Gabrielle O. Alvarez-Tillman - Contributing Reporter.
Starting a sister series of the Amateur Draft recap 10 seasons late to cover the International Market. There were 99 signings in S49 with 15 of them signing for more than $2M. Let's jump straight in and look at them in the order they signed. We'll cover anyone who signed for over that $2M. Lucky you if you found a useable ML piece for less.
- Tony Santos (SP) - Houston - $25M
- Just signed a 5/37.5M extension this season to stay with Houston as they continue their drive for another title. He's become a bit of a back of the rotation / spot starter but that's only because there are so many more talented names on the Space Cowboys roster. Anywhere else and he's starting front of the rotation if not that team's ace. Made his first start S53, followed by 18 more that season.
- Stats: 182 games, 139 starts, 66-28, 4/4 sv, 296 bb, 766 k, 1.22 whip, 3.65 era
- Omar Villano (RF) - Hartford - $24M
- Traded in S54 to New Orleans and then flipped to Atlanta. Unfortunately for him he didn't get to take part in the NO v Atl World Series that year but earned a promotion the following year where he's been with the club every since and winning 2 world series. So far the most successful but also the most expensive IFA to sign this season.
- Stats: 599 games, .281 avg, 80 hr, 94 sb, 402 r, 370 rbi, 211 bb, 283 k.
- Awards: 2x world series rings
- Nefi James (C) - Vancouver - $15.6M
- Promoted to the ML roster in S53 where he was forced to sit through arbitration all three years. Upset with Canada he vowed not to return and was traded to Helena last season. Signed a 3/$12.6M to play in Charleston.
- Stats: 853 games, .287 avg, 113 hr, 3 sb, 351 r, 404 rbi, 271 bb, 406 k.
- Welington Nunez (C) - Washington DC - $12M
- S53 Rule 5 selection by Helena. Released after Arb2, signed by New Orleans last season and traded to Houston this season where he finds himself in their AAA club.
- Stats: 767 games, .269 avg, 74 hr, 1 sb, 260 r, 323 rbi, 179 bb, 404 k.
- Awards: 1x gold glove C
- Harry Jose (C) - Wichita (Augusta) - $12M
- Earned a promotion to the majors in S55 but released just prior to his Arb2 season and signed as a FA with Austin this year on 4/$18.4M deal.
- Stats: 661 games, .257 avg, 43 hr, 16 sb, 226 r, 236 rbi, 341 bb, 335 k.
- Gonzalez Liriano (CF) - New Orleans - $10M
- Signed as a shortstop but plans were always to move him to CF. The NOOFs S54 big push for the World Series found Liriano being traded for future Hall of Fame Keith Halter, then playing with Columbus. Lucky for Liriano, he was part of the big book keeping debacle in Columbus and found himself a free agent S55 though he resigned a 5/29.5M deal to avoid his minor league contract or even bothering with arbitration. He'll try his hand at FA again this offseason; though it might be a tough one for him.
- Stats: 646 games, .251 avg, 48 hr, 24 sb, 204 r, 184 rbi, 121 bb, 386 k.
- Miguel Rivera (RP) - Atlanta - $9M
- Brought up through the popular Atlanta Expos prospect train. Promoted to the majors in S52 and traded to Anaheim in S57 for Geronimo Trinidad just prior to his Arb2. He signed a 2/8M deal last season and could become a free agent this coming off-season.
- Stats: 283 games, 22-15, 15/20 sv, 95 bb, 329 k, 1.13 whip, 3.07 era
- Awards: 1x world series ring
- Felipe Carrera (SS) - Atlanta - $8M
- Carrera has been all over the place, likely because of his strong defense but weak bat. He was flipped to Helena in S50 for an aging Vin Mulhuse, and again to New Orleans in S52 in an effort to clear IFA budget. He stuck around in their minors with plans to be called up to the majors S55 just when a new owner took over and traded him off to Salt Lake City in a head scratcher of a deal. S57 he was claimed off waivers by Tacoma; who traded him to Hartford in S58. Released S59 and signed with Helena on a 1 year deal.
- Stats: 646 games, .240 avg, 15 hr, 30 sb, 157 r, 134 rbi, 126 bb, 407 k.
- Esmil Polanco (3B) - Colorado (Salt Lake City) - $7.8M
- Traded to Atlanta S53 and again to Montreal S57 but released prior to Arb2 the next season. Not a ton to say about the guy, so we'll move on.
- Stats: 316 games, .265 avg, 17 hr, 6 sb, 85 r, 86 rbi, 53 bb, 147 k.
- Awards: 1x world series ring
- Damaso Ordonez (LF) - Colorado (Salt Lake City) - $4.4M
- S53 Rule 5 selection by Anaheim, released after Arb2, signed as FA S58 with Huntington on a 1-year deal and then signed with New Orleans on his current 1-year deal.
- Stats: 773 games, .266 avg, 123 hr, 9 sb, 350 r, 374 rbi, 247 bb, 385 k.
- Livan Pascual (CF) - Boston - $4.4M
- Promoted to the majors in S53 where he survived up through Arb2 and released. Signed a 1-year deal and then followed up on his Arb3 seasons this year where he got demoted to AAA.
- Stats: 697 games, .253 avg, 32 hr, 199 sb, 277 r, 207 rbi, 157 bb, 472 k.
- Juan Benitez (3B) - Wichita (Augusta) - $4.4M
- Late ML promotion in S57 and claimed off waivers by his current team, Philadelphia this season.
- Stats: 314 games, .239 avg, 16 hr, 26 sb, 83 r, 118 rbi, 82 bb, 229 k.
- Vincente Arquelles (RP) - Buffalo - $4.3M
- Became a Rule 5 selection by Huntington in S53 as they were moving out of a rebuild but sent back to the minors mid S54 and not called back up until S58 where he serves as a the mop-up reliever.
- Stats: 166 games, 11-8, 8/11 sv, 50 bb, 112 k, 1.31 whip, 4.30 era.
- Hector Bennett (RP) - Helena - $4.2M
- Another Rule 5 selection in S53 by Mexico City who held him through Arb2 and released this season; signing a FA deal with Chicago as they moved into their own rebuild.
- Stats: 143 games, 18-12, 12/19 sv, 77 bb, 231 k, 1.22 whip, 3.07 era.
- Juan Moreno (RP) - Los Angeles (Salem) - $3M
- S53 Rule 5 selection by Mexico City, released after Arb 2, signed a FA S59 1-year deal with the MIA Chicago franchise.
- Stats: 266 games, 1 start, 374 ip, 22-20, 22/28 sv, 149 bb, 282 k, 1.36 whip, 4.40 era.
There you have it folks, the 15 guys signed for more than $2M in hopes they'd have an ML impact.