Sox INTL signings

[jacksonianmarch]

scaff, just read the interview with yankee scout and player development guy Carlos Rios. He was asked the question about the comparison between Melky and DeLeon and he laughed, said the "unnamed AL scout" mustnt have ever seen Melky or DeLeon play and proceeded to rip apart that "unnamed scout." He said that DeLeon wont have Melky's speed, hence is more of a corner OF guy. But projects him as a young Jermaine Dye with huge power capability and good hittability as well.

We did sign Sosa who is a "Johnny Damon type with a better arm" that could fit into the "Melky Cabrera with better speed" category. Maybe they were confused.

[AZBlue]

Link to interview with Yankee scout?

[jacksonianmarch]

http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=303&p=2&c=656591

you need a scout.com membership

[scaffolds]

Jackson, Like i said before i haven't seen De leon play, but have seen Almanzar play and the tools are, baseball people who have seen both claim that Almanzar is the better project, as far as the Yankees the talk in the industry is that Cashman isn't too happy with his new International scouting director.

I haven't been able to verify this, but there's talk from different sources that the Sox have signed Dominican outfielder Jose Jose. Jose who not only is similar to Sox bonus baby Engel Beltre in his style of playing also looks very similar and spend some in the Red Sox Spring camp in March.

[scaffolds]

The Boston Glove is reportig that the Sox have signed the following latin players .

From Venezuela SS Joantoni Garcia, OF Javier Gutierrez and C Jesus Rojas.

From Dominican SS Rafael Espinosa and RHP Roman Mendez.

The Glove is also reporting that the Sox have signed Outfielder Che- Husuang Lin but he has been playing in the GCL and Australian RHP Justin Eramus but this signing took place in the Spring.

[AZBlue]

Scaf, what do you know about the Latin kids on the list?

[riverside sluggers]

boston herald

Sox hook on to big catch
By Rob Bradford
Thursday, July 5, 2007 - Updated: 12:19 PM EST

The Red Sox might not have had a first-round pick in this year’s draft, but that evidently hasn’t prevented them from securing first-round talent. According to multiple major league sources, the Sox are close to signing one of the biggest prizes in this season’s international free agent class: 16-year-old shortstop/third baseman Michael Almanzar of the Dominican Republic.

The Web site soxprospects.com reports the deal’s signing bonus is for approximately $1.5 million. The figure is equivilant to money usually alloted to amateurs taken in the middle of the first round. It would be the highest signing bonus ever given by the Red Sox to an international free agent. An announcement regarding all of the team’s international signees is expected within the next few days. The international signing period, when players 16 years old and up can sign, began Monday.

Almanzar is the son of pitcher Carlos Almanzar, who has been working out in the Red Sox organization at extended spring training. The 33-year-old Almanzar last pitched in the majors in 2005 with Texas, after which he underwent Tommy John surgery. He has not pitched since being suspended for 10 days for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy.

Michael Almanzar, a 6-foot-5 right-handed hitter, is primarily an offensive player with tremendous power potential and bat speed. He projects to eventually find a home at third base, although he has primarily played shortstop to date.

[AZBlue]

I have a thought about the conflicting reports about the amount of Michael Almanzar's bonus. He may be receiving a $1.5 million bonus paid over, say, five years. The writer for the newspaper in the Dominican who reported the $3 million bonus may have misunderstood the numbers and thought it was $1.5 million plus the annual payments when, in reality, it was "only" a total of $1.5 million paid over time.

[scaffolds]

AZblue, I assume that your asking other than Almanzar, I have heard about Garcia before but i am trying to get more info on him, the rest of the Latin group is second tier.

[AZBlue]

Thanks, Scaf.

[scaffolds]

AZBlue, You welcome, with the recent signing, this how the red Sox minor league prospect comes from.

Dominican Republic- 44
Venezuela 32
Australia 5
Taiwan 4
Puerto Rico 3
Colombia 2
Cuba 1
Canada 1
Honduras 1
Nicaragua 1
Panama 1
Curacao 1
Mexico 0 (But 1 Mexican decent)

[AZBlue]

Scaf, I have read on a couple of sites that the Red Sox have signed Jose Jose. What do you know about him?

[scaffolds]

Originally Posted by AZBlue

Scaf, I have read on a couple of sites that the Red Sox have signed Jose Jose. What do you know about him?

I have heard about the talk about the sox signing Jose Jose, but haven't been able to talk to someone that knows for sure if he signed or not. Jose Jose is a carbon copy of Sox dominican outfieder Engel Beltre, both of them are around 6-1 170 left handed throwers and hitters, very athletics, even their hitting swing are very similar with a slight upper cut.

[jacksonianmarch]

Originally Posted by scaffolds

I have heard about the talk about the sox signing Jose Jose, but haven't been able to talk to someone that knows for sure if he signed or not. Jose Jose is a carbon copy of Sox dominican outfieder Engel Beltre, both of them are around 6-1 170 left handed throwers and hitters, very athletics, even their hitting swing are very similar with a slight upper cut.

I had heard that many scouts who saw him after he was hyped left very unimpressed. I know the yankees and sox were considered to be big players for him but after the "unnamed AL scouts" said that about him, the yankee speculation died down. Who knows, those may be the same scouts who said DeLeon looked like Melky. IE, they're dumb.

[scaffolds]

Jackson, I saw Jose Jose take batting practice at the end of March and he showed a very quick bat with good pop.