BA’s pre-Signing Period Article

Chris Kline, over at BA, offers up a laundry list of top international guys available this year.  When it comes to working the phones on the international guys, Kline’s the man.  The article is subscriber-only, but offers up some interesting nuggets I feel ok about reproducing here.

Most notably, this piece of information:

According to another source, the price tag for most players has been elevated this season because of the increased network of improved facilities and more agents than ever, especially in the Dominican and Venezuela, flooding those areas.

“It’s going to become more the norm than the exception,” a front office official from an American League club said. “The market is just so much more sophisticated than is was even five years ago.”

This has been happening the past few years, as the introduction of American agents has really revolutionized the international signing game, but the explosion of the market really went into overdrive last year, and signs point to that continuing.

The development of the international market and the closing of the gap in pricetags between Latin American players and players acquired through the draft is very good news.   The more sophisticated the infrastructure of international scouting becomes, the closer we get to the possibility of an international draft.