5 Million Plus Bonus IFA Babies – Season 1

As we start Season 5, I was wondering about high priced IFAs from season 1. Where are they now? Have they made it to the ML level yet? Will they? Were they worth the price the owner paid?

As we all know the bidding for some IFAs can get rather ‘intense’ and expensive. Was he the worth the price the winner of the sweepstakes paid to get him? For the most part it’s their potential we’re bidding on. Again as we all know, they may not reach those lofty ratings. You have injuries, makeup ratings, playing time, training budgets, coaches etc all go into determining whether or not he reaches what you paid for.

So going down in order of price tag (highest to lowest), I’m going to look that IFAs that cost their owners at least 5 million in bonus money to get. My value rating (out of 10) is based on the cost to sign him and kind of return the franchise has got so far, as well what they can expect.


Vic James (COF) Bonus 16.2
Signed by Los Angeles and still with franchise (Now Salt Lake City)

Vic’s major drawback is his health, it’s marginal and his stamina is a little low. But SLC has been able to keep him off the DL so far. In season 4 Vic started in AA, then after only 16 games he was promoted to the ML Squad!! A risky move, but seems to have paid off. In 137 games he hit 20 long flies, hit for a .319 average and brought in 82 RBIs. He lost out to Trever Russell for the ROY award. Vic has A/S written all over him and I think we’ll see him playing in the mid-summer classic a fair number times. If he can stay away serious injuries, he should be major cog in the SLC offence for a long time

Value: 9


Alex Javier (RP) Bonus 15.0
Signed by Fargo and still with franchise

From the owner:
“.i think his ratings/stats speak for themselves...although 15 mil and a 5 yr ML deal is a bit high, i think one could argue he was underpaid as there's no doubt he's one of the world's best closers at 22 yrs old (LOOK OUT ALL-TIME SAVES RECORD!)”

Well… I don’t think I could possibly disagree with that (even if I tried!). What else is there to say? His ratings are pretty much EXACTLY what you’d want from closer. Like Vic, Alex also made the jump from AA to ML level in season 4. He saved 25 in 31 chances, not exactly a stellar performance to say the least. BUT, I don’t expect the SV % to stay that low. This is too good of closer. I expect we’ll see Alex win his share of the Fireman Awards in the seasons to come. As I mentioned in my original review, CY Young ain’t out of the question for this guy.

Value 10


Richardo Gabriel (SP) Bonus 14.3
Signed by Norfolk and still with franchise

This is the one I got! I’ve taken the slow road to develop this one. He spent all of Season 2 in AA and the last 2 seasons in AAA. Now in season 5, I feel he’s ready for the big times. As of this report, he’s 0-1 in 3 starts; but it’s not his performance that has been the reason for not winning (no offensive support). 2 of the 3 starts have been quality starts (6 or more innings, with 3 or fewer runs allowed). While his splits are a little low AND he doesn’t really have an ‘out’ pitch; I think he will make a fine #2 or #3 man in the rotation. Apparently there are owners out there that are taking guys like Richardo (with high durability for a SP) and pitching him as soon as he’s at 100 again. Therefore they end up starting an insane number of games during the season (70-80). If Richardo’s durability does reach it’s potential… I may try it. Either way, he should be a solid and dependable starter for seasons to come.

Value 9.0


Alex Saenz (COF) Bonus 12.1
Signed by Chicago Cubs and has been traded a few times. Now with Buffalo

Maybe instead of referring to Alex as an IFA, we should call him a NFA (no fixed address). Still after all that moving around, he has still yet to see any ML action. He spent 2 whole seasons in AA. Keeping a player at the same level for 2 seasons (except AAA), seriously hinders his develop! Anyway, he’s now starting his 2nd season in AAA. His first was split between 2 clubs and his overall performance was not exactly anything worth writing home about. When I reviewed Alex back in season 1, I saw solid 2B with leadoff potential; now… well he’s a COF and still may make a decent leadoff guy. The thing is that his splits are marginal. It’s possible all this being traded has hindered his development.

Value 8


Miguel Reyes (SP) Bonus 11.9
Signed by Vancouver and was traded to Cheyenne in Season 4.

When traded to Cheyenne, Miguel had been in AAA. He was promoted right away to the ML squad. In 17 games (starting 13) he posted a 2-10 record with a WHiP of 1.49 and ERA of 4.82. Again not exactly what one would call an impressive debut? Though this season has definitely started better for Miguel. He should make for a solid addition to the Cheyenne rotation. He has the ratings for it, no doubt. As well he’s still pretty young and therefore still developing. Whatever they gave up for Miguel, I’m sure it will be worth it, because this looks to be a solid player for seasons to come.

Value 9.5


Tony Delgado (CF) Bonus 11.3
Signed by Toronto and still with franchise (now Washington)

Tony has great glove and range ratings, which is perfect for a major league CF. His contact and speed ratings seem to indicate a possible leadoff hitter and this still might be the case. He, like two others above, made the jump from AA to the ML level last season. He played the last half of the season with the big club. His performance wasn’t what you’d want from a lead off guy; a batting average of only .268 (OBP of .319) and walking only 18 times while striking out 42. His split v LH is very low, though not unusual for his type of player. I think what hurts him is his batting eye and split vs RH, but I could be wrong. I guess time will time of course. Still even if he doesn’t make it as a leadoff guy, he’ll contribute some with his bat. More importantly, a glove of this quality is always welcome in the CF position.

Value 7.5


Julio Mendoza (3B) Bonus 11.0
Signed by Memphis and still with franchise (now Austin))

This one has taken the slow route actually spending his first two season in Low-A. A fact I’m sure has hurt his development. This season sees him start his first season in AAA and not exactly a great start. While Julio defensive skills will be ML calibre (maybe gold glove stuff); his offensive skills aren’t quite what you’d want from your ML 3B. His contact & batting eye are marginal and couple this with a low vs R split… means he’ll struggle against ML pitching. Thing here is, will his skill at defence make up for his marginal bat?? Time will tell I guess, if he makes it to the ML level. 11 Million is a lot to pay for what looks to be a 3B defensive specialist.

Value 6.0


Damaso Ramirez (P) Bonus 10.9
Signed by Boise, traded to Houston in season 3

Here is one that seemed to have all the tools to be solid ML SP when signed. The key, with his marginal health rating, keep him from getting a serious injury if possible. Well, last season it happened (Shoulder, labarum tear) and he was put on the 60 day DL. After being signed Damaso went straight to Hi A and next season to AAA. He’s been used in the out of the pen as Closer and Set Up roles. Last season was injured early and never came back; this season sees him still working from the pen. His stamina has been hurt to a point that really he no longer can be a ML starter. But if Houston can keep him healthy (will be tough now as his health is below 50), he should make a solid bullpen pitcher (Long or closer).

Value 6.5


Daisuke Chang (C) Bonus 10.3
Signed by Fargo, traded to Louisville in season 3

This is pretty close to what I call a pseudo-catcher. His PC rating and defensive skills are very marginal for the ML level but his offensive ratings are solid. The things hurting him are his marginal contact & batting eye. But they are not terrible for the ML level. He’ll be a bigger asset at the DH or 1B positions; at C his defensive liabilities will be just offset by his offensive skills. Overall this is a decent signing but not a great one and I’m not really sure Daisuke is worth a bonus this high.

Value 7.0


Junior Tabaka (C) Bonus 8.5
Signed by San Juan and still with franchise

Here is a pseudo-catcher but San Juan has been playing him at the catching position on their ML squad. Junior was called up about half way into last season and in 60 games his numbers weren’t exactly stellar at the plate. This season, has started out much better. With his weakness as a defensive catcher, he’d better put up some great numbers at the plate to be an overall asset to the team. Though, this is a definite possibility in his case. Being in the NL and the fact they already have a solid 1B, I’d say at present catcher is the only place for this youngster. Looks like the ‘Stiff Hares’ are hoping his offence strengths over shadow his defensive & PC liabilities.

Value 8.0


Damaso Brogna (RF/1B) Bonus 7.6
Signed by Pawtucket, traded to Colorado Springs (now Boise) in season 2

Damaso is starting his second season at the AAA level. So far he’s put up solid offensive number at all level. The only major bump in his journey was a long stint on the DL for a hamstring tear in season 3 and missed the bulk of the season. His glove is really that of a 1B, in the outfield Damaso will be a liability at the ML level. Still, I think we can expect this one to be playing for the Shadow Wolves ML squad maybe later this year but definitely next season. Where he should be big part of their batting lineup.

Value 8.0


Hector Javier (P) Bonus 7.5
Signed by Ottawa, picked up in Rule V Draft by Jackson

Hector did okay in the lower levels of minors as a starter, but as soon as he hit AAA he struggled. Didn’t matter whether he was a starter or a long man out of the pen, WHiP of 1.60 and ERAs of around 6. So, I guess it was no surprise that his franchise left him unprotected in the Rule V draft. His performance out of the pen for Jackson hasn’t exactly been any better than his AAA numbers. I don’t Hector will ever be anything more than a marginal long relief pitcher at the ML level. Though he still has some developing to do, still what he is now is all he’ll ever be.

Value 4.0


Bartolo Barcelo (CF) Bonus 6.6
Signed by New Orleans, traded to Atlanta last season

Bartolo is without doubt has some very unique ratings. He should have fantastic Contact and Batting Eye ratings, but the rest….. While his split VS RH is very marginal, he split VS LH doesn’t exist. He also has some great speed and base running skill BUT that only has value if he can get on base. I’m sad to say will not happen often at the ML level with those splits. Bartolo is still only in AA, he spent his first 2 seasons Low A & started his 3rd there too!!!! This no doubt hurt his development, maybe he been promoted properly and with a good training budget… he might have a decent MLer; now that is highly doubtful. At very best, he’ll be a bench player and pinch runner at the ML lever but no more.

Value 3.5


Luis Wilfredo (P) Bonus 6.5
Signed by San Juan and still with franchise

Luis has taken the slow route to a possible ML career. He spent all of seasons 3 & 4 at the AA level, again no doubt hurting his development. He starts this season at the AAA level in a set up role for the farm team and so far done ok (not great). Ratings wise, Luis should be able to make it to the ML level and perform not too badly. His splits are marginal but pitch quality is decent for a setup guy. He will not be a #1 setup guy at the ML level however. In my view, this price tag for a setup B guy is a little high.

Value 5.5


Donaldo Lopez (P) Bonus 6.0
Signed by Atlanta, traded in Season 3 to Toronto

Donaldo starts this season with the big club, after spending the last 2 seasons in Hi-A (again I seem to be repeating this often!!! Not a good thing). So far he has been a very effective for the club so far. His ratings make him a good fit for the set up role but not the closer role. His quality of pitches, aren’t what you need from a closer. Still he should be a solid arm from the pen for years to come for Toronto.

Value 7.0


Alfredo Tatis (P) Bonus 5.9
Signed by Huntington and still with franchise (now Boston)

This make for the 3rd short bullpen guy in a row here. Alfredo has spent his entire pro career at the AA level (again????) Though he has put up decent #s he is still there. Boston is lucky Alfredo didn’t retire at the start of this season. If they don’t promote him to at least AAA this season…there is a real good likelihood of him saying GOOD BYE! That would be a shame, because he should make a decent setup guy at the ML level. The neglecting of the prospects is one the biggest sins HBD and here is a prime example.

Value 7.0


Victor Gonzales (CF) Bonus 5.0
Signed by Baltimore, traded to Colorado Springs (now Boise) in season 3

Victor is the last of the group and while not a bad pick up, his potential is marginal for the ML level. At best I see Victor as ML bench material. Though I feel he could be of some value in that role. Other than SS/3B (& of course C) he can play all the positions. Which means he could spell-off the starters from time to time and not be a liability in the field? And while his offensive ratings are not great, he’ll not be an ‘auto-out’ at the plate. Still, is this worth the 5 million bonus…?

Value 5.5



Well that’s it. As a side note, it’s mentioned quite a few times how one of these guys has repeated a level. Except for AAA, a guy you feel has shot at playing for your ML squad should NEVER be left in the same level for a 2nd full season. Even AAA, after 2-3 seasons there it’s a matter of promote him or trade; because improvement will slow down.

Where Are They Now?

Remember last years Firesign awards? For those of you who are new, you can find them in the older posts. I thought it would be fun to find out where they are today.

Homer Ashby - Poor guy, Salem management didn't like his hitting style either and sent him packing to AAA, where he is actually doing somewhat worse at the plate.

Alex Vazquez - Still at the ML level enjoying the last year of his contract before forced retirement (we hope).

Max Clifton - Remember him, long ball chick magnet? He is enjoying another great season of long ball hitting but his average is way up so far this season. Must be trying to excite management into a long term deal at seasons end.

Julian Nichols - Not so with with Julian as he grew a 'stach to impress the chicks but that dismal average may make arbitration go horribly wrong.

Trever Russell - So far, no steal attempts, maybe the 1B coach got wise.

Bill Daneker - Someone stole his job as he is working at Lowes this season.

Scot Hutton - The Fielding Instructor finally gave up and found a position that he doesn't mess up so much, they hope.

Marty James - He cried all off-season about winning the award. We are not sure the embarrassment helped as of yet.

Ronald Spurgeon - He decided the simplest way to solve the problem was not to try as hard.

Cody Lincoln - Smart management moved his clumsiness to another position, one so far, so much better.

Alex Li - Management had enough of his antics and sent him packing. He got a job at McD's but they fired him as his burger flipping technique didn't impress co-workers or customers.

Ron Lewis - His lack of pitching ability landed him in the unemployment line. Although he is keeping his shoulder iced down just in case.

Keith Klesko - New ownership didn't like what they saw and sent him to AAA. His first outing there was a huge success, going 4 innings, 50 pitches with 5 strike outs and no hits. Everybody is scratching their heads.

Charlie White - Management decided to hold him back a little this year, so far, he is 2-2, still getting lit up but the two wins he got to the 8th inning.

Victor Hamill - Management decided he was too young and needed a little seasoning at AAA. A little BBQ sauce maybe.

Steve Sweeney and Achilles Parris - Both could be headed for another Iron-Manless award in the NL. Joining them could be Alex Vazquez again.

Patrick Clifton, Perry Herman and Jimmy Cole could be headed to another work-horse season with nothing to show for it.

Chris Barrett - Management bought him a bigger glove which didn't help. To solve the problem, decided to use him as a backup only or is that backstop only.

Jason Mann - Management came up with an ingenious idea and moved him to RF. Will have to wait and see on this one.

Rob Hentgen - Management felt his problems wasn't theirs and turned their backs on him. Then so did the rest of the world, even the glass company he went to work for.

Luis Martinez - Okay already, no one told management that a 2B couldn't be left handed. Luis has set up a luxury condo in CF this season.

Who's Hot, Who's Not

Season 5 has hit the 20 game mark, so it's time for the first installment. Here's what's been going on around the league.

National League

WHO'S HOT: Salem Sacrifices

Record: The Sacrifices are off to a NL best 16-4 record

Big Series Wins: Sweeping Vancouver, Cheyenne, and Trenton all in a row to start the season 10-0 fueled the hot start.

How: The pitching has been spectacular, but the offense is actually the story. Kareem Ortiz is off to a huge start, driving in 21 runs. All 5 guys who have logged at least 70 at-bats are hitting above .300.

Also Hot:

Houston's bid for 5 division titles in a row is off to a good start with a 15-5 record

Fargo is riding a huge start by stud pitcher Javier Henriquez to a 15-5 record.

Chicago won't let Fargo run away early, keeping close with a 13-7 start.

Norfolk leads the NL East at 12-8.

WHO'S NOT: Vancouver Golden Otters

Record: The defending NL champs are off to a 5-15 start, sitting in the NL West basement.

Key Series Losses: A 4-game sweep by Salem to start the season hurt, but losing 3 in a row at Philadelphia is probably worse.

How: Pitching. Jesse Bridges is the only starter with an ERA under 4.90, and the relievers who have logged the most innings thus far (Rey Wells and Jackson Hayes) have ERAs of 5.11 and 7.94, respectively.

Also Not Hot:

Toronto has given up the most runs in the NL on their way to a 6-14 start.

Fellow NL North denizen Philadelphia scores the fewest with a matching 6-14 record.

Austin's struggles from last season continue with a 7-13 start.

Washington D.C. assumes its normal status as NL East bottom dweller at 7-13.

Trenton's supposedly strong offense has struggled out of the gate, as the Traffic are 8-12.


American League

WHO'S HOT: Monterrey Sultans

Record: The Sultans are absolutely on fire as they've started 17-3.

Key Series Wins: Taking 2 out of 3 from Milwaukee is probably more impressive than sweeping some of the other teams they've played.

How: Offense/soft schedule. Especially since it's early in the season, it's hard to determine if the Sultans generated so much offense because the opposition has been bad or if all those teams' records are bad because Monterrey is so good. At any rate, they're scoring a full run more a game than any AL team, but they've played 3 out of the 4 basement teams in the AL.

Who else is hot:

Louisville finds a way to win the close games as the lead the AL East at 15-5.

New York keeps pace at 14-6 as their pitching has been spectacular.

Las Vegas continues to beat up on the AL West, leading the division at 12-8.

Nashville continues to score and give up runs at an alarming rate, starting off 12-8.

Buffalo gives up about half a run more than it scores each game, but somehow (for now) they lead the NL North at 11-9.

WHO'S NOT: Anaheim Chiles

Record: The Chiles are in last in the AL West at 5-15

Key Series Losses: Losing 3 out of 4 to Seattle to start the season and following with losing 2 out of 3 to Boise got them off to a bad start, and then the schedule got tougher.

How: Deadweight. The lineup has guys like Alex Estrada, James Dixon, and George Spencer who are carrying the lineup, but Deacon Archer, Pedro Candelaria, Daryle Van Poppel, and Alex Vazquez all have more than 60 at-bats- none are hitting above .218 and they've combined for 16 RBIs.

Also Not Hot:

Apparently, when I picked Boston to win the east, I put the kiss of death on them. They've started 6-14.

Jackson's young starting pitchers are going to have nightmares of Monterrey and Nashville hitters. They've given up the most runs in the AL, starting 6-14.

Scranton outscores its opponents and yet is 8-12.

Seattle has trouble scoring in Safeco and has started 8-12.

Boise can't keep their opponents off the board and matches Seatt;e's 8-12.

Milwaukee, the defending champs, are scoring less than they give up and are in last place in the AL North at 8-12.

Blockbuster Deal Sees NL MVP Traded

Atlanta and New Orleans completed a deal that could alter the NL landscape.

Atlanta gets: 3B Albie Torres, RP Cristian Lyons
New Orleans gets: 1B Matty Matos, IF Freddie Orie, SP Cory Schneider

Analysis: Atlanta gets a talented player in Torres and a good solid reliever in Lyons, but the biggest name here by far is Matos, the reigning National League MVP. He will provide extra thump in the New Orleans lineup and his addition could make New Orleans a playoff threat. Orie is a utility infielder who won't hit enough to be a regular and Schneider is a veteran swingman. The key to this seal is a guy who wasn't involved- Atlanta 1B Stan Starr. If his offensive numbers can approach Matos last season, then this could be a good deal for Atlanta- if not, then they've possibly hurt themselves quite a bit.

Take 5

Today's question comes courtesy of Boston owner tj01536:

Who are the top 5 rookies in the majors this season?

Note: I'll use the MLB standard of never having a season with 130 ABs or more or 50 innings or more.

1. Lonny Gates, Houston (SP)

This ground ball specialist figures to log a lot of innings behind Jerome Oliver in the Houston rotation. He doesn't throw hard, but places his fastball well and figures to win a lot of games for the Riverdogs.

2. Jacque Puffer, Seattle (LF)

He's a rare combination of speed and power. The Season 3 overall number 1 pick has rocketed through the Seattle minor league system to become the starting left fielder for the Killer Whales and is one of the odds-on favorites to be the AL Rookie of the Year.

3. Rico Guevara, St. Louis (2B)

With the exception of his arm, he's a 5-tool player. The first season's #2 overall pick figures to be a fixture in the St. Louis lineup for years to come, as he is only 22.

4. Daniel Koch, Boston (SS)

Making his major league debut for Boston after coming over from Trenton last season, Koch has a load of talent. He may not be a true shortstop, but he'll be good at any other position. He gets knocked down the list a little as he has had some health issues in the minors.

5. Rick Anderson, Monterrey (C)

The Sultans add a very good two-way catcher to their roster this season. He can handle the pitching staff and add to the already deep offense. A Monterrey sandwich pick from season 1, he's steadily worked through the minor league system to start at catcher this season.