Spring Training Game Review

Drew Anderson (OF) 0-2.

Jay Bruce 0-3

Chris Dickerson 0-1 with a walk

Joey Votto 1-2 with a run, stolen base and a walk

Adam Rosales 0-1

Paul Janish 0-2

Chris Kroski 1-2 with a run, double and RBI

Craig Tatum 0-2

Ryan Hanigan 1-2 with a double, run and RBI

Daryl Thompson pitched a perfect inning with 3 strikeouts (pictured)

Ramon Ramirez allowed a run on 2 hits and a walk in 1 inning

Marcus McBeth allowed a walk while striking out 1 in a scoreless 9th.

Even more information on Juan Duran

John Fay has an article up on Duran’s signing with stuff from Bob Castellini, Bob Miller and more. Below are some of the highlights from the article.

“I think it’s a great step in that direction,” said Walt Jocketty, a special adviser to Castellini. “It’s one of the things Bob Castellini wants to do. This signing sends a pretty clear message that we’re going to be aggressive in the market.”

“They have a budget,” Castellini said of his scouts. “They decide how to spend it.”

This is always great news to hear. Its interesting to see roughly how big their budget is for the scouting/development. Lets do some quick math now…. 2 million for Duran and lets just figure 2.3 million for the first round pick this year (Reds have the 7th overall pick which got 2 million last season) that is 4 million already. The Reds are without a second round pick this year due to signing Cordero, so lets just use some close to normal numbers and figure they spend at least another $750,000 on just the draft. Given that the Reds sign likely another 15-20 players each year internationally I would imagine the Reds working with a signing budget of near $6,000,000 a year for the draft and international free agents.

The Duran signing is a risk. He’s 6 feet 6, 190 pounds. His power rates 80 on the scouting scale of 20-80. He has good speed and an exceptional arm.

“He’s very strong for a kid from the Dominican,” Buckley said. “He’ll get bigger. Most of the kids down there have never been in a weight room.

“But scouting in the Caribbean is more difficult. You can’t go see Juan Duran play with his high school team or traveling team.”

Buckley says Duran compares favorably with a No. 1 pick in the draft.

Obviously this is all scouting as you don’t really get to see him play in live games, but tools wise, as seen before with reports on him, are off the charts. The investment in the signing could also lead to further talent being introduced to the system.

Signing Duran shows they are willing to pay the going rate for top players. That rate has climbed steadily in the last couple of years. A lot of clubs would like to see a worldwide draft to level the playing field.

Until that happens, teams have to try to compete. Top players in the Caribbean are controlled by a “buscone,” a sort of agent/adviser.

“They’re more than agents,” assistant general manager Bob Miller said. “They sign up 13-, 14-year-old kids. They train them, house them, have their own fields.”

The buscone, of course, wants a return on his investment.

“Unless you make a significant signing, the buscones won’t even bring around the top kids,” Buckley said. “This shows we’re back in the game.”

The Reds made a big splash with Duran and hopefully, as Buckley notes, it will lead to buscones bringing talent to the Reds that they may not have otherwise had a chance to get to see.

Of course the best talent is not always the big dollar talent. As noted in the article, Johnny Cueto signed for the measly sum of $3,500. Talk about a return on your money on that signing. Still, diamonds in the rough are nice, but seeing top end talent more often than not is likely to reap its benefits as well.

Not sure if this is Fay thinking out loud, but from the sounds of it, he suggests that Duran could play in the GCL this year for the Reds. Correction from Fay, he wasn’t thinking out loud on that one, it is something that he got from Bob Miller. 

Most clubs thought Duran was not eligible to sign until July 2. It’s complicated, but the Reds got around that by placing him on the Billings rookie-league roster. He won’t play in Billings this year. He’ll probably play in the Gulf Coast League.

Hopefully there is a little truth to that. I will do some digging around and see if I can get a definitive answer on the subject.