J2 Terrain

With Texas yet to announce any more J2 signings, I thought I would review who is still out there. Right now the value lies in pitching, and most of the top guys are still out there. This was a market for top flight position players this year, and the pitchers are all jockeying for the best offers in the mid to high six figures at the moment. All of them are on the workout/showcase circuit trying to drum up interest at the moment. Any of the remaining top guys on the list would be a great cap on the Ranger's haul that includes, by some accounts, 2 of the top 3 shortstop prospects that were on the market.

The top pitcher still around is19-20yo Cuban pitcher Noel Arguellez who will end up with a contract on the order of what paisano 2B Jose Iglesisas recieved from Boston, 4yr/8.2million. Arguellez, like Iglesias, could debut in HighA and quickly move through the system due to his level of professional and international experience. He is the guy who could be this year's Tazawa, if there are no more Japanese pitchers who opt out of the draft this year. However, he has been underwhelming in his workouts, showning fat and out of shape, and not duplicating the velo range he showed as an amateur, 92-95, However, the fact that he can do it, when in shape, should get him paid.

The issue with Arguellez, is money, and I don't expect TX to pony up another 7 figure bonus. So the other guys I like are: VZ RHP Daniel Sanchez (if his age checks out), 6.6 RHP DR Leo Perdomo, DR LHP Edgar Ferreira and DR RHP Johendi Jiminian. Perdomo is the most likely with Jiminian a possibility though he is rumored to have visa issues. Sanchez may be 19 so there may be some doubts about his age/ceiling (but there has not been an indication that he has lied about his age even if he turns out to be 19- he will just get a bonus in the 600-800k ranger rather than 7 figures). Ferreira is strongly tied to NYY so no one else is likely to get him.

The only other power hitter of note is Jacob Beltre who people have cooled on after his insistence on playing catcher at 6-5 225 pounds (at age 16!). Scouts uniformly see him as a 1B but he has excellent raw power and I wouldn't hesistate to sign him with Hicks', err MLB's, money.

Here is a summary list of other players out there-

Players tied to Texas:

1B/C Jacobo Beltre, 6.5 225; OF Eladio Moronta (susp); P Luis Lopez; RHP Leo Perdomo, 6.6; Pitcher, J. Escudero; LHP Edgar Ferreira; RHP Rafael DePaula (susp); Miguel Nunez, 6.6, RHP (Sleeper)

Possible Visa or Age Issues:
RHP Daniel Sanchez; RHP Johendi Jiminian, 3B Miguel Sano

Suspensions under review:
RHP Rafael DePaula; OF Eladio Moronta

Remaining Possible 7 figure prospects:
Miguel Sano; Daniel Sanchez; Noel Arguellez

Others:

Luis Jolly, OF; Jean Batista, SS; Santo Aybar, cf/ss/3b; Dionico Ramirez, C; Gian Santana, RHP; Anderson Encarceron, RHP;

Korean and Taiwanese HS Sr an Clg Jr equivalents have been signing since March so you might see 1 or 2 sign with TX. There are 4 Korean players who might merit 7 figures, outfielders Bum Ho Lee and Tae Kyun Kim (probably high 6 figure guys, not sure of their age) and pitchers Hyun-Jin Ryu and Sung Bum Na, both college guys. In addition, there might be 2-3 Japanese players taking the Tazawa route this year and opting out of the 10/31 NPB draft. At the earliest they will probably announce their intentions at the end of August and not later than the end of September. Kazuhito Futagama and Hisashi Takeuchi are clg jr equivalents while Yusei Kikuchi is a HS Sr equivalent and all three are first-round caliber talents who will merit 7-figure salaries, the clg guys at least 2 million.

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