Aledmys Diaz: Do we want him and at what cost?

[AlwaysinModeration]

Also says 20 teams had scouts in attendance, so I would be surprised if the Twins didn't.

 

I hope they are aggressive in bidding for him. $30mm? Ok, sounds good.

[Mike Sixel]

If he is a MLB ready SS, or will be in a year.....why would you not sign him to a $30MM deal for 4 years or whatever? That's less than a SS would cost in FA.

[diehardtwinsfan]

yeah, given the Twins dearth at the position, giving him 30M if they were convinced he'd stick would be a pretty good deal... Drew would be looking for a similar amount with likely one less year. I'd do it.

[beckmt]

Risk taking all around. Those who talk 4/30 are willing to let him walk at age 27 if he proves to be the real thing. Do not know his upside, but if we take the risk would not 6/60 or 7/70 be a better bet.

[jorgenswest]

If he signs a 4 year deal, isn't he still under team control at the end of the 4 years? Wouldn't it be arbitration? Why would he be able to walk sooner than other players?

[Mike Sixel]

Risk taking all around. Those who talk 4/30 are willing to let him walk at age 27 if he proves to be the real thing. Do not know his upside, but if we take the risk would not 6/60 or 7/70 be a better bet.

 

Ok with me......maybe 4 years with options or something. Either way, if they think he is a legit SS by 2015, there is no reason not to sign him. I have no idea what his talent is.

[old nurse]

Ok with me......maybe 4 years with options or something. Either way, if they think he is a legit SS by 2015, there is no reason not to sign him. I have no idea what his talent is.

 

Any of the players signed would remain under team control for 6 years. You limit risk with a shorter contract. Conversly, if you believe he is the real deal you would sign him for as long as you can.

[thetank]

Any of the players signed would remain under team control for 6 years. You limit risk with a shorter contract. Conversly, if you believe he is the real deal you would sign him for as long as you can.

I read he would likely need some minor league seasoning so if he signs a 4 year contract and players in the minors when does his service time start?

[Chance]

There are at the minimum 20 teams scouting him. I'm sure if we sign him for around 30 mil he would have had plenty of offers in the 20s. I say this so people realize that if he flops, it's just part of the risk (Nishi). Many seem to be good with the Twins aggressively going after him. Which is good, but don't start bashing in 3 years if he is brutal.

[jay]

Also, I agree with Mike, we can always use more assets.

 

Assets are great. However, going out and signing international players does not automatically make them an asset. By design, the team they sign with most likely offered to pay more than the 29 other MLB teams. Therefore, that player is instantly being paid more than every other team thought he was worth and no team would give up other assets (ie prospects) to acquire him at that price. The player is more of a sunk cost than an asset unless/until he develops as the team hopes.

 

Compounding on that is the likelihood that many of these players would be willing to sign with a contending team in a major market for less than our middle-America, cellar-dwelling Twins.

[Mike Sixel]

Isn't that true of all players? There is risk in drafting, trading for, or signing players. Always there is risk. The question is, if you have no real SS prospect in your system, and you have money, and you think this guy is a legit SS*, then why not sign him?

 

*like I said, I have no idea if he's a legit SS prospect or not.

[Badsmerf]

There are at the minimum 20 teams scouting him. I'm sure if we sign him for around 30 mil he would have had plenty of offers in the 20s. I say this so people realize that if he flops, it's just part of the risk (Nishi). Many seem to be good with the Twins aggressively going after him. Which is good, but don't start bashing in 3 years if he is brutal.

People didn't bash the attempt to bring Nishi in, they bashed the scouting ability of the Twins. Anyone who watched the guy play knew from the get-go he wasn't an MLB caliber SS. There was questions about his range, arm, and bat. He also was simply an above-average player until his one break-out year. There is a reason the Twins got him for so cheap, non of the other MLB teams wanted him.

[thetank]

Diaz might sign in the next day or so. He's been working out for different clubs. I am guessing the Yankees. The Twins would have to make a great offer.

[beckmt]

Cardinals are in on him, that would be a good sign. Twins will have to make a great offer to get him, hope they do.

[thetank]

Cardinals are in on him, that would be a good sign. Twins will have to make a great offer to get him, hope they do.

Wonder how well you can evaluate his hitting?

[johnnydakota]

Wonder how well you can evaluate his hitting?

 

They rate him as a 60/60 in power and batting,

compared to Dozier last year 60/45

 

As for him being under team controll ...NO not , he is a free agent now, you cant force a player back into slavery once he obtained his freedom , so he will be with a team as long as his contract is for....

[nicksaviking]

Cardinals beat writer Joe Strauss says teams other than the Cardinals in talks with Diaz are the Giants, Blue Jays, Yankees, Braves, Phillies, and Mariners. Doesn't mean the Twins aren't but it's not a great sign.

 

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/joe-strauss/article_48c86ffc-5ca0-5e22-8fb1-6507cb0627ad.html#.UwYNuScE6p4.twitter

 

MLBTR linked the article and they make it sound like those are the only teams in negotiations, but if you read Strauss' article he says those are the teams in negotiations that have more experience than the Cardinals when chasing Cuban talent. The Twins have no recent experience in this area so I suppose if they were also talking to Diaz, Strauss would not have listed them as it was not germaine to his point.

 

That says nothing about how cloak and dagger the Twins are on these matters, would anyone but Diaz and his agent know if the Twins were involved?

 

Looks like a pipedream at this point, but sounds like we'll know the winner soon.

[thetank]

They rate him as a 60/60 in power and batting,

compared to Dozier last year 60/45

 

As for him being under team controll ...NO not , he is a free agent now, you cant force a player back into slavery once he obtained his freedom , so he will be with a team as long as his contract is for....

So the 6 year service time wouldn't apply? So he's an international free agent?

[cmathewson]

I'm much more willing to do a deal like this than signing Drew. 4/40. Which reminds me. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that Drew remains unsigned.

[halfchest]

So the 6 year service time wouldn't apply? So he's an international free agent?

 

I don't fully understand this but I feel like some international guys that are MLB ready or close have signed deals that state they will not be offered arbitration following the deal. I could be wrong but I think in these situations they can put it in the contract. So the 6 year service clock would apply normally unless they sign a contract specifically stating it's for 4 years no matter what type of thing. So after 4 years no matter service time he is a free agent.

[johnnydakota]

So the 6 year service time wouldn't apply? So he's an international free agent?

 

 

he is 23 , so yes he is an international free agent.

[johnnydakota]

If I understand it correctly , players with 3 years service time in internation play and who have reached age 23 , are in fact free agents, so he will be with a team as long as his contract calls for,(Im hoping for a 6-7 year deal in the 36-42 million dollar range and maybe a nice little signing bonus)

[halfchest]

If I understand it correctly , players with 3 years service time in internation play and who have reached age 23 , are in fact free agents, so he will be with a team as long as his contract calls for,(Im hoping for a 6-7 year deal in the 36-42 million dollar range and maybe a nice little signing bonus)

 

This makes more sense than my explanation. I think Nishioka was only signed to 3 years and would have been a free agent afterwards rather than still under team control. Sadly we never had to worry about those later years.

[Mike Sixel]

KLAW said in chat today that he has not seen him, but some scouts are telling him Diaz is a future platoon guy.....not sure what that means.

[nicksaviking]

KLAW said in chat today that he has not seen him, but some scouts are telling him Diaz is a future platoon guy.....not sure what that means.

 

It could mean they're right, or it could mean those scouts want Diaz so they'll use Klaw to spread dis-information.

 

Honestly though, if the Cardinals are interested, I think that should make most clubs interested. They appear to know what they are doing.

[Mike Sixel]

nick, right.....but from what I can tell, if scouts lie to KLAW, he cuts them off.....so I doubt that, but it is certainly possible.

[kab21]

It's not my money that would be spent but Diaz is more of a top 100 prospect than a top 25 prospect. It's great to add free talent to the org but it seems a little silly throw silly money at him because he's a living, breathing SS prospect.

 

If he wants to be a FA like other int'l FA's (mostly Japanese players) then he needs to add a clause to his contract granting him FA at the end of the contract because ALL players need 6 years of service time to be unrestricted FA's. This is becoming more common with older int'l FA's though.

[PseudoSABR]

Peter GammonsVerified account ‏@pgammo Club take from Aledmys Dias Arizona workout:"Profiles as utility infielder...may struggle at short"

[Mike Sixel]

If true, I'd not pay him anything in FA.....

 

Too bad, because it is hard to find SS.....

[thetank]

Peter GammonsVerified account ‏@pgammo Club take from Aledmys Dias Arizona workout:"Profiles as utility infielder...may struggle at short"

He'll have to play in one of those independent rookie leagues.