It's confirmed: ChiSox signed Viciedo despite a better offer

[caulfield12]

 

 

Jeff Passan, Yahoo Sports

 

The Chicago White Sox continued to corner the market on talented young Cubans, agreeing with 19-year-old Dayan Viciedo to a record-setting contract Thursday night.

 

Viciedo’s four-year, $11 million major-league deal guarantees him more money than anyone signed out of the June draft or any player under 21 signed as an international free agent. Mark Prior’s $10.5 million bonus set the record for a college player, Detroit’s Rick Porcello received a $7.28 million major-league deal out of high school two years ago and Oakland gave 16-year-old Dominican Michel Inoa $4.25 million this year.

 

One year after signing another Cuban defector, Alexei Ramirez, to a four-year deal and watching him finish second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting last season, the White Sox promised Viciedo a shot at their third-base job despite him never taking a professional at-bat outside his home country.

 

“He’ll have to earn it, and I expect him to give a good fight for that position,” said Jaime Torres, Viciedo’s agent. “If I were a betting man, I’d be that he’s there.”

 

Chicago’s willingness to put Viciedo in an open competition pushed them past three other teams, Torres said, one of which was offering more than $11 million. Viciedo’s familiarity with Ramirez, as well as the presence of Cuban Jose Contreras, helped sway him toward the White Sox.

 

Swells of interest overwhelmed Viciedo’s initial showcase last week, when more than 100 scouts gathered in the Dominican Republic to watch him hit, run and throw. The next day, another workout drew 75 people, and Torres figured it would translate into a contract bigger than the $11 million.

 

“I honestly think this young man is worth a lot more,” he said.

 

Torres was right about Ramirez, who signed for $4.75 million, an extremely affordable amount for the White Sox the next three seasons.

 

Viciedo, who turned professional at 15, hit .337 and made the All-Star team in Cuba as a 16-year-old. Scouts at his workout raved about his power bat, though they expressed concerns about his conditioning and wondered whether his weight would balloon.

 

Torres said he expects another of his Cuban clients, 20-year-old center fielder Felix Perez, to sign within the next two weeks. A left-handed-hitting center fielder, Perez was lightly regarded when playing for Isla de Juventud in Cuba but impressed scouts with his five-tool potential while working out alongside Viciedo last week. He has eight teams vying for him, Torres said.

 

“There is serious interest,” Torres said, indicating Perez, too, could receive a major-league contract. “Some clubs that originally thought they’d have a shot at him have been surprised.”

 

Cubano, what's the word on this Perez kid? Where the heck did he come from...we heard about the pitcher and SS that were Torres clients. Is it possible the White Sox also end up with a new centerfielder? This kid has been entirely under the radar until one week ago.

[caulfield12]

Felix Perez...let's set to work and see what we can find out about this kid!

 

Perez is a raw teen talent who has spent parts of two seasons in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, batting a light .271. Torres, who represented such big leaguers as Yoslan Herrera, Jose Contreras, Yuniesky Betancourt and most recently Alexei Ramirez, admitted Perez was raw but said he had five-tool talent. baseballamerica.com

 

The fact that he's left-handed is reason for excitement...I really wonder if there was some sort of "package deal" where KW bid more than he wanted to for Viciedo in order to also bring in Perez, too?

 

Of course, there have been quite a few Japanese players that came to the US in their late 20's/early 30's with huge contracts, like Ichiro, Hideki Irabu, Dice K Matsuzaka, Godzilla Matsui, etc.

Edited November 22, 2008 by caulfield12

[lostfan]

I read this article yesterday, it doesn't say anywhere that there was a better offer somewhere else.

[rangercal]

where does it say he received a better offer?

[Dick Allen]

I read this article yesterday, it doesn't say anywhere that there was a better offer somewhere else.

Chicago’s willingness to put Viciedo in an open competition pushed them past three other teams, Torres said, one of which was offering more than $11 million. Viciedo’s familiarity with Ramirez, as well as the presence of Cuban Jose Contreras, helped sway him toward the White Sox.

 

Of course he doesn't say how much more, so it could be $1, it could be even more significant.

 

[lostfan]

Chicago’s willingness to put Viciedo in an open competition pushed them past three other teams, Torres said, one of which was offering more than $11 million. Viciedo’s familiarity with Ramirez, as well as the presence of Cuban Jose Contreras, helped sway him toward the White Sox.

 

Of course he doesn't say how much more, so it could be $1, it could be even more significant.

Oh, I remember reading that now. He just underlined the wrong paragraph.

[caulfield12]

Nope, just underlined the other parts of the article I thought were most interesting.

 

I suppose I could have been redundant and underlined the line an earlier post was referring to, but we're all intelligent enough (I hope).

 

An earlier article said one of the teams was willing to move their starting 3B to create an opening for Viciedo...obviously not the Yankees, so that means the Red Sox were/are open to moving Lowell, and the Astros are letting Wiggington go.

Edited November 22, 2008 by caulfield12

[Cubano]

from either the Astros, Yankees or Red Sox.

 

 

 

Cubano, what's the word on this Perez kid? Where the heck did he come from...we heard about the pitcher and SS that were Torres clients. Is it possible the White Sox also end up with a new centerfielder? This kid has been entirely under the radar until one week ago.

 

 

I was looking for his stats, but I can not find them now. I had them. I remember he played 2 o 3 season for la Isla de la Juventud. This is the same team that Livan Hernandez and veteran SS Juan Carlos Moreno played for. He defected with Moreno. Both went to Mexico first I believe. Then, they went to the D.R. I wrote about Moreno in here too. He was a back up in the WBC # 1. I wrote that if he has something in the gas, sign him for an utility role. He was in the camp for the Gigantes del Cibao but I guess he did not make the team. Many times these teams are controled by MLB or has many players already. Other times Cubans just play a game or two for the scouts. I have not heard about him lately.

 

As for Perez, he needs to go to the minor for some incubation period. Ha, ha, ha.

Edited November 22, 2008 by Cubano

[harfman77]

Perez sounds intriguing because of his five tool potential, but not on a ML contract.

[Chisoxfn]

Perez sounds much more like the type of guy you give a million to 2 million signing bonus to and call it a day.

[caulfield12]

Since we've been talking so much about Fernando Perez recently, why not another Perez? It's kind of funny, all the talk about not drafting Porcello and we're handing out money now like the Salvation Army after the holiday bell-ringing season is over.

 

It will be interesting to see where this kid ends up, and if he does, in fact, get a major league contract. There are also Arguellez (P) and the SS among Torres' clients that remain unsigned.

 

The White Sox are becoming like the UN...although we probably need to get another Japanese/Korean pitcher back on the roster to further diversify. We have Betemit, Viciedo, Ramirez, Contreras, Vazquez (Puerto Rico), Cora (PR), Guillen (Venezuela), Carlos Quentin sounds Hispanic (lol)...before that Uribe, Ozuna, El Duque, L. Vizcaino, Marte, Olivo, Carlos Lee, Ordonez, Colon (DR), Loaiza (PR), Iguchi, Takatsu...I think there were a couple of times in the last decade the White Sox even had an all African-American and Hispanic starting line-up and pitcher. Just shows you how international the game has become over the last 10-15 years.

 

I've also heard rumblings that the Dodgers made a serious run at Viciedo, too. When's the last time we beat the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers out for a player that those teams were seriously interested in obtaining?

Edited November 23, 2008 by caulfield12

[Cubano]

Just shows you how international the game has become over the last 10-15 years.

 

 

I assumed you meant how international MLB has become not the game. Baseball has been played in many countries for many years.

[caulfield12]

Yep...about 10-12 years ago, the numbers of Hispanic players passed African American MLB players and now it's about 30% of major league players that are born in Spanish-speaking countries, maybe even 35%.

[Cubano]

Yep...about 10-12 years ago, the numbers of Hispanic players passed African American MLB players and now it's about 30% of major league players that are born in Spanish-speaking countries, maybe even 35%.

 

I think 38%. The problem is cheap labor. MLB can establish more academies in the USA, but it is more expensive to develope a player.

 

In Latin countries, there isn't much to do. Soon, we will see MLB pushing chinese player from big China. As soon as the first one can avoid striking out all the time, we will see one making his MLB debut.

 

[caulfield12]

Yep, they just need one Yao Ming or Yi Jinlian....the Red Sox or Yankees signed the first two Chinese players this past year, there was the focus on the Olympic games, MLB sent a big delegation over in March and then there were the exhibition games played there as well.

 

There is a baseball presence in Taiwan, which is technically part of China...just like Tibet. The first player will be from Chinese Taipei, FWIW.

 

The other reason is because more young Americans are playing basketball (especially African-American), but also individual sports like golf (Tiger Woods phenomenon kicking in) and tennis. I really doubt we're losing too many future All-Stars to NASCAR and Ultimate Fighting though.

[lostfan]

The other reason is because more young Americans are playing basketball (especially African-American), but also individual sports like golf (Tiger Woods phenomenon kicking in) and tennis. I really doubt we're losing too many future All-Stars to NASCAR and Ultimate Fighting though.

And the reason for that is actually pretty simple, in the inner cities it's easy to play basketball, all you need is a ball and one other guy to play a pickup game whereas with baseball, you need a ball, a bat, a bunch of guys, and gloves for at least half of those guys, which is expensive and hard to organize. With football you have more or less the same problem since need all the equipment and whatnot but at least it's sponsored in high school. And it doesn't take as long to develop skill as baseball does for most people.

[caulfield12]

And the reason for that is actually pretty simple, in the inner cities it's easy to play basketball, all you need is a ball and one other guy to play a pickup game whereas with baseball, you need a ball, a bat, a bunch of guys, and gloves for at least half of those guys, which is expensive and hard to organize. With football you have more or less the same problem since need all the equipment and whatnot but at least it's sponsored in high school. And it doesn't take as long to develop skill as baseball does for most people.

 

 

Then you have all the marketing, the Air Jordans, the hip-hop/entertainment industry's tie-ins with the NBA, the fact that Michael Jordan was the coolest guy in the world that everyone wanted to be (Be Like Mike). Not to mention it's easier for kids today to identify with Kobe, LeBron and D-Wade or KG than Jackie Robinson.

 

Places to play and equipment are one part of it, for sure...and yet soccer/futbol has never taken off in America. Maybe it will continue to make progress, simply because it's the most important sport in many Central/South American countries.

 

The RBI (Reviving Baseball in the Inner City) program's been around 10 years or so now, it will be intereting to see what, if any, impact that has on bringing more African Americans back to the sport.

Edited November 23, 2008 by caulfield12

[lostfan]

I'm kind of an anomaly, I played Little League as a kid, but I moved to the city and a lot of the guys that came to play liked baseball but had never played. There were about 4-5 of us that did and the coach could tell immediately just watching simple stuff like how we stand in front of the ball, throwing motion (and throwing with three fingers), etc. Some of these guys were raw, natural athletes that just needed seasoning like the guy that played CF for us who had fantastic range but didn't know how to throw yet, or our behemoth 1B that had tons of power but didn't know how to swing.

[bighurt4life]

Don't forget the Million Dollar Arm competition that was recently held in India to find some pitchers over there. It seems like the MLB is trying to get their foot in the door to get some publicity and hopefully tap into a 1billion population.

[knightni]

There is a baseball presence in Taiwan, which is technically part of China...just like Tibet. The first player will be from Chinese Taipei, FWIW.

 

Oh, you mean like, Chin-Feng Chen, Chin-Hui Tsao. and Chien Ming Wang?

[Cubano]

MLB is building academies in Europe. There is money there if baseball can florish. Though football (soccer) is a big wall to overcome. The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, Rusia, Czech Republic, France, etc are making some strides lately specially the first two.

 

I like to see the WBC teams to come with their own players. I do not want to see MLB x 6 where you have players playing for these teams that never have been in these countries. I like to see how their programs are imporving or not improving.

[Pants Rowland]

I'm kind of an anomaly, I played Little League as a kid, but I moved to the city and a lot of the guys that came to play liked baseball but had never played. There were about 4-5 of us that did and the coach could tell immediately just watching simple stuff like how we stand in front of the ball, throwing motion (and throwing with three fingers), etc. Some of these guys were raw, natural athletes that just needed seasoning like the guy that played CF for us who had fantastic range but didn't know how to throw yet, or our behemoth 1B that had tons of power but didn't know how to swing.

 

Jerry Owens?

[lostfan]

Jerry Owens?

No, he actually had a cannon for an arm, just couldn't throw accurately for s*** until the season was half over.

[chunk23]

It sounds like Perez would be an interesting signing, but not exactly something to be all too excited about. It doesn't sound like he's on the same level of ability as Viciedo.

Edited November 23, 2008 by chunk23

[Cochise]

Since we've been talking so much about Fernando Perez recently, why not another Perez? It's kind of funny, all the talk about not drafting Porcello and we're handing out money now like the Salvation Army after the holiday bell-ringing season is over.

 

It will be interesting to see where this kid ends up, and if he does, in fact, get a major league contract. There are also Arguellez (P) and the SS among Torres' clients that remain unsigned.

 

The White Sox are becoming like the UN...although we probably need to get another Japanese/Korean pitcher back on the roster to further diversify. We have Betemit, Viciedo, Ramirez, Contreras, Vazquez (Puerto Rico), Cora (PR), Guillen (Venezuela), Carlos Quentin sounds Hispanic (lol)...before that Uribe, Ozuna, El Duque, L. Vizcaino, Marte, Olivo, Carlos Lee, Ordonez, Colon (DR), Loaiza (PR), Iguchi, Takatsu...I think there were a couple of times in the last decade the White Sox even had an all African-American and Hispanic starting line-up and pitcher. Just shows you how international the game has become over the last 10-15 years.

 

I've also heard rumblings that the Dodgers made a serious run at Viciedo, too. When's the last time we beat the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers out for a player that those teams were seriously interested in obtaining?

 

You barely got any of those countries of origin correct. Contreras and El Duque are from Cuba, as are Viciedo and Ramirez. Ordonez is from Venezuela and Loaiza is from Mexico. Check your facts.