Miguel Angel Sano - Twins?

[pujolsjunkie]

According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 16-year-old shortstop Miguel Angel Sano has agreed to terms with the Twins.

 

[pujolsjunkie]

Sano, a highly touted prospect out of the Dominican Republic, will be handed a $3.15 million signing bonus. He was pursued heavily by the Pirates and Orioles, among other teams, but questions about his age and identification caused a stir around the league. An investigation came back inconclusive, but that obviously didn't scare away Minnesota management.

 

[Brett Keith]

I thought investigation said he was atleast 17. Gotta say I'm surprised the Twins nabbed him.

 

[Jaypers]

I thought investigation said he was atleast 17. Gotta say I'm surprised the Twins nabbed him.

And here I thought they were content with signing Kepler, the top European prospect.

Great snag!

 

[Brett Keith]

I thought investigation said he was atleast 17. Gotta say I'm surprised the Twins nabbed him.

And here I thought they were content with signing Kepler, the top European prospect.

Great snag!

Yeah, top European prospect, which usually isn't saying a whole lot, but Kepler seems like he could be very good. Now the top latin prospect. If Kyle Gibson is healthy and back to normal, the Twins will have had a pretty good year, in terms of bolstering their system. On top of that, they're getting close to the playoffs!

 

[Jaypers]

Another thing I find interesting is how the Pirates were supposedly all over him, at least initially. I wonder what made them back off in the end. He would have been a boon to their system.

 

[Brett Keith]

Another thing I find interesting is how the Pirates were supposedly all over him, at least initially. I wonder what made them back off in the end. He would have been a boon to their system.

Could be they just didn't want to take the chance, as I believe that if he's found to be misrepresenting his age in the future, he'll be banned.

 

[subject to change]

Huntington has been incredibly hard headed in negotiations during his time in Pittsburgh. He is very blunt, possibly to a fault. The organization has a set value on players, and they do not exceed that value. Obviously, to the Pirates, shelling out an extra $3-400,000 wasn't worth the backlash the Pirates are about the experience from fans.

Rightly or wrongly, what remains of the Pirates fan base had become attached to the idea of Sano in a Pirates uniform. While probably greatly overvaluing his talent and potential impact, many fans viewed him as being symbolic of the Pirates renewed operations in Latin America. I can guarantee you this is going to be the final straw for more than a few of the remaining Pirate fans.

Another thing I find interesting is how the Pirates were supposedly all over him, at least initially. I wonder what made them back off in the end. He would have been a boon to their system.

 

[19braves77]

Then what would Pirates fan do if Sano never makes it out of AA after signing him? Blame the Pirates for poor player development ?

 

[subject to change]

Then what would Pirates fan do if Sano never makes it out of AA after signing him? Blame the Pirates for poor player development ?

Probably. Personally, I blame the Pirates poor development system for many of the failed prospects and lack of talent over the past decade or so, but that is a whole different rant.

I think many fans (for better or worse) see Sano as being representative of a larger commitment to spending on the minor league system. Keep in mind that the Pirates were literally nonexistent in Latin America for most of the 00's, and were never even close to competing for any of the top tier of prospects. Whether Sano ever develops into a super star, or even big leaguer, may be irrelevant to some Pirate fans. They want to see ownership spending money to improve this club in every way possible, and rightfully will remain skeptical until they see evidence to the contrary.

It's worth noting that the Pirates, even with arbitration raises, will have a payroll somewhere around $30-$35 million for next year. Many were speculating that the dumping of salary prior to the trade deadline would allow for more money to be allocated to the draft and towards Sano. The Pirates actually spent under their draft budget for this year, and obviously lost out by a few hundred thousand on Sano.

 

[nikateen]

http://mobile.globalpost.com/video/spor ... angel-sano

Good video on Miguel.