Anyone think we'll make a play for this Gonzalez kid?

[caulfield12]

The Dodgers returned to the international market with a vengeance last year, signing Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig for $42 million and committing $62 million to acquiring South Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu.

 

Both of those players have paid big dividends for the Dodgers this year, and they did again Monday in the Dodgers' 3-1 win over the Giants. Now the team figures to be in the forefront of a bidding war for another international player.

The Dodgers were one of several teams scouting Cuban right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez in Tijuana last week. Gonzalez, 26, defected from Cuba earlier this year and established residency in Mexico. In last week's showcase, he pitched three innings for a low-level Mexican team.

 

Because of his age and experience in the Cuban league, Gonzalez is a free agent and can sign with any team without his contract counting against the international signing cap instituted by Major League Baseball a year ago.

Unlike Puig, Gonzalez is a fairly well-known commodity. He pitched for the Cuban national team in international competitions like the 2010 World University Games, the Baseball World Cup in 2009 and 2011 and the 2011 Pan-Am Games.

 

Gonzalez must be cleared by the U.S. Department of the Treasury before he can sign with a big-league team. However, that paperwork could be completed soon, and there are some talent evaluators who believe Gonzalez will be ready to pitch at the major league level by the end of this season.

 

Meanwhile, Puig and Ryu continue to show that they were wise investments. Puig went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs in his first meeting with the Giants, while Ryu threw 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball in a no-decision.

www.yahoo.com/sports

 

Should we be in on this kid or just give up and assume the Dodgers, Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, Phillies, Rangers, etc., will sign him?

 

After all, there's no reason not to want to acquire talent, in any form. As we all know, if you have too much pitching talent, it can be traded for help on the offensive side...and, we should be trusting Don Cooper with a pitching project more than we should be spending similar amounts on raw position prospects until we can start trusting our minor league system to refine them into "diamonds."

 

Right now, we can't seem to figure out what to do with our uncut diamonds.

 

Theoretically, we still might have a need (in the minds of the front office) to balance the rotation back to three lefties and two righties...and it's doubtful Axelrod is in the long-term plans, so that still means we're one short EVEN IF Erik Johnson can make a successful debut with the Sox in August/September and then on into ST and the 2014 regular reason.

 

That is, unless we decide to hold onto Peavy, but Jake could also be traded in the off-season, too. Lots of different options.

 

Finally, he's represented by Jaime Torres, the same agent we've worked so comfortably with in the past on the Cuban players.

 

 

While Ben Cherington was the only GM that was in attendance for Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez's audition yesterday, the Red Sox aren't the only team with interest in the Cuban right-hander. The Dodgers sent three of their top scouts to Tijuana on Thursday to find out if they might have another exciting Cuban import to join Yasiel Puig, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Agent Jaime Torres declined to say how many clubs sent representatives to the Tijuana showcase but said there was "a great turnout." Meanwhile, Gonzalez is scheduled to put on another display for teams next Friday where he could pitch five innings, tweets Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. Here's more from around baseball. mlbtraderumors/latimes.com

Edited June 25, 2013 by caulfield12

[southsider2k5]

Due to his not fitting into the salary cap internationally, he will be really, really expensive, which probably means we don't have a chance.

[LittleHurt05]

The Sox may make a play for him, but no way in hell they put in the highest bid.

 

 

[harfman77]

The Sox may make a play for him, but no way in hell they put in the highest bid.

 

Highest bid may not win though. The team that wins will probably the team that has the clearest path to the majors and comes close to his demands. There is more long term contract value for him if he gets to the majors early and succeeds. Given where this roster is right now, there is not much risk in adding him to the roster on August 1st.