This topic could generate some debate, given the fact that most parents in Latin America prefer their kids to sign with a Major League team instead of getting a scholarship to play College ball in the States. But what’s the driving force behind parents and their decision?

Well, in Latin America, most players come from families with very little income, and when a team approaches them with a $200,000 or $500,000  bonus for their kids, all they want is to get their hands on that check, regardless of the long term problems this could lead to.

We all know that probably around 92% of the draftees in the June Amateur Draft get lost in the Minors and never establish themselves in the Majors. Well, in Latin America that number could be closer to 99%, which means that out of a hundred players signed only one will make it. Tough odds if you ask me.

The problem is when a Latin player gets signed, he immediately quits school and becomes a professional baseball player. If he doesn’t make it, and the statistics are not in their favor, he will probably end up without a career in baseball, which up until this point is all they have known. And to be honest, almost none of them continue their studies once their baseball careers are over. In my experience I’ve met more than one hundred ex-professional baseball players and only two of them went back to school and graduated.

What parents need to know about all this, is that they should insist on their kids getting a scholarship to play College ball in the States. Not only will they get a degree in something, they will also participate in three different June Amateur Drafts and if they get drafted and they decide to sign, their signing bonus will be much, much larger than they one they could have signed out of Latin America. Getting scholarships will also prevent players from lying about their age and identities just to get signed. Like what happened with Leo Nunez last year, Miguel Tejada a couple of years ago and recently formerly Fausto Carmona.

Lately, a rumor about an International draft has been circulating through the media. If that draft reinforces kids quitting school and signing with a Major League organization I would have to say that I don’t support it. Latin American amateur players should first try to get a scholarship to a U.S College and then go for a career in professional baseball if they get drafted. After all, if they’re good enough to get a signing bonus from a Major League organization in Latin America they will be good enough to find a scholarship at a U.S College.

Here is a list of the 2011 June Amateur Draft signing bonus for the top five picks (list provided by mymlbdraft.com):

– Gerrit Cole: $8,000,000 with the Pirates.

– Danny Hultzen: $8,500,000 for a five-year, Major League deal with the Mariners.

– Trevor Bauer: $4,450,000 for a four-year, Major League deal with the Diamondbacks.

– Dylan Bundy: $6,250,000 for a five-year, Major League deal with the Orioles.

– Bubba Starling: $7,500,000 with the Royals.

And here’s a list of the five largest bonuses of all time signed by Latin American players (list provided by Patrick Clark of Beyond the Box Score):

– Michael Ynoa (Dominican Republic): $4,250,000 with the Oakland Athletics.

– Miguel Sano (Dominican Republic): $3,150,000 with the Minnesota Twins.

– Gary Sanchez (Dominican Republic): $3,000,000 with the New York Yankees.A

– Rafael Rodriguez (Dominican Republic): $2,550,000 with the San Francisco Giants.A

– Yorman Rodriguez (Venezuela): $2,500,000 with the Cincinnati Reds.A

Even though Bauer was just drafted this June, he has already played at Double-A for the Diamondbacks, but from the top-five Latin American players only three have cracked Class-A. Sanchez (signed in 2009), Rafael Rodriguez(signed in 2008) and Yorman Rodriguez (signed in 2008). The rest of them have only played in the rookie league.

If Latin American players pushed to receive a guaranteed college education, it would not only help them receive more attention from scouts in the States, but would also help them take back a solid college education to their respective Countries in hopes of being able to make a difference in their communities.

Last season, Owings posted a 3.57 era while going 8-0 in 33 appearances with the Diamondbacks while working out of the bullpen.

In 2007, Owings posted a .333 batting average in 60 at-bats with the D’backs as he will routinely hit for himself even when pitching out of the bullpen.

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Last season, Galarraga went 3-4 with Arizona while posting a 5.91 era.

Prior to last season Galarraga agreed to a one-year $2.3mm deal with Detroit and then released the next day. At that time, the Orioles were interested in the right hander.

The 29-year-old shot to worldwide fame for his sportsmanship that he displayed after an umpire’s error cost him a perfect game in 2010.

Galarraga will continue to be under team control through the 2013 season.

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Last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Duke went 3-4 with a 4.93 era while averaging 3.8 k/9, his worst since 2007 with the Pirates(3.4 k/9).

The Diamondbacks acquired Duke from the Pirates in November of 2010.

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Arizona overcame a horrible 2010 season where they went 65-97, good enough for last place.The Diamondbacks’ payroll was the sixth lowest in baseball at $53,639,833 million. With that payroll, they won 94 games, or 45 games above the 49 game line. That means they spent $1,191,996.29 for every win over 49.

Their top five paid players were:

– Kelly Johnson ($5,850,000): Johnson hit .209/.287/.412 with 18 HR’s, 49 RBI’s, 59 runs scored and a .699 OPS in 114 games with the Diamondbacks in 2011. He was traded to the Blue Jays late in August. If we presume that the D’backs paid Johnson for the entire season, it means that he earned $65,000 for every hit he got (90) with them, $325,000 for every home run he hit and $99,152.54 for every run he scored. He also earned $119,387.76 for every run he batted in and $42,700.73 for every time he got on base.

– Joe Saunders ($5,500,000): Saunders went 12-13 with a 3.69 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 212.0 innings throughout 33 starts in 2011. He earned $458,333.33 for every won game, $50,925.93 for every batter he struck out, $25,943.40 for every inning pitched and $166,666.66 for every game he started.

– Chris Young ($5,200,000): Young hit .236/.331/.420 with 20 HR’s, 71 RBI’s, 89 runs and a .751 OPS. Young earned $260,000 for every home run he hit, $38,805.97 for every hit, $73,239.44 for every run he batted in, $58,426.97 for every run scored and $23,853.21 for every time he got on base.

– Stephen Drew ($4,650,000): Drew hit .252/.317/.369 with 5 HR’s, 45 RBI’s, 44 runs and a .713 OPS in only 321 AB’s. Drew earned $930,000 for every home run he hit, $57,407.41 for every hit, $103,333.33 for every run batted in, $105,681.82 for every run scored or $41,517.86 for every time he got on base.

– Justin Upton ($4,458,333): Upton hit .289/.369/.529 with 31 HR’s, 88 RBI’s, 105 runs and a .898 OPS in 592 AB’s. Upton earned $143,817.19 for every home run he hit. $26,072.12 for every hit he got, $50,662.86 for every run batted in, $42,460.31 for every run scored or $17,904.95 for every time he got on base.

The Diamondbacks had a collective OBP of .322, a collective SLG of.413 and an OPS of .736. Throughout the season they scored 731 runs, or about $73,378.70 for every run they scored as a team. They ranked third in slugging, fourth in OPS and seventh in on-base percentage as an overall team in the National League.

I believe this team had a pretty solid season taking into account their payroll. Even with a limited Drew, they still managed to outperform the rest of the NL West. They even outperformed their Pythagorean record, 88-74 against 94-68. The Pythagorean record is calculated with the runs scored and runs allowed and gives you an estimate of wins a team’s is slated to get.

Their three best offensive players (OBP-wise) were Upton, Gerardo Parra and Miguel Montero, in that exact same order. The last two are not among the top-five players, Montero made $3,200,000 and Parra only $426,000, and Parra will now be the team’s fourth outfielder. On the 25-man roster only 15 players earned more than $1 million, and their two aces Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson weren’t among them.

If this group of young players can stay healthy and perform the way they did in 2011 this team is going to be tough to beat for years to come. The Diamondbacks will have to evaluate which players to lock-up to long-term deals, which of them will get traded for good young prospects and which of them will become free agents and sign with another team as many of them will hit free agency around the same time.

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Eckstein has played ten Major League seasons with the Angels, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks and Padres. He is a lifetime .280/.345/.355 hitter with 35 HR’s and 392 RBI’s. He also has two World Series rings, one with the Angels in 2002 and one with the Cardinals in 2006.

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Saunders became a free agent after the D’backs non-tendered the left handed pitcher.

Saunders posted a 3.69 era while going 12-13. He made $5.5mm last season.

He will now slot into the back of Arizona’s rotation.

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According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Colon has agreed to a deal with an unknown team. Colon is not announcing the team that he signed with yet until after the physical.

According to John Heyman of CBSSports.com, the team that has an agreement in place with Colon is not the Diamondbacks or the Yankees. This leaves the A’s as the only other team, besides the “mystery team” that we know Colon has had discussions with.

The 2005 AL Cy Young posted a 4.00 era with the Yankees last season.

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Mora signed with the Diamondbacks prior to this last season, but was never able to establish his game and was subsequently released in June.

In 41 games with the Diamondbacks this season, Mora was hitting 230/.246/.278 with 0 home runs and 16 RBIs.

In his career, Mora totaled 1503 hits and 171 homers, while posting a .277 avg in  1556 games or 5422 at-bats.

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Mora signed with the Diamondbacks prior to this last season, but was never able to establish his game and was subsequently released in June.

In 41 games with the Diamondbacks this season, Mora was hitting 230/.246/.278 with 0 home runs and 16 RBIs.

In his career, Mora totaled 1503 hits and 171 homers, while posting a .277 avg in  1556 games or 5422 at-bats.

Image taken by Keith Allison and used under the Creative Commons License Agreement.

Kubel is slated to take over left field duties, pushing Gerardo Parra into the fourth outfielder role.

Image taken by Keith Allison and use under the Creative Commons License Agreement.

Image by Keith Allison under the Creative Commons License.

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Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic was the first to report the likely trade.

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Overbay was signed by the Dbacks in August. He elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Pirates in July.

The 34-year old veteran hit .234/.310/.360 with 9 HR’s and 47 RBI’s in 394 AB’s for the Pirates and Diamondbacks in 2011.

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– The Houston Astros have hired Jeff Luhnow as their new general manager. (Brian McTaggart, MLB.com)

– The Pittsburgh Pirates have released Ross Ohlendorf. (Jenifer Langosch, MLB.com)

– John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle says the Giants are out on Carlos Beltran. Jon Heyman adds that Beltran’s market appears thin.

– Jimmy Rollins’ agent, Dan Lozano, and manager Charlie Manuel are saying that a deal between the Phillies and Rollins will get done.  (Jim Bowden, ESPN XM Radio).

– Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post says the Washington Nationals are now targeting Roy Oswalt.

– Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports reports that the Detroit Tigers are considered front runners to land veteran right hander Octavio Dotel. Rosenthal also adds that a NL team is also in the mix.

– The New York Mets are shopping Jonathon Niese according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. He adds that the Padres and Rockies are among the teams interested in him.

– Mark Buehrle has narrowed his choice to three teams and according to Juan Carlos Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel the Marlins are one of them.

– The Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, the Arizona Diamondbacks are among the teams interested in Hiroki Kuroda according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports. He adds that the right hander may go back to Japan.

– According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Athletics will not move left handed pitcher Gio Gonzlaez during the Winter Meetings.

– The Kansas City Royals are looking for an utility infielder, and according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN, they are considering Edgar Renteria and “several others.”

– The Cleveland Indians are interested in first baseman Derek Lee, and according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, they are waiting until after Lee decides if he’ll accept the arbitration offer from the Pirates.

– The Colorado Rockies are interested in trading for Edinson Volquez or signing free agents Hiroki Kuroda or Kevin Millwood according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. He adds that the teams has the money to make the next move.

– According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres are talking about a deal involving Huston Street.

– First baseman Carlos Pena said that he will not accept the Cubs’ arbitration offer according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.

– Sussan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle confirms that the Phillies are indeed interested in Gio Gonzalez, and adds that they are also interested in reliever Craig Breslow.

– According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports, Gio Gonzalez’s “known suitors” are the Tigers, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Reds and Phillies.

– Veteran short stop, Miguel Tejada, is working out in Fort Lauderdale and is hoping to get a Major League deal according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. He adds the the Orioles have no interest in signing him.

– According to the New York Post (via Guillermo Celis of ESPNDeportes), the New York Yankees are listening to offers for A.J. Burnett. He adds that the Yankees are willing to eat about $8 million of the $33 million owed to Burnett.

– The Detroit Tigers are apparently trying to make a strong push for left handed pitcher Gio Gonzalez according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

– Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports says that the Angels and Brewers are among the teams interested in Aramis Ramirez. He adds that the Phillies are no longer interested in the third baseman.

– Peter Gammons says that the Oakland Athletics are considering Josh Reddick and propects for Andrew Bailey.

Image by Keith Allison under the Creative Commons License.

– Five teams (including the Texas Rangers) are in the hunt for C.J. Wilson and one of them has made a six-year offer.  (Jeff Wilson, Star-Telegram)

– The Twins, Nationals, Marlins and Rangers are in on Mark Buehrle. (Ken Rosenthal, FOX Sports)

– The Royals, Marlins, Twins, Athletics and Mariners are interested in Carlos Guillen. (Enrique Rojas, ESPNDeportesLosAngeles)

– According to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post, the Miami Marlins (formerly Florida Marlins), plan to tender Juan Carlos Oviedo (formerly Leo Nunez).

– The Tigers, Blue Jays and Padres have inquired about Daniel Murphy from the Mets. (Joel Sherman, The New York Post)

– The Arizona Diamondbacks are looking for a starter, and according to Steve Henson of Yahoo Sports, they’re targeting right handed pitcher Hiroki Kuroda.

– Josh Willingham have been contacted by nine teams according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. That list includes the Twins, Red Sox, Indians and Reds adds Crasnick.

– Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post says that the Philadelphia Phillies are “strong players”for third baseman Aramis Ramirez.

– The Los Angeles Angels have been inquiring about Andrew Bailey according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.

– The St. Louis Cardinals have been talking to Octavio Dotel according to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.

– The Pittsburgh Pirates “may add another outfielder” according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports. And according to sources close to him, they are interested in former Pirate Nate McLouth.

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Montero’s salary for 2011 was $3,200,000. He earned $177,777.78 for every home run he hit or $37,209.30 for every run he batted in or $16,494.85 for every time he got on base.

Ringolsby also adds that the team is deciding whether to re-sign left hander Joe Saunders, who will probably get a “significant raise” from his 2011 salary of $5.5 million. Apparently, the D’Backs are more “inclined” to give prospects Jarrod Parker, Trevor Bauer and Tyler Skaggs “a shot in the spring to claim that rotation spot.”

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In the book’s preface, the author quotes work done by a Manhattan lawyer named Doug Pappas. Pappas, says that a team with only minimum wage players, both on the Major League roster and the rest of the 40-man, would still probably win 49 out of the 162 games played.

In 2011, the minimum wage for a player on the 25-man roster was $414,500. The minimum wage for a player on the 40-man roster, with at least one day of MLB service time or had been on the 40-man roster for a year was $67,300.

The minimum that a team could spend on their 40-man roster in 2011 was: $11,397,000. That’s $10,387,500 for their 25-man roster and $1,009,500 for the rest of their 40-man roster. If a team could get approximately 49 wins with a $11,397,000 payroll, that means that if you divide the total wins a team got above their 49th win by the total dollars they paid over the minimum, you get the “price” each team paid for each win they got.

After this brief introduction of the “marginal win” formula, I’m going to say what this report is all about. I’m going to analyze the “price” for each win a team got in 2011 so we can determine which teams were the most cost effective. Besides that, I’m going to list the top 5 paid players on each team and give you their performance line, to see how much they actually contributed to their team.

I’ll also list each team’s OBP, runs and SLG totals so we can see for ourselves how related these stats are at the moment of scoring runs and winning games. So get ready to experience a thoughtful analysis of every 2011 Major league team.

The team’s payroll was taken from USA Today and the individuals salaries from About.com.

Image by dherrera_96 Under the Creative Commons License.

Image by dherrera_96 Under the Creative Commons License

-Despite the fact the Dodgers still have resigning Hiroki Kuroda as their top priority, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com is reporting that the Dodgers are exploring other options in the event they are not able to resign him. Gurnick points out that the Dodgers appear most interested in Aaron Harang if they are not able to resign Kuroda, with Chris Capuano and Jeff Francis as other possible candidates to replace Kuroda.

-At least three teams are in on Albert Pujols Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports reports. With the Cardinals being one of the teams, the details of the Marlins offer to Pujols have emerged with the deal possibly being for nine-years while under $200mm, with a mystery team still in the race.

-Jim Bowden of ESPN.com notes that 13 teams are showing interest in Mark Buehrle. Those teams are the White Sox, Cubs, Marlins, Twins Rangers, Yankees, Royals, Cardinals, Red Sox and Diamondbacks.

-According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, C.J. Wilson is looking for a six-year $120mm deal. Good luck with that.

It was late last week that reports were coming out regarding the Diamondback’s intent of re-signing the second baseman.

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If Hill returns, he would be the DBack’s regular second baseman. If Hill does not re-sign, Ryan Roberts would play second base and the team would likely pursue a third baseman.

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