ShareThisBy DEJAN KOVACEVIC
Early this month, the San Francisco Giants paid a $2.1 million signing bonus for a 16-year-old Dominican third baseman, Angel Villalona.
And that came not long after the New York Yankees paid $2 million to a 16-year-old Venezuelan catcher, Jesus Montero.
In each case, that is nearly double the highest bonus in a normal year, causing some concern that Major League Baseball's open market on international talent _ only players from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico get drafted _ could be pricing itself into an elite range.
Kevin McClatchy, the Pittsburgh Pirates' managing general partner, was aware of the Villalona signing and expressed some worry about the situation in general.
"Obviously, any time you see spending like that on 16- and 17-year-old kids, it does raise a red flag," he said. "But I think it's one of many issues we're going to try to tackle with the collective bargaining agreement. It does concern me."
McClatchy has a seat on the labor committee for MLB's upcoming talks toward a new pact with the players this winter.
Some have suggested that the best solution is a cap on bonuses, but there is virtually no chance the union would agree.
Others have suggested a worldwide draft, such as those in the NHL and NBA. That concept was raised in the previous CBA talks but shelved.
Rene Gayo, the Pirates' director of Latin American scouting, dismissed the latter out of hand.
"You're not going to see it," he said. "In those other sports, they've got leagues in Europe and around the world that are so much more organized. If you have a draft and major-league teams stop developing their own talent with academies that will be the end of it. Look what the draft did to Puerto Rico. Just killed it."
Puerto Rico, added to the draft pool in 1989, once produced a far greater percentage of Latin American talent _ including Hall-of-Famer Roberto Clemente _ than it does today.
The Pirates' top bonus so far this summer has been $75,000, to Dominican shortstop Daniel Juan, but Gayo was adamant he and his staff are at no disadvantage.
"Right now, we have a chance at more players that we like than if there were a draft," Gayo said. "If someone wants to pay $3 million to a kid, let 'em. We'll find a comparable kid for $50,000. I've done it my whole career."
In eight years with the Cleveland Indians, Gayo's notable signings included Willy Taveras at $25,000 and Jhonny Peralta at $18,000. Gayo joined the Pirates in 2003.
"This is like the old West," he said. "I'm scouting with pigs walking behind me in some places, but I don't mind. We know which players we want to get, we build relationships, and we get it done."
