This is part of the reason I have such a hard time evaluating Latin American prospects. It’s why I wasn’t high on Roberto de la Cruz last year as well. These players simply aren’t vetted as well and the records in Latin America are not on the same plane as those for North American players.
Wagner Mateo — the 16-year-old outfielder who signed a $3.1 million bonus, the most ever given to an amateur Latin American position player — is having vision problems that may affect his contract status with the St. Louis Cardinals, according to several Latin American baseball sources.
I can’t get worked up on this one way or the other and we should let the Cardinals vet the situation because, frankly, we don’t know what’s going on.
erik update: Per Jorge Aranguare of ESPN.com, Wagner’s agent says it’s a just a problem he had with some contacts. The Cardinals suspect it’s a degenerative condition that could greatly hinder his playing ability and are awaiting test results. More will be unfolding, I’m sure. The Cardinals can recoup the bonus if it is a pre-existing condition.
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Well this just sucks. I wonder if they might take another look on Sano now?
RobertoRydeBlindWagner
If this turns out to be a big deal, call me sad. The Cards took a huge chance on this guy and for it to be in vein would suck
Did anyone ever sign Miguel Angel Sano? If not, we could always use the recouped funds to sign him…
If I’m thinking of paying $3 million plus , I would probably have the physical exam before making a commitment
If a kid can hit, eye problems are unexpected. If the bonus is contingent on passing the physical exam, the Cards may call off the deal. The purpose of the physical exam is to detect problems. Seems like it worked.
If the Cards retain their money, they can use it on somebody else next summer. It would be too bad, but these physical issues come up, even in the US. The Padres drafted a first baseman who had a hip problem and they reduced his signing bonus.
The Latin market is wild. Some players have false identities (new names) to provide evidence that they are younger than they really. Anything can happen. Now its eyesight.
The kid my have retinitis pigmentosa, in which case he’ll have 20/20 vision in about a 10 degree field. Make a circle with both hands, and look through that. You can still hit pretty darn good if you have 20/20 in that space.
Kinda tough to play the field that way, though…