Dodgers sign Cuban Yasiel Puig to $40+ mil deal

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by doyerfan, Jun 28, 2012.

  1. doyerfan

    doyerfan MODERATOR Staff Member Moderator

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    http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/n...vkey=news_la&c_id=la&tcid=tw_article_34081436

    The Dodgers have been open about their willingness to spend money to make the team better and candid about their desire to strengthen their presence on an international market that they once dominated.
    It appears the club has made progress on both fronts in one fell swoop.
    According to an industry source, the Dodgers have agreed to a multiyear deal worth more than $40 million with 21-year-old international prospect Yasiel Puig, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound outfielder from Cuba.
    The Dodgers haven't commented on or confirmed the signing.
    Puig (pronounced Pweeg) was declared a free agent Wednesday, not long after establishing temporary residency in Mexico, and was eventually cleared by the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
    In order to avoid being subject to new CBA guidelines that will limit spending on international prospects to $2.9 million per team without penalty, Puig must sign the record-setting deal, have the contract approved by Major League Baseball and pass a physical before Monday.
    The Cubs and White Sox also expressed interest in Puig.
    A top prospect in the island's premier league, the Cuban National Series (Serie Nacional), Puig hit .276 with five home runs during his first campaign with Cienfuegos in 2008-09 and had a breakout year the next season, hitting .330 with 17 home runs and 78 RBIs. He did not play for Cienfuegos during the 2011-12 seasons because he was being disciplined for attempting to defect.
    Puig, a member of the country's national team, is the latest high-profile Cuban player to sign with a Major League club. Outfielders Yoenis Cespedes signed a four-year $36 million deal with the A's in mid-February, and Jorge Soler signed a nine-year, $30 million deal with the Cubs earlier this month. Left-handed pitcher Omar Luis Rodriguez signed a Minor League deal worth $4 million with the Yankees last week, and fellow lefty Gerardo Concepcion signed a five-year, $6 million deal with the Cubs in early February.
    Back in January 2010, Aroldis Chapman signed a six-year $30.25 million deal with the Reds, and infielder Adeiny Hechavarria signed a four-year, $10 million deal with the Blue Jays three months later. Pitcher Yunesky Maya signed a four-year, $8 million deal with the Nationals that July.
    Before the start of the 2009 season, Dayan Viciedo signed a four-year, $10 million deal with the White Sox, and shortstop Jose Iglesias signed a four-year, $8.25 million contract with the Red Sox near the end of the season.
    In May 2011, the Rangers signed outfielder Leonys Martin to a five-year, $15.5 million deal, which included a $5 million signing bonus.
    More Cuban prospects could be on the way. Pitcher Armando Rivero, along with outfielder Henry Urrutia, were also declared free agents this month and are seeking deals.
     
  2. doyerfan

    doyerfan MODERATOR Staff Member Moderator

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    Crazy news, 40+ mil is a lot ... It's exciting to see shit like this, but based on reports on Puig, it is surprising that the Dodgers would give him 40+ mil and offer Soler less, given that many have said Soler is better.. But who knows, maybe they see something different in Puig, or maybe they didn't realize what the market was going to be for Soler, screwed up, and gave Puig some cash... but definitely interesting to see this amount of money
     
  3. LAdiablo

    LAdiablo descarado

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    get him to the stadium lol
     
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  4. DodgerLove

    DodgerLove DSP Legend

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    Holy shit, I'm down.
     
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  5. Doughty8

    Doughty8 DSP Legend

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    I am in shock! Hope this is isn't a knee reaction signing either way I am glad just wary.
     
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  6. Dodgers99

    Dodgers99 DSP Legend

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    I would surprised if he he is an immediate big club guy, since he is so young. I'll check the other board for a more in-depth scouting report on him.
     
  7. VRP

    VRP DSP Legend

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    WOO!!!!!!
     
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  8. VRP

    VRP DSP Legend

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    He's not MLB ready.
     
  9. doyerfan

    doyerfan MODERATOR Staff Member Moderator

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    Heyman said it's 42 mil over 7 years

    Also: it wasnt the biggest offer he receieved so damn, that's awesome. This is cool
     
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  10. VRP

    VRP DSP Legend

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    "Puig's contract with the Dodgers should be completed by Friday. The young man could play in the major leagues this year, maybe in time to help with the race for the playoffs or the World Series," said the source, who added that the agreement includes some clauses that could permit Puig to become a free agent after his fourth year.
     
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  11. VRP

    VRP DSP Legend

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    Cuban outfielders have been a hot commodity over the past year, and another young Cuban defector was declared a free agent on Tuesday evening and is now able to sign with any major league team, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.
    Twenty-one-year-old Yasiel Puig has long attempted to make his way to the United States. In fact, he was suspended from playing in the Cuban Serie Nacional this past season due to attempting to defect. He successfully did so this summer, establishing temporary residency in Mexico, and is expected to agree to terms rather quickly in hopes of signing prior to July 2, when the new CBA regulations will severely limit international spending.
    The vast majority of the attention amongst Cuban outfielders centered around Yoenis Cespedes and Jorge Soler, and it should have. Puig possesses raw power — and actually showed game-power back in the 2010-2011 season with 17 home runs — but Ben Badler of Baseball America recently noted that the most recent scouting reports on the young outfielder have been extremely underwhelming.
    Despite those disappointing reports and the fact that Puig has not played organized baseball in a year, teams will absolutely be lining up to ink him to a minor-league deal. Badler writes that the Texas Rangers have shown interest, and Jesse Sanchez hears from industry sources that five teams have expressed “serious interest” in the young outfielder.
    Now, statistics from the Cuban Serie Nacional should obviously be taken with a grain of salt. The level of competition is perhaps not even comparable to what Puig would potentially see in Triple-A, but legitimate similarities exist between the numbers Yoenis Cespedes compiled in 2010-2011 and what Puig racked up in the same year.
    Player2B3BHRAVGOBPSLGBBSO
    Yasiel Puig 19 6 17 .330 .430 .581 49 39
    Yoenis Cespedes 17 1 33 .333 .424 .667 49 40
    The obvious difference is the significantly higher home run total from Cespedes. It’s that level of power that has allowed Cespedes to transition directly to the major leagues and post a .222 ISO as a 26-year-old without any experience in the United States.
    The remainder of the numbers — the on-base percentage, strikeout-to-walk ratio, etc. — are comparable. Even the doubles are comparable. Puig reportedly has above-average speed and was once considered the “fastest player in Cuban baseball” before defecting, so it’s not overly surprising that Puig would collect more triples than Cespedes.
    The issue is that no one can ever confidently project how a Cuban baseball player will transition to professional baseball in the states. The statistics have little correlation due to the level of competition, and the players have to adjust to more than just the players in the United States. They also have to transition to the lifestyle, the culture, and the language. That can be extremely overwhelming for anyone, much less a 21-year-old with ambition and plenty of cash, thanks to a hefty signing bonus.
    The ultimate question in the next week will surround potential suitors and whether or not Puig can agree to a deal prior to July 2 and circumvent the new CBA regulations that would assuredly erode his potential payday. If he can agree to a deal prior to July 2, it will be intriguing to see what his signing bonus will be. He represents the final opportunity to purchase international talent outside the new rules, and in a world that saw the New York Yankees sign left-hander Omar Luis Rodriguez — who did not even see time in the Serie Nacional — for $4 million, Yasiel Puig will almost surely sign for more than his talent suggests he should.
    After all, open your wallets now. The option to do so will no longer be available in less than a week.
    http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/cuban-of-yasiel-puig-declared-free-agent/
     
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  12. Doughty8

    Doughty8 DSP Legend

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    Good find VRP.
     
  13. irish

    irish DSP Staff Member Administrator

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    then he'll fit in on the big club just fine :hide:
     
  14. VRP

    VRP DSP Legend

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  15. Dodgers99

    Dodgers99 DSP Legend

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    Hopefully he gets to AA or AAA soon.
     
  16. VRP

    VRP DSP Legend

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    I'd think he starts at Rancho, I have nothing to back that up, that's just the feel I'm getting.
     
  17. bestlakersfan

    bestlakersfan DSP Legend

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    Knowing the way the Dodgers bring their hitters up, he'll be in the majors in 2016..... Hahaha

    Anyways, I am definitely pumped to hear and see this. I am 100% down with this, it's a statement to the league saying that the Dodgers are back on the intentional scouting and, more importantly, signing of great players. Great to have good ownership.
     
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  18. Doughty8

    Doughty8 DSP Legend

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    I would be too but Cuban players seem more advanced even at their young age plus Cespedes went practically immediately to the A's.
     
  19. LAdiablo

    LAdiablo descarado

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    i was joking just to clarify but he sure is getting paid like he made the show
     
  20. Dodgers99

    Dodgers99 DSP Legend

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    Cespedes is 5 years older.
     
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