Ben Badler brought up an interesting way that some teams could exploit the CBA. There’s a chance that MLB could move to an international draft next year. If that happens, Badler notes that the penalties for going over the pool switch to the following.

**0-5 percent over pool: 75 percent tax on the pool overage.
**5-10 percent over pool: 75 percent tax on the pool overage. Team loses first-round pick in the 2014 international draft.
**10-15 percent over pool: 100 percent tax on the pool overage. Team loses first-round and second-round pick in the 2014 international draft.
**15 percent or more over pool: 100 percent tax on the pool overage. Team loses first-round and second-round picks in both the 2014 and 2015 international drafts.

The Pirates have $2,426,000 to spend in 2013-2014 on international free agents. It wouldn’t take much to go over that 15 percent mark. They’d only have to spend $2,789,900 or more to reach the maximum penalty, which would be a 100 percent tax and the loss of first and second round picks in the next two drafts.

Badler notes that contending teams could benefit from ignoring the penalties this year. He points out the Yankees and Rangers as examples of teams who probably won’t have a shot at top prospects if there’s a draft in 2014. Therefore, giving up top picks in that draft won’t hurt as much if they’re getting multiple top players this year.

The Pirates are contending right now, although we won’t know where they’ll end up by the time the international signing period starts. The international signing period begins July 2nd. The final standings obviously won’t come for a long time after that. So we won’t know if the Pirates will have a low pick when it comes time to sign players. If they feel strong about their chances of finishing with a winning record, and a pick that is 20th or later, then this might be a strategy to consider. Here are the things to consider.

**If they have a low pick, they’d be trading a pick around number 20-30 and a pick around number 50-60 in 2014. However, they’d also be trading the first and second round picks in 2015, so they’d need to be contending that year as well to make it worthwhile. Then they’d have to sign four 1st-2nd round talents this year to break even, in addition to guys who would be their “first and second round picks” this year. So they’d need to sign at least six top guys to make this worth it.

**There’s the cost to consider. If they’re signing six top guys, they’re going to be competing with a lot of other teams. Not only will you have to pay a lot of money, you’ll also have to pay tax on the overage. Let’s say they spend $6 M total. In reality that’s about $9.5 M total, since they’d be taxed on the overage.

**This year’s international class is considered weak, which is one reason why Tampa Bay spent big last year and gave up the right to sign anyone over $250,000 this year. It might be hard to find players this year who would be better than the 1st and 2nd round picks in 2014 and 2015, and at twice the price.

**The Pirates traditionally don’t spend on the top international free agents. Instead, they go for a “quantity of quality” approach. I say that because even though they go for quantity, the guys they’ve gone for have also been quality. Starling Marte signed for $85,000. Gregory Polanco signed for $75,000. Alen Hanson signed for $150,000. Dilson Herrera’s $220,000 looks huge compared to those guys. If they did go with this approach, they’d be putting all of their money toward a few big name players, and missing out on their bread and butter.

For the above reasons, I’m not sure it would benefit the Pirates to go all in during the 2013-14 signing period. However, Badler did mention the possibility that the international draft could include draft pick trading. That could be a route that the Pirates would want to take. They can draft the guys like Hanson, Polanco, and Herrera in the middle rounds, while still having the luxury of adding a top international free agent or two in the first round. The downside to an international draft would be that on the open market they could make Hanson and Polanco a priority in the same year, and get them both for very little. In a draft they might lose one or both of those guys.

It’s going to be interesting to see how things play out. First, it will be interesting to see whether there is a draft (the deadline for MLB to decide is June 1st). If there is a draft, it will be interesting to see what the rules are, and how teams could exploit those rules.

Gregory Polanco (left) and Alen Hanson (right) signed for a combined $225,000

The Pirates have a bonus pool that places them in the middle of the pack, though they will have less money to spend this year as opposed to the current 2012-13 International signing period, which is still going on. According to Badler, he sees about 15 players who could get a bonus of $1,000,000 or more, so that could still mean the Pirates go heavy on one player. This current signing period, they signed two players for $700,000 each, Michael de la Cruz and Julio de la Cruz, and no, they are not related.

In last year’s Baseball America rankings, Julio de la Cruz was ranked #16 in their top twenty. Miguel de la Cruz wasn’t ranked, yet got the same bonus. Now initially that would seem like they may have overpaid for the latter, but at the age these kids are signing(16 years old for most), their stock can change drastically with a strong showcase in front of scouts. Even in the MLB amateur draft, High School kids that are two years older, can see their stock rise dramatically with a couple added MPH, or an amazing day at the plate during a heavily scouted game. When dealing with kids even younger, the Pirates tend to go towards players with tools. Going quantity over one big name.

In 2011, Pittsburgh had two big signings, Elvis Escobar for $570,000 and Harold Ramirez for $1,050,000. Baseball America predicted that Ramirez would get the 15th highest bonus in that International class. They didn’t actually rank the players by talent, rather by how much they would get paid. Elvis Escobar was ranked 23rd in that same group. Last year both of those players skipped right over the Dominican Summer League and went right to the Gulf Coast League.

Both players are on the small side, though they have grown a little since signing. They were both considered toolsy players, above average defense and speed, good hitters with gap power as of right now. They also both performed well for their age in the GCL, earning the #29(Escobar) and #31 spots in Pirates Prospects Top 50 prospect list. Pittsburgh also signed catcher Jin-De Jhang for $250,000 and he went right to the GCL, where he put up excellent numbers as a 19-year-old, earning him a top 20 ranking in both the Pirates system and among players in the GCL.

There are other examples recently of the Pirates picking up players that look good for lower bonuses. Alen Hanson, Gregory Polanco, Jose Osuna and Willy Garcia are all playing regularly for Bradenton this year. Polanco is the oldest at age 21, which is very good for the league. None of them were big profile signings, signing for $785,000 combined.

In the same year they signed Luis Heredia, they also signed shortstop Dilson Herrera for a $220,000 bonus. Herrera is now a 19-year-old second baseman playing everyday for West Virginia, hitting .288/.353/.449 and last year he was named the GCL Player of the Year by Topps and the 7th best prospect in the league by BA. We had him ranked 12th overall in our Top 50 list.

The most obvious example of not needing to spend a lot to get something worthwhile, is Starling Marte. He was signed for $85,000 in 2007 by Rene Gayo, who is still the Pirates International Scouting Director.

So while it may seem a bit disheartening to not see the Pirates connected to any big names as of now, it is important to remember two things. One is that is still very early in the process of identifying the top players and at this age, a lot can change quickly with these kids. The second is that the Pirates have proven recently that you don’t have to spend a fortune on one player to pick up a good player. It certainly helps your chances, but for every high-priced Sano and Heredia type that look like they are future stars, there are players who go nowhere despite getting those huge bonuses.

The Pirates spent approximately $2,000,000 in International bonuses during the ongoing 2012-13 signing period, at least for the signings that have been announced, so they could still could have another $1mil to spend before the new signing period starts. While that would make it seem like the lower pool this year doesn’t affect them much, teams like the Astros, Cubs and Rockies all have much more than last year to spend, so they can take more of the bigger names out of the equation.

Ben Badler has posted the penalties for teams going over their bonus pool during the 2013-14 signing period and it has an interesting twist. The penalties are different based on whether or not MLB institutes an International Draft for 2014.

Esqueda is an 18-year-old right-hander, who is an accomplished International pitcher. He was being watched closely by the Pirates since early last year. At the time, he was throwing 85-88 MPH. Navarro is a 6’2″, 194 pound 19-year-old lefty from Mazatlan. During a tryout last August in Mazatlan, Rene Gayo named Navarro as the best of the group and said he planned on trying to sign him.

Both pitchers played Winter ball for the Veracruz team in the MBL. Esqueda threw ten innings, posting a 5.40 ERA with two strikeouts, while Navarro had a 5.13 ERA in 33.1 innings, with 19 strikeouts and a .240 BAA.

The scouting report on both players lists them as projectable arms, with good bodies and mound instincts.

UPDATE: Esqueda is the brother of Carlos Esqueda, who has spent the last  three season with  the Pirates DSL/VSL teams. Navarro’s father, Adolfo Navarro, pitched for 14 years in the Mexican League.

We also found an example of Esqueda’s strong International resume from August of 2011. In the 16 & under International Baseball Federation tournament, Esqueda allowed one run over seven innings to Australia, striking out a tournament high eight batters. Six days later, he battled through extremely poor defense for three innings, giving up eight unearned runs. Playing for his local team four months earlier in the Peimbert Camacho League, Esqueda threw five no-hit innings against older competition

Bealyn Chourio

I was over at Pirate City yesterday watching batting practice, when I noticed a left-handed hitter I had never seen before. The hitter was making strong contact, and crushing a few pitches. I had no way of identifying him, since he was wearing a red shirt, meaning he was injured. I also didn’t recognize him.

During his last round, I heard someone call him “Chourio”. Adenson Chourio? He hasn’t been in the system since 2010, and would be 26 now. Plus he was 5′ 9″, and this guy was bigger than that. I figured it was a new player brought over from the DSL that wasn’t on the Spring Training roster, since I didn’t have a player named “Chourio” on my list.

After practice I checked on the name: Bealyn Chourio. You’ll find him on page 127 of the 2013 Prospect Guide. You just won’t find any information on him outside of his numbers. That’s because there was never much information available. Chourio signed in April 2011, which isn’t when interesting prospects usually sign. He had 90 at-bats in 2011 in the Venezuelan Summer League. He appeared in two games in the DSL in 2012, but didn’t have an at-bat. That was all that was available.

After watching him hit today, I wanted to get more information. I don’t usually make a lot out of a few batting practice swings, but I talked to Wilbur and got another positive report. Wilbur has been at Pirate City the last few days, and had this to say on Chourio:

I’ve seen Chourio take batting practice several times in the past few days.  He’s been hitting the ball hard more consistently than any other player I’ve seen, squaring up on nearly every swing.  He’s a switch hitter and has also shown good power from the left side.  During drills he’s been taking grounders at short, but doesn’t seem to be throwing, so the injury may be an arm problem of some sort.

I checked around and got the back story on him. The Pirates signed him for $30,000. He was 5′ 10″, 140 pounds when signed. He shot up in the last year. The media guide has him at 6′ 0″, 167 pounds, although I got reports that he’s closer to 6′ 3″, 200. After seeing him, he probably falls somewhere in the middle of the media guide and those reports. The growth isn’t a surprise, since I’m told that Chourio’s entire family is tall. The reason he missed the 2012 season, and the reason he is a red shirt now, is because he had Tommy John surgery last year. He hurt himself playing winter ball in Venezuela in the 2011-12 off-season, and had the operation in 2012.

Chourio turns 19 in March, and only has 90 professional at-bats. The Pirates only have him in Bradenton to work on his rehab. After Spring Training, the plans are to send him back to the Dominican Republic, continue his rehab there, and get ready for the DSL season. Obviously it’s hard to say what his upside could be. He’s a tall, skinny, athletic switch hitter who plays shortstop and makes strong contact with the bat. Those are all good things, which makes him nothing more than another interesting international hitting prospect to follow in 2013.

The two biggest signings this year are sure to cause some confusion for Pirates fans. On July 2nd, they signed third baseman Julio de la Cruz for a $700,000 bonus. Nine days later, they signed outfielder Michael de la Cruz for a $700,000 bonus. The two 16-year-olds are not related. Between them, they accounted for nearly half of the Pirates International spending allotment.

On the two de la Cruz’s, the Pirates called Julio the best hitter they felt was available on the International market, while Michael was called a little raw, but he had five tool potential and could develop into a 20-25 home run guy

On August 1st, the Pirates made their next highest investment, signing catcher Yoel Gonzalez on his 16th birthday for $350,000. His defense was already said to be advanced at the time of his signing, but his bat was a little behind.

In July, the Pirates signed another third baseman with a big bat. Johan Herrera is slightly older than the normal high-priced signing, but the 17-year-old showed enough promise with the bat to receive a $300,000 bonus.

The Pirates have been busy in the Australian market over the last few years, signing seven players since 2009. None of the players they have signed over that time though, approached the $225,000 bonus that 16-year-old shortstop Sam Kennelly received. In November, they also signed 16-year-old pitcher Nick Hutchings out of Australia.

Other signings of note from earlier in the year include 18-year-old outfielder Alexis Bastardo from Venezuela. He’s a center fielder with a strong arm and good speed. In March, the Pirates signed three players from Mexico, pitchers Omar Basulto and Eduardo Vera and first baseman Julio Perez. In April, they signed 17-year-old Panamanian pitcher, Dario Agrazal Jr.

Notes From Ben Balder’s Recap

Badler adds a new name to the signings, one that hasn’t come up yet. On August 1st, the Pirates signed shortstop Johan De Jesus out of the Dominican. Like Gonzalez, he too turned 16 on August 1st. De Jesus signed for $200,000 and he is a right-handed hitter, 5’11″ 170 pounds. He makes good contact and has strong fundamentals and game awareness, but no tools that stand out.

Badler notes that Julio de la Cruz will start the year in the Gulf Coast League, while Michael de la Cruz will likely open up in the GCL. The Pirates have been quick to move top signings recently, last year bringing both Elvis Escobar and Harold Ramirez to the states right away and in 2011, Luis Heredia made the same move. He also notes that Julio should be able to stick at third base as he moves up the ladder. With Michael, he says that the Pirates scouts were higher than most on him, saying most scouts feel his speed, arm and power aren’t what the Pirates thought, but notes that the Pirates have done well in the past in International scouting and they really like Michael.

Badler also notes that Herrera was signed on July 1st, so his bonus doesn’t count against the Pirates cap. He originally broke the news of the signing in November, so this is a change from his initial report.

Luis Heredia

Lost in the mix yesterday was an article from Baseball America, comparing the international prospects in each team’s top 30. The article is for BA subscribers, and can be found here. In the article, Ben Badler looked at how many international players were included in BA’s top 30 for each team. The Pirates had 10 international prospects out of their top 30 players, which was the ninth best.

Badler highlighted Alen Hanson, Gregory Polanco, and Luis Heredia as the key players from the group. He went on to say that the trio could stack up against just about anyone’s in baseball. Badler also pointed out Dilson Herrera as another gifted hitter, and mentioned that the Pirates weren’t afraid to go against the industry consensus with guys like Elvis Escobar, Harold Ramirez, and Michael de la Cruz.

Wilbur Miller brought up a good point about this list yesterday at Bucs Dugout. He noted that the list was a bit misleading, since the easiest way to populate your top 30 with international players is to draft poorly. He pointed out that the Rangers have 15 on their list, but also have good results drafting. He also pointed out that the Tigers were on the other end of the spectrum, with 14 on their list, but a poor farm system.

The comments made by Badler suggest that this group is more than just a byproduct of weaker draft results. Badler has been high on Hanson and Polanco all year, calling them two of the biggest breakout prospects in the minors. Saying that the trio of international prospects stacks up against just about anyone else’s trio is also strong praise. Badler also seems to be high on Dilson Herrera, naming him number one on the list of international players in minor league baseball who could have a Hanson/Polanco like breakout in 2013.

There have been question marks about the draft results, with the Pirates spending a lot of money but not getting a huge return from their investment. For the international market, the growing consensus seems to be that this is an area where the Pirates are succeeding. They’ve got Starling Marte in the majors, Polanco/Hanson/Heredia as top prospects in the minors, and a few breakout candidates behind those guys, such as Herrera and Jin-De Jhang.

Hutchings is currently competing in the U18 National Youth Championships in Australia along with Kennelly. Hutchings started game two yesterday for the South Australian team. He threw four innings and had a rough outing, along with some trouble in the field behind him. He allowed six runs in the first, though the last four runs were unearned. Hutchings finished with the loss, allowing seven runs (three earned) on five hits, with three walks and five strikeouts.

Hutchings was signed by Tony Harris, who not only scouts for the Pirates, but also manages the Adelaide Bite. Hutchings has been a top player among his age group for years, starring in the U16 version of the National Youth Championships last year. He also earned an invitation to the ABL’s National Academy on his 16th birthday. Hutchings has been working with Harris on improving his control, velocity and off-speed pitches. He currently throws in the upper 80s with his fastball, and complements that with a slider and a changeup.

Hutchings reportedly turned down offers from the Padres, Reds, Phillies, and Astros to sign with the Pirates. He becomes the seventh player out of Australia signed by the Pirates since 2009. The right-hander isn’t expected to make the jump to the US until the 2013 Fall Instructional Leagues.

So far in the ABL season, Kennelly has started five games at third base, while coming off the bench another three times. He is 3-for-19 on the young season, with three singles, an RBI and one error.

Being just 16-years-old and playing in the ABL against older competition has been an incredible learning experience for the young shortstop.

“Playing against bigger, stronger players has set a high standard for me and I’m ready to face the challenge,” Kennelly said of his time in the league. “Being around the clubhouse with current and past professional players makes me aim to be as good as them.”

Part of the reason he can make the jump to this league at such a young age is because he is surrounded by his older brothers on a daily basis. All three of them know what it’s like to be in organized pro ball and they are his teammates with the Perth Heat. He gives them credit for helping him get to where he is.

“Learning from my older brothers and more experienced players has made me a better player,” Kennelly said. ”The ABL has some former and current Big Leaguers and playing and being around them pushes me harder to have the experience they have had in the big show.”

For now, he knows what he has to do to get ready for next year, but he also looks forward to the next step.

“At the moment, with [Perth], I’m getting as much baseball in as I can, trying to get bigger and stronger so I really feel ready to play with the Pirates. Getting all my work in and learning everyday,” the infielder said.

He was signed as a shortstop, but has been playing third base as well. That’s not the only positions he’s been playing. He can play anywhere on the infield, but currently spends most of his time on the left side. He’s also pitched in the past. A few teams wanted him as a pitcher, but Kennelly didn’t want to give up the bat.

Kennelly is a hard worker and takes pride in being an all-out player and playing the game the right way.

“I take pride in all aspects in the game and believe both defense and offense are my strengths,” Kennelly said. “I like to try and make all my plays look and feel routine. I love throwing the ball as hard as I can to first base and making all the big league plays. I like hitting the ball as hard as I can every at-bat and making every at-bat count.”

He finished that thought up, with what you love to hear from someone his age. “I don’t like to leave a baseball game clean. I’m always there to play hard and finishing dirty and playing at 110 percent.”

That next step for Kennelly after the season, will be his first trip to the states, where he will participate in the upcoming portion of Minor League Spring Training.

“I haven’t been over to Bradenton yet, but have seen many photos and heard so many good things about it,” Kennelly said. “Knowing a handful of people that work for or with the Pirates, they have definitely put a good vibe towards the ball club and I really can’ t wait to get over there.”

Kennelly mentions that he has a “good vibe” towards the Pirates, and he credits that to the Pirates’ scout that signed him, Tony Harris. Kennelly was in Queensland, Australia at the Major League Baseball Australian Academy Program prior to being signed, with a few teams besides the Pirates looking at him. It was there that Harris convinced him to sign.

“The way he talked about the Pittsburgh Pirates and what opportunities there were, I knew I was gonna have a great time with the team,” the infielder said. “It was an exciting time for myself and the family. I know now I made the right decision and couldn’t be happier.”

Tony Harris may have signed Kennelly, but in two weeks Harris will get to face his newest signing, when Perth visits Adelaide. Harris is the Adelaide manager, so while Pirates fans won’t get to see him until Spring Training, Kennelly will likely get a chance to take on some of his future teammates. If things go as planned, he will get to face ABL All-Star Zac Fuesser in one start and possibly Rinku Singh in relief, as well as fellow Australians, Jackson Lodge and Wilson Lee.

You can sense the youthful enthusiasm with Kennelly, but he knows it will be a tough road to the majors.

“Right now I’m really excited to head over to Bradenton and pursue my dreams with the Pittsburgh Pirates,” he said.

The international tracker has been updated with the signing. The Pirates have spent just over $2 M on four players, and have $850,000 remaining in their international bonus pool this year.