Season Three: The International Market

With just a few weeks left in the regular season, it's time to take a look back at some of the notable international free agent signings of this past season in the Duff Beer World. Since this world's inception, jumping into the international market has proven to be a game of high stakes poker, with dozens of franchises engaging in bidding wars for elite talents. With signing bonuses that would make Scott Boras blush, here's a quick capsule of the top five international signees and their respective piles of money.

Player: Karim Espinosa
Franchise: Colorado Springs
Contract: MiLB
Bonus: $16,000,000
Scouting Report:
A 20 year old southpaw from the Domincan Republic, Espinosa was a hotly coveted commodity last month. He projects to have exceptional control, commanding a five pitch arsenal that includes a plus fastball, along with a very good curve and change-up. Espinosa was aggresively placed in AAA, where he has struggled in just seven starts. Nonetheless, Espinosa should be a viable #2/3 starter after some more minor league seasoning. Perhaps the only thing holding him back is a low make-up rating, which could prevent him from reaching his absolute ceiling.

Player: Carlos Terrero
Franchise: Durham
Contract: MiLB w/Invite
Bonus: $14,100,000
Scouting Report:
Giving credence to the adage that good things come in small packages, this 5'10" righty has front of the rotation potential and appears to have been a steal for the Bull**** Artists. A soft-tosser in the mold of Greg Maddux, Terrero projects to have five reliable pitches with superlative control. Equally effective against both left and right-handed batters, Terrero induces a ton of ground balls, which should keep his HR rates low. In only 14 1/3 innings at High A, he has already racked up 20 K's.

Player: Ivan Hernandez
Franchise: Tacoma
Contract: MiLB
Bonus: $14,100,000
Scouting Report:
The future of the hot-corner appears to be set for the city-dwelling Kansans of Tacoma. There are truly no holes in the 18 year old Hernandez's game, as he profiles to be an above-average defensive 3rd baseman with 30+ HR power, and the ability to hit for a very high average. Tacoma's scouts describe Hernandez as a high character young man, which is reflected by his 93 make-up rating. Having already earned a promotion to AA, Hernandez is clearly on the fast-track to The Show. It should be noted, however, that while his bat is ML-ready right now, he will have to build upon his stamina before he is ready for everday duty.

Player: Freddy Chong
Franchise: Minnesota
Contract: MLB (5 years x $327,000)
Bonus: $14,000,000
Scouting Report:
A native of Naha, Japan, the 18 year old Chong is an offensive-minded 2nd baseman who should develop into a perennial .300+ hitter, with a Kevin Youkilis-esque batting eye that will keep him on base greater than 40% of the time as a big leaguer. With moderate power and above-average speed, Chong could be a candidate to hit atop the Baggies line-up for years to come. Posting a .934 OPS in 304 AB's at High A, Chong could be in the majors by the age of 20. The only flaw in his arsenal may be his defense, which projects to be slightly below average. Nevertheless, his well-rounded offensive game should dispel any doubts regarding his status as a stud prospect.

Player: P.T. Gonzalez
Franchise: Tampa Bay
Contract: MLB (5 years x $327,000)
Bonus: $12,800,000
Scouting Report:
Hailing from the Dominican Republic, the 20 year old Gonzalez is perhaps the most promising young relief pitcher in the Duff Beer World. Featuring a devestating fastball/curveball combo, Gonzo was assigned directly to the major league club, where he's held batters to a stingy .208 average in 48 apperances. Pinpoint control allows Gonzalez to dominate hitters from both sides of the plate, relying heavily upon a four-seamer that consistently lights up the radar gun. The only thing standing between Gonzalez and a Mariano Rivera-type career is his low health rating, which may be a source of nagging injuries throughout his career.