Gabrielle O. Alvarez-Tillman - Contributing Reporter.
The blog has typically covered a look back at the Rule 4 draft from 10 seasons back, so we thought we'd add in a look back at the international signings from 10 seasons back as well. And why not start with the record setting contract year of Wei-Yin Wan by Huntington for an impressive $49.1M! We'll cover everyone who was signed to a bonus of $10M+ and then select players who signed for less that ended up with some value.
- Wei-Yin Wan - $49.1M - Huntington
- Not much to say here that everybody doesn't already know, he's constantly been in the MVP voting since his promotion to the majors, averaging more than 200 hits a season, 40-50 HR, with 110+ R and 120+ RBI. At just 28 years old, and make-up Mary Kay would be jealous of, I could see him still hitting in the majors 10 seasons from now. But will he ever win a Ring? Might end up being the greatest player in Cobbfather history but also without a ring to his name.
- Awards: 7x all star, 6x silver slugger 1B, 1x silver slugger DH, 1x HR derby, 1x mvp.
- Stats: 5,061 ab, .339 avg, 361 hr, 48 sb, 1084 r, 996 rbi, 692 bb, 481 k.
- Jimmie Navarro - $15.0M - Atlanta
- A plus defender SS that hits for power? Not sure many people would turn this down, especially for only $15M. Especially when it's the first half of the season when they sign as well.
- Awards: 4x all star, 2x silver slugger SS, 2x world series ring
- Stats: 4,412 ab, .237 avg, 262 hr, 44 sb, 630 r, 751 rbi, 338 bb, 946 k.
- Toru Suzuki - $12.3M - Helena
- With the third highest signing bonus this season, Suzuki has failed to make the majors due to his major control issues. Everything else about him could be serviceable if he ever he got glasses. He's done well the last 5 seasons in AAA - but the majors might not be in his cards.
- Edgmer Romero - $12.0M - Philadelphia
- Signed early in the off-season and shipped off to Seoul (Tucson) in a package deal for Akinori Yoshii and then flipped with Davey Perez in a 2 for deal to Monterrey (Jacksonville). He's been a solid bullpen guy - the $12M bonus seems on par.
- Stats: 336 g, 0 starts, 36-24, 50/69 sv, 463 ip, 1.25 whip, 3.52 era, 148 bb, 347 k.
- Kendrys Espinoza - $11.5M - Hartford
- Espinoza became part of the major S54 rebuild in Columbus, when Hartford shipped him, Felipe Teheran, Alberto Lopez, and Boots Blake to boost their bullpen with bullpen aces Marcos Owen and Brooks Bonilla.
- Awards: 1x all star
- Stats: 155 g, 83 starts, 43-31, 4/5 sv, 669.2 ip, 1.37 whip, 4.18 era, 202 bb, 419 k.
- Orlando Tomas - $11.2M - Atlanta
- Second big signing by Atlanta and just three days after signing Navarro, but unlike Navarro - shipped to Tacoma the following season for the Chan Ho Jiang whose salary was covered for that season. The production of Tomas definitely doesn't feel worth the bonus money he signed; but the signing team still got some value out of him.
- Stats: 1,946 ab, .237 avg, 58 hr, 32 sb, 211 r, 200 rbi, 168 bb, 385 k.
- Danry Sosa - $10.5M - Portland (now Salem, same owner)
- The first $10M+ signing of the season, and he's still with the ballclub; having just gone through Arb1 this season. Unfortunately he didn't get his promotion to the bigs until S57; and hasn't appeared in more than 106 games in a season due to his lower rating against righties but he hits lefties amazingly - as a platoon he's been great and well worth the cost; though likely should be more of a DH because his pitch calling isn't all that great.
- Awards: 1x all star, 1x silver slugger C; and even S59's All star game MVP.
- Stats: 1,902 ab, .321 avg, 95 hr, 7 sb, 342 r, 324 rbi, 237 bb, 186 c.
- Geronimo Trinidad - $10.1M - Anaheim
- Traded during his Arb1 season to Atlanta with Miguel Rivera coming back to Anaheim in S57. Rivera only stuck around for 2 more seasons before jetting for Dover in FA. Like many players, Trinidad's stay in Atlanta was short, being shipped to Jacksonville in S58 for Reymond Osoria and David Peterson as the first deal of the season. Solid signing for Anaheim though.
- Awards: 1x all star, 1x world series ring
- Stats: 3,425 ab, .272 avg, 179 hr, 1 sb, 486 r, 533 rbi, 371 bb, 385 k.
Now for the players who missed $10M+ but still added value to their teams.
- Ruben Suarez - $7.8M - Colorado (Tucson)
- Acquired by Atlanta in S53 but traded in the big Columbus rebuild of S54 for Alan Street who did wonders in Atlanta. Released prior to his Arb3 season and signed on with rebuilding Anaheim last year and signed through S63 at $5.6M per. He hasn't quite figured out how to deal with righties but he makes due.
- Awards: 1x silver slugger P
- Stats: 210 g, 177 starts, 69-45, 2/3 sv, 1094.2 ip, 1.29 whip, 3.80 era, 332 bb, 707 k.
- Chico James - $5.8M - Wichita (Augusta)
- Poor Chico was released after Arb 1 then signed a 3 year deal with Milwaukee (now Fargo)
- Stats: 243 g, 107 starts, 32-46, 5/6 sv, 894.2 ip, 1.44 whip, 4.83 era, 389 bb, 654 k.
- Aramis Ramirez - $5.2M - Portland (Salem)
- Another Portland signing, this one trading to Milwaukee (Fargo) in S54. Unfortunately that owner didn't get but a year out of him before selling the team to current owner and moving the franchise to Fargo.
- Stats: 1,443 ab, .261 avg, 51 hr, 1 sb, 164 r, 169 rbi
- Victor Abad - $3.3M - Vancouver
- Canada thought they had their Shortstop of the future in signing Abad, turned out to be...a bad decision. In their defense, they think Canadian Bacon is Bacon too. He's resting away on a one year deal in AAA Huntington. The bat wasn't awful but he was never really the SS they wanted him to be.
- Awards: 1x all star
- Stats: 3,360 ab, .263 avg, 95 hr, 35 sb, 364 r, 416 rbi, 292 bb, 598 k.
- Hector Mota - $3.3M - Colorado (Tucson)
- Nobody wanted Mota. Colorado traded him the following season to Vancouver and then Vancouver shipped him off to Atlanta. And you guessed it, the follow season he was shipped off to Augusta where he's been since S53 and is on his Arb3 season. But the question is, will he sign next offseason somewhere? He's done pretty decent as a SuB and will likely be cheap. Go get 'em tightwads!
- Stats: 397 g, 23-27, 51/72 sv, 1.23 whip, 3.94 era, 147 bb, 334 k.
- Alberto Castillo - $2.0M - Boston
- Just made it through Arb2 this season. We'll see if he gets an extension or has to suffer through his Arb3 year, wondering all season if he'll have a job the following year or not. Hasn't been great in Center but doesn't shag a lot of balls. Or maybe he does, just off the field.
- Stats: 2,959 ab, .266 avg, 62 hr, 31 sb, 339 r, 335 rbi, 221 bb, 624 k.
- Michael Woo - $1.2M - Milwaukee (Fargo)
- Likely the best defender in the international market this year. He was traded in S53 to Houston, went through 2 Arb seasons and then shipped off just after his Arb2 case to Tacoma where he's still playing today. The guy has a role late in the games and he knows it. At his salary, we assume Tacoma will keep him around for another couple of seasons. As a shortstop he has 59 plus plays to 1 minus play. That's some solid defending if you ask me.
- Awards: 1x world series ring
- Stats: 1,527 ab, .239 avg, 1 hr, 20 sb, 128 r, 124 rbi, 120 bb, 342 k.
- Yusmeiro Del Rosario - $605k - Wichita (Augusta)
- At a notch behind Woo is Rosario, who inked a 3/4.2M deal with Scottsdale this season, so he'll be signed cheaply through S63 but will that defense stick around long enough? We'll see. The Ks are tough though. However with more playing time than Woo he's produced 89 plus plays at Short and only 3 minus plays. This year it seems he's splitting time between 2B and SS, and obviously still a plus defender.
- Stats: 2,554 ab, .250 avg, 4 hr, 0 sb, 192 r, 153 rbi, 175 bb, 569 k.