Soler was always gonna get $20M +.

 

Yeah, I had figured Soler for about $20M and Cepedes around $48M.

I thought he was added to the 40 after he was signed. Isn't that a major league deal? Maybe I'm mistaken.

According to news reports at the time, you are correct.

Yeah, I had figured Soler for about $20M and Cepedes around $48M.

 

Probably a good call or close to it. I think that's about what most serious teams are going to offer.

BenBadler Ben Badler

International scouts not sure how Concepcion could command $7MM. Finesse lefty, lots of 86-90 on the gun lately.

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$8M with incentives. Thats ridiculous for a projected 5 or 4 at best. Theo can have him, lol.

I liked Concepcion, but too steep a price.

$8M with incentives. Thats ridiculous for a projected 5 or 4 at best. Theo can have him, lol.

 

I mean, unless years have been rumored, I'm not sure why everyone is freaking out about the $7M figure. If it's like a 6-7 year deal, I don't see the issue. If it's a 3-4 year deal, then yeah, that's risky.

I just read http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1040855...ge-soler/page/2 and thought: Is that REALLY all we know about Soler? I would prefer Soler way more than Cespedes, but there must be some sort of scouting report out there?

I have no problem with that deal for the Cubs. An 18 year old already throwing 86-90 who pitched well in a league that is supposedly equivalent to AA is extremely impressive. He may have room to grow and develop too. That's a worthwhile investment as far as I'm concerned.

I have no problem with that deal for the Cubs. An 18 year old already throwing 86-90 who pitched well in a league that is supposedly equivalent to AA is extremely impressive. He may have room to grow and develop too. That's a worthwhile investment as far as I'm concerned.

Especially when international signings and draft spending will be capped in the near future. The Cubs definitely spent more money here than they would under the previous CBA, but the value of young talent has also increased significantly. When resources are limited, you end up paying a premium.

You're 1st mistake was reading Bleacher Report

 

I just read http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1040855...ge-soler/page/2 and thought: Is that REALLY all we know about Soler? I would prefer Soler way more than Cespedes, but there must be some sort of scouting report out there?

 

You're 1st mistake was reading Bleacher Report

Always. Bleacher Report is moronic blather from nerds taking a break from their WoW.

I have no problem with that deal for the Cubs. An 18 year old already throwing 86-90 who pitched well in a league that is supposedly equivalent to AA is extremely impressive. He may have room to grow and develop too. That's a worthwhile investment as far as I'm concerned.

An 18 year old throwing 86-90 is really not that impressive , in fact it's commonplace throughout the nation. Add to that what is typically years of a culture change adjustment and a huge competition upgrade and $8M for a kid that will be lucky to pitch in the bigs in three years and peak at a 4 and I still think it's a poor investment. The CBA/Cuba factor is likely creating a ridiculous market. Cespedes and Soler are going to comman bad, bad paper too, IMO.

You're 1st mistake was reading Bleacher Report

 

Living far from the world of baseball, all I can do is rely on the internet. Takes time to figure out what stuff I shouldn't trust

An 18 year old throwing 86-90 is really not that impressive , in fact it's commonplace throughout the nation. Add to that what is typically years of a culture change adjustment and a huge competition upgrade and $8M for a kid that will be lucky to pitch in the bigs in three years and peak at a 4 and I still think it's a poor investment. The CBA/Cuba factor is likely creating a ridiculous market. Cespedes and Soler are going to comman bad, bad paper too, IMO.

 

An 18 year old throwing 90 is not commonplace. 90 is an average major league fastball.

And the average fastball velocity for LHPs in the MLB is under 90.

An 18 year old throwing 90 is not commonplace. 90 is an average major league fastball.

 

The only thing is whenever someone is scouted 86-90 you have to assume its more likely 86-88 if that.

You know the drunk that talks out of his ass at the end of a bar? That guy has more credibility than Bleacher Report.

 

Living far from the world of baseball, all I can do is rely on the internet. Takes time to figure out what stuff I shouldn't trust

 

Kevin_Goldstein Kevin Goldstein

Nada on Soler; hearing Orioles might be more in on Cespedes than we thought. RT @furso27: @Kevin_Goldstein anything new on cespedes/soler?

 

An 18 year old throwing 90 is not commonplace. 90 is an average major league fastball.

 

Yes it is. Every organization in baseball has at least one 18 year old in the lower levels touching 90mph. Hell, the first round of the Rule 4 has a several of them every year.

But how can we really say that this Cuban kid for $7 million is clearly going to be better than the lefty we got from the Padres for Quentin (Hernandez)?

 

From everything you read, pretty similar stuff. There's a question about him (our lefty, Pedro Hernandez) ever being more than a loogy or at best, a replacement for Thornton, but that's more money than Joe Borchard and close to Dayan Viciedo territory for someone projected as a back of the rotation starter.

But how can we really say that this Cuban kid for $7 million is clearly going to be better than the lefty we got from the Padres for Quentin (Hernandez)?

 

From everything you read, pretty similar stuff. There's a question about him (our lefty, Pedro Hernandez) ever being more than a loogy or at best, a replacement for Thornton, but that's more money than Joe Borchard and close to Dayan Viciedo territory for someone projected as a back of the rotation starter.

 

Look at it this way, the 2012 No. 1 pick in the entire country Gerrit Cole signed an $8 million contract. Concepcion's deal is also $8M with incentives.

That is insane.

IN-SANE.

Look at it this way, the 2012 No. 1 pick in the entire country Gerrit Cole signed an $8 million contract. Concepcion's deal is also $8M with incentives.

That is insane.

IN-SANE.

 

I was going to point this out last night, but I fell asleep.

 

Concepcion isn't even considered a Top 100 prospect by most. Yet he's going to receive a bonus equivalent to the number 1 pick in the country last year? All while Cole has a ceiling of a staff anchor ace, and Concepcion might not even sniff a middle of the rotation upside? More perspective, he's receiving more than 4 times the amount we paid to sign Chris Sale. No thanks.

Edited February 4, 201214 yr by DirtySox

Look at it this way, the 2012 No. 1 pick in the entire country Gerrit Cole signed an $8 million contract. Concepcion's deal is also $8M with incentives.

That is insane.

IN-SANE.

That's $8M when a team has exclusive negotiating rights. Cole would get much more if every team had a shot in an open bidding war.

I know nothing about Concepcion's secondary pitches, but I do know that a guy who is that successful against a competition level that is roughly equivalent to AA players at the age of 18 has a future worth monitoring.

 

The better question is this...how many of these guys have actually seen Concepcion pitch more than once or on a Youtube video? I get that you follow those that are close, but Cuba and anything involving Cuba is, for the most part, blocked by both countries. Both Livan and Orlando Hernandez made healthy livings pitching in the high 80s, and that is from the right side of the mound, where soft tossers generally get destroyed.

 

I don't think Epstein has done anything thus far to deserve the praise he's gotten with the Cubs and I've actually been quite critical of quite a few of their moves (or atleast willing to play Devil's Advocate), but this is a good signing.

I want to make comparisons to Kei Igawa and Tsuyoshi Nishioka to Concepcion, but those aren't fair because those are two monstrous failures, Igawa especially ($26 mill posting fee, 5/$20 contract...lifetime ERA of 6.66).

 

So, I'll propose this instead: Who would you rather have, Tsuyoshi Wada for a 2 year, $8.15 mill contract, or Gerardo Concepcion for up to, say, 8-10 years for $8 million?

 

Seems pretty obvious to me.