Caveat Emptor

Baseball teams are always looking to strike gold by sending scouts overseas. But, like gold, these prospects are not cheap. A couple of signings have already made a splash at this early junction of Double Mendoza's 5th season. The Line on Mendoza is here to pass judgment on both.

18-year-old SP/RP Victor Jose
acquired by the Toledo Mud Hens for $8.7M
This right-handed hurler commanded a hefty sum, and a lot of GMs we surveyed are wondering why the Mud hens forked it over. Scouts think Jose will have a difficult time eating enough innings to become a starter in the bigs someday. He relies on his control, but batters put a lot of balls in play off of him. His sinker will induce some groundballs, but he also has a habit of leaving it too high in the zone, which is always bad news. He'll likely earn a roster spot some day, but there are far better ways to spend $8.7M


18-year-old C Ignacio Lee
acquired by the Chicago Gangsta' Chimps for $9.0M
Speaking of better ways to spend almost $9.0M, we have Ignacio Lee. For an extra $300K compared to Jose, most scouts tout Lee as a potential all-star slugger some day. He is defensively sound enough to play C, but if he remains in the AL, is a perfectly good option to DH. He's a patient hitter already who victimizes left-handed pitching rather routinely. He'll need to hit the weight room if he hopes to be an everyday player someday, but Chicago's coaching staff will see to that, I'm sure.

So, buyer beware on the international market. It's very easy to overspend on unproven talent, so make sure the bang is really there when you part from your buck.