- Thread starter
- #1
HPC
New member
TUCSON - The Diamondbacks had 16-year-old Wagner Mateo at their minor-league complex for a workout on Monday, having the slugging outfielder take batting practice and face pitchers in front of several of their top evaluators.
Mateo was one of baseball's more coveted Latin American free agents last summer and was set to receive a $3.1 million signing bonus from St. Louis before the Cardinals voided the contract, citing concerns about the vision in Mateo's right eye.
Mateo is expected to work out for at least four other teams in Arizona.
The Diamondbacks, who don't seem overly concerned about Mateo's vision, appear willing to make him an offer - if they haven't done so already - although it almost certainly will fall well short of what the Cardinals offered.
Though Mateo is the second big-name international free agent the Diamondbacks recently have pursued - they made an offer of about $1 million to shortstop Edward Salcedo, who signed with Atlanta last month for $1.6 million - General Manager Josh Byrnes downplayed any shift in philosophy.
Since Byrnes has been GM, the most the club has spent on an international free agent is the $295,000 given to Panamanian right-hander Enrique Burgos.
"We've just seen them play a lot," Byrnes said of Salcedo and Mateo. "We've seen them in game situations and seen them over a long period of time."
Mateo was one of baseball's more coveted Latin American free agents last summer and was set to receive a $3.1 million signing bonus from St. Louis before the Cardinals voided the contract, citing concerns about the vision in Mateo's right eye.
Mateo is expected to work out for at least four other teams in Arizona.
The Diamondbacks, who don't seem overly concerned about Mateo's vision, appear willing to make him an offer - if they haven't done so already - although it almost certainly will fall well short of what the Cardinals offered.
Though Mateo is the second big-name international free agent the Diamondbacks recently have pursued - they made an offer of about $1 million to shortstop Edward Salcedo, who signed with Atlanta last month for $1.6 million - General Manager Josh Byrnes downplayed any shift in philosophy.
Since Byrnes has been GM, the most the club has spent on an international free agent is the $295,000 given to Panamanian right-hander Enrique Burgos.
"We've just seen them play a lot," Byrnes said of Salcedo and Mateo. "We've seen them in game situations and seen them over a long period of time."
