotch and the "January & June amateur Drafts" where players could sign for whomever gave 'em a contact? Of course in 1965 there were only like 20 teams too! Thanks again for the head-spinning details...