Cuban OF Rusney Castillo has private showcase scheduled with Red Sox

[Snodgrass'Muff]

With the money coming off the books in when is it 15? There is no reason why the Sox could not land both players. I guess the downfall might be, "if there both bust" Your tied up pretty heavy..
 
All Cuban OF in 15?

 
This information is available at Cot's Baseball Contracts. Victorino is still under contract in 2015 and Tomas probably won't be ready for the majors without some time in AAA at least. It wouldn't shock me if he started in AA, to ease his transition with a hope that he can move up aggressively from there.
 
The chances that the Sox start 2015 with an all Cuban outfield are virtually nil.

 

[Green Monster]

 
A tweet from MLB's Jason Beck; it say so right in the body copy, with the tweet linked.
 
And what 'dog said

 
Sorry.....I thought the embedded link to the tweet was sufficient

 

[Green Monster]

AUG. 9: The Yankees are ready to begin negotiating with Castillo, who worked out at their minor league complex Friday, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. The Yankees would want to use Castillo as a second baseman, with the outfield as a backup plan, King writes.
 
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/
 
 
So is King trying to say the Yankees will be submitting a bid or is "negotiating" trying to imply something more?  Other reports would indicate a blind bidding process.
 
From Soxhop post:

 
 
There will be blind bidding by teams -- that is, teams will submit bids for Castillo without knowing what other clubs intend to bid.    

 

[jimbobim]

http://bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox_mlb/boston_red_sox/2014/08/red_sox_sights_set_on_cuba_s_crop
 
 
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The name is Rusney Castillo. Learn it, because he may end up playing center field for the Red Sox next year.
Castillo is the next Cuban defector in line to join Major League Baseball, possibly by the end of next week. The Red Sox already have worked him out privately in Miami, and came away impressed with his athleticism and burgeoning power, according to an industry source. They plan to pursue him aggressively.
 
Castillo is not considered in their class, but he’s probably in the top 5 percent of all players in Cuba, according to one talent evaluator, and that makes him a safer investment than one would expect of someone who hasn’t been scouted extensively in game action.
The way multiple teams see it, putting Cuba’s top handful of players up for auction is akin to doing the same with American or Dominican stars. The hit rate should be high.
The Sox were also aggressive on Abreu, falling $5 million shy of the $68 million contract that landed him with the White Sox. Abreu leads the American League in homers, RBI and OPS, so in retrospect, it’s easy to say an $80 million offer would’ve been sound business. Considering that the bidding started in the mid-$40s before quickly escalating, though, there’s no telling whether the White Sox simply could’ve given him $85 million.
 
 
So the Sox valued Abreu at 63 million but he has oodles of power and it was pretty easy to project. I still feel like the winning bid for this guy gets into the 60's based on evaluators consistently under selling Cuban talent and the high number of well funded bidders( Yankees, Phillies, Tigers, ). The only question is what team eventually gets left with the bust from the Cuban crop? 

 

[CaskNFappin]

Is Rusney still in the navy?

 

[strek1]

Is Rusney still in the navy?

 Good old Aunt Bethany

 

[soxhop411]

Jesse Sanchez ‏@JesseSanchezMLB  8h
Source: Privates workouts for OF prospect Rusney Castillo are coming to a close & field will be narrowed to highest bidders in coming days.
https://twitter.com/JesseSanchezMLB/status/499589594678321152

 

[jimbobim]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDyUnNg9qdI&feature=youtu.be
 
Courtesy of Jay Z. Now the Red Sox have had him in for a person workout so they know him a lot better. Curious as to what other people's eye test pegs his value at. Versatility to play infield or outfield. Looks like a compact quick swing not unlike the middle of the order guy we have now ( he's supposedly not in that class but Abreu was a question mark supposedly too) .
 
He's  27 so if you think a 3 or 4 year deal with a chance to cash in again at 30/31. I may do 75 mill to 80 if my scouts gave me good reviews. I'm assuming the market gets inflated due to the past success rate. 
 
7:41pm: The Red Sox are “expected to be aggressive” on Castillo, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald, who also hears that Castillo will begin narrowing the field to the highest bidders in the coming days.
 
Thanks for the obvious Scott. 

 

[Green Monster]

http://www.overthemonster.com/2014/8/15/6005419/rusney-castillo-cuban-free-agent-red-sox
 
...............bids for the 27-year-old are due Friday, with the idea being that Castillo will pick the winner from among the offers he's received............some believe he's in the $35-45 million range that Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig agreed for, while others believe the bidding will go higher.................

 

[Mighty Joe Young]

http://www.overthemonster.com/2014/8/15/6005419/rusney-castillo-cuban-free-agent-red-sox
 
...............bids for the 27-year-old are due Friday, with the idea being that Castillo will pick the winner from among the offers he's received............some believe he's in the $35-45 million range that Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig agreed for, while others believe the bidding will go higher.................

 
So this confirms that it's a blind bidding process .. which is always scary if you are the bidder. I don't know if that helps or hinders the Red Sox. I suppose it helps on the sense they won't get in a bidding war with the MFY - or any other team for that matter. On the other hand, if they really want him they will have to overpay in their offer.
 
I suppose a rational organization would simply set a valuation - say 50m - add 10% for fudge room - and live with the consequences.

 

[TheoShmeo]

I don't know how important it was for DiceK to have Okajima to have each other on the 2007 Sox, and whether there is any similarity between that case and Cespedes/Castillo.  Obviously, the personalities involved is a huge variable, and my sense was that DiceK was kind of a loner.
 
But on a simple level, I would think that when you're operating in a country that you first got to as an adult and where you don't really speak the language, having a countryman around is a good thing.
 
By getting Castillo, the Sox would get someone who is probably good for Cespedes and who would probably benefit from Cespedes, and potential Giancarlo Stanton bait to boot.
 
Of course, if he is going to remain with the Sox, none of the happy talk regarding having two Cubans means squat if Castillo can't produce on this level, but the idea of doubling down is intriguing on a lot of levels.
 
Though it would be just like the Yankees to bid very high now that the Sox have a Cuban.  See Igawa, Kei, circa 2006 off season.

 

[Green Monster]

Castillo apparently wants to play in the MLB this season.  At first I thought this was a bit of a stretch, or possibly favoring a team like the Red Sox who had shifted to evaluation mode rather than trying to contend.  However, Detroit may have deep enough pockets and be able to offer 2014 playing time.  Jose Iglesias, although injured, is a fellow countryman which might have some impact in Castillo's decision as others have speculated
 
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140815/SPORTS0104/308150036/Tigers-pursue-Cuban-outfielder-replace-Austin-Jackson
 

 

They have been without an everyday center fielder since last month’s staggering trade for David Price sent Austin Jackson to Seattle.
But if efforts growing more intense by the hour pay off, the Tigers may have a replacement. They are targeting Rusney Castillo, 27, who last year defected from Cuba and whose speed and power combination could make him an 11th-hour addition to a team pressing for a playoff bid.


From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140815/SPORTS0104/308150036#ixzz3ATGqEvdL
 

 

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

I don't know how important it was for DiceK to have Okajima to have each other on the 2007 Sox, and whether there is any similarity between that case and Cespedes/Castillo.  Obviously, the personalities involved is a huge variable, and my sense was that DiceK was kind of a loner.
 

 
Cespedes already said he doesn't really know Castillo very well, so it's probably not that important. And from what I remember, Matsuzaka and Okajima barely knew each other either before they signed with the Sox. Just because you're from an island nation doesn't mean you know everyone on that island.

 

[glennhoffmania]

 
Cespedes already said he doesn't really know Castillo very well, so it's probably not that important. And from what I remember, Matsuzaka and Okajima barely knew each other either before they signed with the Sox. Just because you're from an island nation doesn't mean you know everyone on that island.

 
It's not about whether you know the other guy.  It's about having someone on your team who you has the same background and culture.  That would seem to be a benefit over a place where you're different from everyone else on the team.  I'm not saying it's a reason to pick one offer over another, but it certainly isn't about having a previous relationship with a potential teammate.
 
As for the Detroit rumor, making a decision about where you'll spend the next few years of your life based on the possibility of playing in ML games for the next 6 weeks seems a tad odd.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

It's not about whether you know the other guy.  It's about having someone on your team who you has the same background and culture.  That would seem to be a benefit over a place where you're different from everyone else on the team.  I'm not saying it's a reason to pick one offer over another, but it certainly isn't about having a previous relationship with a potential teammate.
 

 
It's a reason people use to get excited about somebody coming to their team, I don't think that too many men make a choice of where to play based on how many of their countrymen are on the team. How many Japanese guys were on the Rangers when Yu Darvish went to Texas? Aside from Ichiro, how many Japanese players were on the Yankees? I don't think that there were any Cubans when Cespedes chose the Athletics. What happens if Castillo signs and the Sox trade Cespedes in the offseason? Does he go too?
 
It's going to come down to playing opportunity and money. It always, ALWAYS does. Would you take a job at a place simply because someone from your home town works there?

 

[glennhoffmania]

I think you should read my post again.  I specifically said it's not a reason to pick one offer over another.  But that doesn't mean having a teammate from your home country isn't beneficial.  The Dice-K example Theo brought up wasn't even a case in which the player had a choice of where he would end up.  But Okajima's presence may have made the transition easier for him.

 

[Toe Nash]

 
Would you take a job at a place simply because someone from your home town works there?

No, but in a much better comparison, I might choose one employer in say Germany who already had an American (who I'd be working with every day) over another employer in Germany who had zero Americans working there, even if I didn't know that one American. I might even take 2-5% less money to do so, assuming it was still a huge raise.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Cuba is very familiar with Detroit steel, so he might want to play there whether or not Iglesias is there.

 

[E5 Yaz]

 
As for the Detroit rumor, making a decision about where you'll spend the next few years of your life based on the possibility of playing in ML games for the next 6 weeks seems a tad odd.

 
There's a marriage joke in this somewhere.
 
As for the bid, the midpoint of the Cespedes/Puig top range of $45M and Abreu's $68M is $56.5M or so. If he signs for less than that, I'll be surprised ... not because he's necessarily better than Cespedes/Puig; it's just that these contracts don't tend to trend downward. If the Red Sox are indeed going to be "aggressive" as has been reported, the bid could start at $60M.
 
And they might not be alone in that range.

 

[Mighty Joe Young]

There's a marriage joke in this somewhere.
 
As for the bid, the midpoint of the Cespedes/Puig top range of $45M and Abreu's $68M is $56.5M or so. If he signs for less than that, I'll be surprised ... not because he's necessarily better than Cespedes/Puig; it's just that these contracts don't tend to trend downward. If the Red Sox are indeed going to be "aggressive" as has been reported, the bid could start at $60M.
 
And they might not be alone in that range.

Yep - this was my line of thinking .. and the Blind Bid will likely inflate the amount as well.

 

[P'tucket rhymes with...]

 
 
 
As for the Detroit rumor, making a decision about where you'll spend the next few years of your life based on the possibility of playing in ML games for the next 6 weeks seems a tad odd.

Blind bidding, play in the ML this year...demonstrating all the due diligence Carl Crawford did before making his decision to come to Boston.

 

[chrisfont9]

 
Cespedes already said he doesn't really know Castillo very well, so it's probably not that important. And from what I remember, Matsuzaka and Okajima barely knew each other either before they signed with the Sox. Just because you're from an island nation doesn't mean you know everyone on that island.

I'd add, in the case of Cuban players, there are certainly plenty of non-Cubans who speak Spanish, so neither Castillo nor Cespedes are/would be linguistically isolated. Obviously every individual has their own perspective, but when I lived overseas I found Australians and Brits perfectly reasonable substitutes for American friends. For Castillo, just being overseas may be weird, though I suspect he's traveled some by now. I guess my point is, he could play for any team and fit in just as well as he would in Boston.

 

[The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa]

 
There's a marriage joke in this somewhere.
 
As for the bid, the midpoint of the Cespedes/Puig top range of $45M and Abreu's $68M is $56.5M or so. If he signs for less than that, I'll be surprised ... not because he's necessarily better than Cespedes/Puig; it's just that these contracts don't tend to trend downward. If the Red Sox are indeed going to be "aggressive" as has been reported, the bid could start at $60M.
 
And they might not be alone in that range.

 
I'm not necessarily suggesting they shouldn't bid that high, but if they do then I will be sort of frustrated, because Abreu was more of a sure thing than this guy and would fit the organizational need as a power bat even more, that was the time to really bid aggressively.

 

[TheoShmeo]

I'd add, in the case of Cuban players, there are certainly plenty of non-Cubans who speak Spanish, so neither Castillo nor Cespedes are/would be linguistically isolated. Obviously every individual has their own perspective, but when I lived overseas I found Australians and Brits perfectly reasonable substitutes for American friends. For Castillo, just being overseas may be weird, though I suspect he's traveled some by now. I guess my point is, he could play for any team and fit in just as well as he would in Boston.

Interresting and good point.  
 
Glen was right, I wasn't suggesting that it's a huge thing or something that anyone should or will premise a decision on, particularly if there's a decent financial gap between the offers he receives.  But if the Sox land Castillo, I think that Castillo and Cespedes are both Cubans is the kind of thing that might benefit both of them to some extent, even it's only marginal.  It's not as if there are lot of Cubans in most US cities outside of Miami, and having someone from home around might be a comfort of sorts.
 
I bet he gives SOME weight to the presence of other Cubans on the teams who bid on him.  And substantially more weight to the coin. 
 
I just hope that someone tells him that the Yankees are pure evil in a language he can understand.  

 

[TheoShmeo]

 
I'm not necessarily suggesting they shouldn't bid that high, but if they do then I will be sort of frustrated, because Abreu was more of a sure thing than this guy and would fit the organizational need as a power bat even more, that was the time to really bid aggressively.

According to Nicky (today's Notes column), they were $5 mm short on Abreu.  Assuming that the bidding process is blind, I think it's kind of hard to criticize them if Cafardo is correct.  They probably thought they had made one of the highest offers, if not the highest one.

 

[snowmanny]

Was there blind bidding on Abreu?

 

[Mighty Joe Young]

Was there blind bidding on Abreu?

A Blind Bidding process doesn't mean the player is obligated to taking the highest offer. I think it's a tactic thats good (from the player's point of view) at expediting the negotiations. Especially as the player's ability to play in MLB is rather hypothetical at this point. If Mike Trout's contract was magically declared invalid I'm guessing he wouldn't be asking for Blind Bids.

 

[AbbyNoho]

According to Nicky (today's Notes column), they were $5 mm short on Abreu.  Assuming that the bidding process is blind, I think it's kind of hard to criticize them if Cafardo is correct.  They probably thought they had made one of the highest offers, if not the highest one.

 
Is that number from just him or from someone with a clue too? I don't remember seeing that. I always kind of wondered if Abreu might have been signed by the Red Sox if it wouldn't have meant undermining their current 1st baseman currently playing in the ALCS for them. I wish that process had taken place a few weeks later. 

 

[Norm loves Vera]

I apologize if this was discussed already and I missed it.. but with these silent bids.. is protocol such that no counter bids/offers are looked for by the Player's agent.. IE when the Red Sox were reportedly $5 million short, were they given the opportunity to match or beat the Cubs final offer?  Or is it more fixed like the NPB posting system?

 

[Mighty Joe Young]

I apologize if this was discussed already and I missed it.. but with these silent bids.. is protocol such that no counter bids/offers are looked for by the Player's agent.. IE when the Red Sox were reportedly $5 million short, were they given the opportunity to match or beat the Cubs final offer?  Or is it more fixed like the NPB posting system?

As I understand it, it's blind in the sense that there's no counter offers expected or desired .. But it's not like the NPB posting system where the highest bid gets the player. Castillo can still pick any team he wants.

 

[soxhop411]

Via Gammons (tweeted by Red Sox stats)
Gammons: "Rusney Castillo...will soon sign, for somewhere from $40M to $70M."
http://t.co/dWvINCNMXy

 

[LondonSox]

Via Gammons (tweeted by Red Sox stats)
Gammons: "Rusney Castillo...will soon sign, for somewhere from $40M to $70M."
http://t.co/dWvINCNMXy

Wow what insight. I'd be lost without knowing he will sign somewhere for some amount of money at an uncertain time in the future.

 

[Sandy Leon Trotsky]

 
Is that number from just him or from someone with a clue too? I don't remember seeing that. I always kind of wondered if Abreu might have been signed by the Red Sox if it wouldn't have meant undermining their current 1st baseman currently playing in the ALCS for them. I wish that process had taken place a few weeks later. 

That was a bit awkward.  Heading into another FA offseason too.  Had the Red Sox won the Abreu bid I could imagine it causing some unwanted tension in the playoffs for not just Napoli, but for the whole team knowing that he was likely gone if Abreu had been inked.

 

[Yaz4Ever]

Wow what insight. I'd be lost without knowing he will sign somewhere for some amount of money at an uncertain time in the future.

Again, I really wish there was a "like" button on this board.

 

[TimScribble]

Obviously Boston is going to sign him and then trade him and YC to Miami for Stanton, because Cuba.

 

[67WasBest]

 
Castillo’s best position is center field, where he has good instincts and takes advantage of his 70 speed on the 20-80 scale. Back in 2009-10, however, Castillo played 26 games at second base and seven at third, before he became a full-time outfielder, winning a gold glove in 2011-12. Since leaving Cuba, Castillo has been working both in the infield and the outfield, although scouts who saw Castillo take infield on Saturday didn’t seem enthusiastic about his chances to play there.

Ben Badler @ Baseball America

 

[RedOctober3829]

Scott Lauber ‏@ScottLauber 35s
Heard Cuban OF/INF Rusney Castillo is moving quickly toward a decision. #RedSox have shown considerable interest.
 

 

[Plympton91]

If he wants to play for a contender this season, then he has to have everything finalized by August 31st to be eligible for the postseason. The rush may be an indication that also rans like the Red Sox are disadvantaged by the fact that they won't be in the postseason. He could have the JayZ crowd telling him that as a new guy on a playoff team the endorsements could start rolling. In with a hot postseason. If he instead signs with a last place team like the Red Sox, then nobody will hear about him until next spring and he'd need a hot start to get a similar buzz rolling before Memorial Day.

 

[nvalvo]

If he wants to play for a contender this season, then he has to have everything finalized by August 31st to be eligible for the postseason. The rush may be an indication that also rans like the Red Sox are disadvantaged by the fact that they won't be in the postseason. He could have the JayZ crowd telling him that as a new guy on a playoff team the endorsements could start rolling. In with a hot postseason. If he instead signs with a last place team like the Red Sox, then nobody will hear about him until next spring and he'd need a hot start to get a similar buzz rolling before Memorial Day.

 
Why would we assume Jay Z's agency has a different approach to any other agent? Remember when everyone assumed that Jay Z's influence was going to keep Cano in NY because of endorsement opportunities? 

 

[chrisfont9]

If he wants to play for a contender this season, then he has to have everything finalized by August 31st to be eligible for the postseason. The rush may be an indication that also rans like the Red Sox are disadvantaged by the fact that they won't be in the postseason. He could have the JayZ crowd telling him that as a new guy on a playoff team the endorsements could start rolling. In with a hot postseason. If he instead signs with a last place team like the Red Sox, then nobody will hear about him until next spring and he'd need a hot start to get a similar buzz rolling before Memorial Day.

It's pretty hard to believe anyone would make as important a decision as this based on what will happen in the next month or two. I'd assume Castillo would be pretty interested in a situation where he can contend regularly for the playoffs, not just this one time. Yankees, Sox are two most obvious destinations, though of course the Cubs can make an argument too. Oh, and whoever pays the most, that probably has more influence than what could be a one-game playoff exit in 2014.

 

[Auger34]

Is it possible the Sox are looking at Castillo to play 3B instead of the OF? I know he has played both INF and OF before but the scouting reports seem to indicate he is a very good defensive OF while a subpar infielder, but it seems like the Sox have a glut of outfielders and not many options for the left side of the infield. Just throwing it out there, haven't seen any discussion of the possibility 

 

[soxhop411]

George A. King III ‏@GeorgeAKingIII  52m
Cuba's Rusney Castillo sifting through offers; Phillies seen as favorites http://nyp.st/1th2Lds

 

[Lowrielicious]

Is it possible the Sox are looking at Castillo to play 3B instead of the OF? I know he has played both INF and OF before but the scouting reports seem to indicate he is a very good defensive OF while a subpar infielder, but it seems like the Sox have a glut of outfielders and not many options for the left side of the infield. Just throwing it out there, haven't seen any discussion of the possibility 

They may have a glut of outfielders. But not a glut of very good outfielders (as it currently stands that is).
 
Then again, you could say the same of the infield..

 

[Auger34]

They may have a glut of outfielders. But not a glut of very good outfielders (as it currently stands that is).
 
Then again, you could say the same of the infield..

 
Outfield has Craig, Cespedes, Betts, JBJ, Nava, Victorino, and Holt
3B and SS have WMB, X, and Holt.
Seems to me they have a glut of mediocre to good outfielders while they have only a few members of the left side of the infield who could all vary from not very good to good. Would think there is more need in that area than the outfield

 

[P'tucket rhymes with...]

 
George A. King III ‏@GeorgeAKingIII  52m
Cuba's Rusney Castillo sifting through offers; Phillies seen as favorites http://nyp.st/1th2Lds
 

Castro to Amaro:  Up, down or lateral move?  Discuss.

 

[soxhop411]

Castro to Amaro:  Up, down or lateral move?  Discuss.

I still do not get how they are the favorites.. This AM they were long shot

 

[E5 Yaz]

I still do not get how they are the favorites.. This AM they were long shot

 
Because George King

 

[Plympton91]

 
Outfield has Craig, Cespedes, Betts, JBJ, Nava, Victorino, and Holt
3B and SS have WMB, X, and Holt.
Seems to me they have a glut of mediocre to good outfielders while they have only a few members of the left side of the infield who could all vary from not very good to good. Would think there is more need in that area than the outfield

There's a not insignificant chance that Craig and Victorino will never be healthy again. Nava can't hit lefthanders, Bradley hasn't proven he can hit period despite about 600 PA. Betts has played 50 professional games in the outfield.

That leaves Cespedes, with one year of control and a sub-300 OBP, plus Holt who is best deployed as a 10th man.

Even if he hasn't looked good in the infield, they should not be making decisions on Castillo based on the "Where would we play him?" fallacy.

 

[gammoseditor]

There's a not insignificant chance that Craig and Victorino will never be healthy again. Nava can't hit lefthanders, Bradley hasn't proven he can hit period despite about 600 PA. Betts has played 50 professional games in the outfield.

That leaves Cespedes, with one year of control and a sub-300 OBP, plus Holt who is best deployed as a 10th man.

Even if he hasn't looked good in the infield, they should not be making decisions on Castillo based on the "Where would we play him?" fallacy.

If they sign him, how would you shake out the 25 man roster?

 

[gammoseditor]

Isn't it way too early to tell? If all the guys are healthy and productive come April, you deal with it then.

This team has very little in the way of potential elite talent- if they profile Castillo as that kind of
guy, and he costs "just money", than be aggressive.

If they think he is an elite talent then I agree, except I think some of the excess has to go before opening day. I think elite is probably going to far with Castillo and this team has other problems.