Roster Move: Cubs sign 17-year-old righty Jose Ramon Gonzalez |
Dustin Riese
· · 2 hours ago
Although free agency has yet to fully get underway, that doesn't mean deals can't be done, as this is still technically the MLB offseason. While the Cubs have yet to do much on the open market, they have already made one small move by bringing back Colin Rea on a new deal. Rea was one of the many bright spots for the Cubs last season and deserved the new deal he got.
Even if the Cubs haven't dived into the Free Agent pool quite yet, it hasn't stopped Jed Hoyer and company from searching far and wide to try and improve this organization from the top down. That includes going to the International market, as the Cubs and Mexican right-hander Jose Ramon Gonzalez have agreed to a contract. The move comes after the Cubs signed Ronald Lazaro Mena to a $350,000 international contract this summer, as the current International signing period is set to close on December 15. Knowing that, the Cubs jumped on the opportunity to add more talent, and the 17-year-old is just that, as he has the potential to be something special. With his signing, the Chihuahua native has taken a pivotal step in his professional career as he will be joining his first organization. Not only are the Cubs one of the more storied Franchises in the game, but the talent level alone from Gonzalez puts him right up there with some of the most talented players from Mexico and potentially the pitcher with the highest amount of upside. Still very raw in terms of his overall development, Gonzalez has already been clocked at 94 MPH, and that alone is impressive, considering the amount of growth and strength he could still add. Throwing 94 at any age is going to get you noticed by professional scouts, but to be doing that at 17 is another story and one worth keeping tabs on the longer he spends in the organization. While the overall details of the contract (Bonus Money) weren't released, you have to wonder if he got close to what Mena got, whose 350K was the largest Pool balance to any pitcher at the time. Should Gonzalez come close to that, it would essentially drain the rest of the Cubs' International funds, as he could be the last of the International signings for the year. Gonzalez may be the most notable International Free agent signing of late, but he hasn't been the only late-season free agent the Cubs have brought in as they have been busy the past week. According to the Cubs' recent transaction page, Gonzalez will be the fifth International pickup added to the organization this past week, with the other four officially signing on paper on Monday. Juan De Jesus, Dylan Guzman, Sergio Patino, and Luis Palencia have all agreed to minor league deals with the Cubs and will now embark on their professional journeys next summer in the Dominican Summer League or Arizona Complex League. Diving into each of these players a bit further, you will notice that there isn't much information on either of them, which isn't shocking for these late-season pickups. What we do know is that De Jesus is an outfielder, expected to play in Center Field with Guzman and Palencia joining forces in the middle infield at the shortstop and second base positions. You also have Patino being added as a catcher, as he will have plenty of opportunities to work with many of the Cubs' younger arms, with the hopes of developing some chemistry with them. As mentioned, this may not be the move anyone was expecting or wanting this team to make, but it's a move that no one should be surprised about. This is something Hoyer has done his entire career, and whether it works out or not isn't the point. The point is to find as much talent as possible throughout the year, regardless of its source, and this is exactly what this move does for the organization.
