Mariners are giving him a tryout: http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2011/01/yasiel_balaguer_18-year-old_cu.php
Some vid of him mostly talking and working out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Be2du8bvk
A decidedly unenthused Baseball America: http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=10582
And the other view that could be mostly hype: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/14/1926370/cuban-baseball-player-yasiel-balaguer.html
Your last hyperlink notes that other Cuban juniors have scored $7, $8 million bonuses. Hadn't realized that.
I guess the Marlins and Mariners want to take a gander to see for themselves whether Balaguer might threaten to identify with that level of Cuban teenagers.
Unless they's absolute wunderkinds like Kendry Morales AND they get out of Cuba early, I don't really have a lot of interest. I've seen WAY too many get fat and happy and just plateau (or flatline) as prospects. Johan Limonta is like that, and he never even really got paid.
If he was cheap, I'd kick the tires. How many millions did his agent want? 18? Laugh and walk away.
~G
Though as I look at it, Iglesias DID get a 6 mil bonus. The contract was 8 mil, 4 years for Iglesias with 6 million of that a bonus. So they paid him about what we're paying Ackley as the #2 pick in the draft. He rewarded them by dropping into AA and putting up a half-season a lot like Ackley's AA season, except without the walks (which is a lot like saying "except without value").
.285/.315/.357 for Iglesias with 8BB and 49K in 221 ABs vs. Ackley's .268/.389/.384 with 55/41 in 289.
I'd still rather be paying Dustin, thanks. :)
Arguelles got a 5 year / 6.9 mil deal...then had shoulder surgery before throwing at all in the minors and "should pitch" in 2011.
I'd be firing the medical staff that cleared him if I was the Royals...
Nothing about those two makes me want to throw money at Balaguer in the slightest.
~G
Worth noting that Iglesisas is known for his glove far more than his bat. He's supposed to be magical at shortstop.
The glove is supposed to take him big places. Striving to be Orlando Cabrera isn't a bad thing. Hopefully he keeps his glove magic and his drive to be great once he gets to the show, because his bat isn't likely to make up the difference otherwise.
Or maybe that's my Jack Wilson / Yuni Betancourt irritation showing...
~G
I just think of the $8M as bonuses since the kids aren't going to be in the majors anyway :- ) and the minors performance is what, $50k a year...