Pirates Offered $200,000 To Mexican Pitcher Julio César Urías

by Vlad on Nov 14, 2011 8:30 PM EST

According to Fernando Ballesteros at the Mexican website Puro Beisbol, the Pirates made a substantial offer to Julio César Urías, a left-handed pitcher from Culiacán. Urías, who is 15 years old, apparently can already throw 88 miles an hour. Unfortunately for us, his parents wouldn't allow him to agree to accept our offer - at least, not yet. The piece indicates that there are several other MLB clubs interested, as well as the LMB's Diablos Rojos. This October 10th article by Rodrigo Peiro of Linea Directa says that in addition to the Pirates, the Braves, Cubs, Giants, Phillies, and Rangers are in on Urías. Of course, no deal can be formally signed with any MLB team until Urías turns 16.

According to Marco Antonio Arellano of noroeste.com, the Pirates' Mexican scouting supervisor Jesús Valdez first encountered Urías at a tryout in Culiacán in March. Approximately thirty players worked out for Valdez, and he singled out Urías and a right-hander named Édgar Arredondo as the two pitchers who caught his eye, citing their youth and size. The article also indicates that Urías, who was still 14 at that time, was clocked at 84 MPH at that workout. Since then, according to this piece from beisbolinfantil.com, Urías has thrown a no-hitter to lead his amateur team to a championship, played for the Mexican national team in the youth World Cup, and thrown out the opening pitch for the LMP season. Not too shabby.

The Puro Beisbol article also makes reference to the Pirates offering to pay for the cost of rehabilitating one of Urías's eyes as part of their offer. This piece from 2010 indicates that he was born with a tumor in his left eye, and that he required surgery to correct the condition.

Below the jump, there's some video of him throwing during a workout in 2010. There's no guarantee of anything with kids that young, but he's got a low-effort delivery and some snap to the fastball, which are both good signs.

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Kid has better mechanics than Cole.

by sanny manguillen on Nov 14, 2011 8:44 PM EST reply actions

Queue the guys complaining that the Bucs should be spending this money on unrealistic FA signings.

15 year old lefties that throw 88 with a clean easy delivery don’t grow on trees. I know exactly what is posted in this article about the kid, but I would be thrilled to get him signed up and in the system.

And Vlad, did you find any sort of scouting report on Arredondo?

by pskell02 on Nov 14, 2011 8:55 PM EST reply actions

Some mentions.

I think this is him pitching at the tryout camp in March here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYzVEOTbomU

I saw a reference to him working out with the Red Devils’ facility, and another to him pitching a perfect game in 2010 (eight Ks). He seems to show up alongside Urías in any list of top amateurs from Culiacan.

I’m relying pretty heavily on machine translations here, because I don’t know any real Spanish past what you learn on Zesame Street as a kid. If anyone out there can do better, I’d be much obliged. In particular, there are some Spanish-language remarks at the back of the Arredondo video above about which ai’m extremely curious…

by Vlad on Nov 14, 2011 11:04 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Excuse the typos, plz.

I’m on my phone right now.

by Vlad on Nov 14, 2011 11:09 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Tried using Google translate on my phone

First few lines were:

Very happy and smooth in the call girl ugh the club so much gas enea 5 chat

Something tells me that the translation didn’t go so well :)

by pskell02 on Nov 15, 2011 12:21 AM EST up reply actions

HAHAHA

enea?

Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Nov 15, 2011 1:22 AM EST up reply actions

Have you tried

Babel fish?

Typically better than google, but of course, nothing’s perfect. Plus, you can do entire web pages.

Babel fish tip: “equipment” typically means “team.”

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Nov 15, 2011 7:19 AM EST up reply actions

makes

sense

equipo = team

Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Nov 15, 2011 10:50 AM EST up reply actions

Don't worry...

if the Pirates start to outspend everyone on the international market…the next CBA will have a worldwide draft.

by Thunder on Nov 14, 2011 9:05 PM EST reply actions

$200k seems like we're lowballing him

He already throws as fast as the lefty we’ve spent over a month crying about not getting $9 million.

by ATribeCalledGreg on Nov 14, 2011 9:24 PM EST reply actions 2 recs

that was funny

by BurgherKing on Nov 14, 2011 9:38 PM EST up reply actions

BOOM

Should the Pirates keep Neal Huntington?

http://www.bucsdugout.com/2011/5/16/2174135/poll-should-huntington-be-retained

by Kosstic518 on Nov 15, 2011 8:58 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

im glad he said it and not me

by white angus on Nov 15, 2011 9:24 AM EST up reply actions

Rec'd

Fair and accurate. Well played.

Stupidity should be painful.
@elwreckingball

by wrecking_ball on Nov 15, 2011 11:46 AM EST up reply actions

Please post his birthdate and mailing address

I’d like to send the kid a birthday card with an invitation to PNC Park. I’d rather the PBC take a $500K roll of the dice on this kid than spend a nickel on this year’s version of Overbay

"Don Mossi was the complete five-tool ugly player. He could run ugly, hit ugly, throw ugly, field ugly and ugly for power.

by Pagliaroni on Nov 14, 2011 9:48 PM EST reply actions

dont worry, 2012 will have a version of overbay that will have you forgetting just how overbay overbay was

by white angus on Nov 15, 2011 9:25 AM EST up reply actions

thanks for the video, Vlad

That is very impressive for a 14-year-old. Very smooth delivery, repeats it well, nice movement on the fastball, and a good-looking curve. I’m salivating.

Isn’t it illegal to make offers to IFA before they’re eligible to be signed?

by epoc on Nov 14, 2011 9:57 PM EST reply actions

I'm

confused why we would even offer him. He can’t sign right? It seems like we are acting in bad-faith here.

Like Epoc just said.

Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Nov 14, 2011 9:59 PM EST reply actions

I've always thought

that teams could and do offer before they turn 16, they just can’t sign.

by pittpanther on Nov 14, 2011 10:05 PM EST up reply actions

That's it.

You can talk before the player turns 16 – you just can’t let him sign until then.

by Vlad on Nov 14, 2011 10:09 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Definitely toeing

a line there.

Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Nov 14, 2011 10:11 PM EST up reply actions

Can't compete in the FA market and about to have the draft budget slashed

Gotta make up ground somewhere.

by pskell02 on Nov 14, 2011 10:14 PM EST up reply actions

Think of it like college recruiting

and the signing day is their 16th birthday.

by Mr. E on Nov 14, 2011 10:19 PM EST up reply actions

I'm

stating for a legal standpoint it makes me stand up and take notice.

Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Nov 14, 2011 11:11 PM EST up reply actions

Vlad

Do you know if it’s common to make small offers like this so far before the signing period begins? Is it SOP to just let a guy know you’re interested by making a token offer? I’m curious why we’d offer anything so far in advance of the signing period.

by epoc on Nov 14, 2011 10:13 PM EST up reply actions

Not sure.

Maybe they’re trying to steer him toward a friendly LMB team, like they did with Heredia, to ensure that he’ll have access to quality facilities and instruction? Or maybe it’s related to his medical condition, somehow?

by Vlad on Nov 14, 2011 11:08 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

I looked through the articles

couldn’t find a birth date. Anyone know?

by pittpanther on Nov 14, 2011 10:34 PM EST reply actions

I didn't see one anywhere.

If he was 14 in March and is 15 in November, that’d at least narrow it down a bit, though.

by Vlad on Nov 14, 2011 11:06 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

200k, thats it?

If he signs with someone else for anything reasonably higher than 200k, i will be pissed. id be willing to part with much more than that for this kid.

Thats what she said! - Michael Gary Scott

by C Shint on Nov 14, 2011 10:44 PM EST reply actions

Well, plus medical expenses.

Those could be significant, depending on what meds he’s taking, and on whether any follow-up care is needed.

by Vlad on Nov 14, 2011 11:07 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

ah so the 200k does not include those, i misread/misinterpreted

Thats what she said! - Michael Gary Scott

by C Shint on Nov 14, 2011 11:41 PM EST up reply actions

Maybe Heredia can mentor him

The Pirates should arrange a meeting between the two.

by oldfrothingslosh on Nov 14, 2011 11:14 PM EST reply actions

they could meet at chucky cheeses

by white angus on Nov 15, 2011 9:26 AM EST up reply actions

+1

well done sir

by johnnycuff on Nov 15, 2011 12:21 PM EST up reply actions

Wrong...

Cannot get into a Chucky Cheese unless you are 21, or part of a birthday party. Tried to get pizza there once freshmen year of college. No go.

by aso513 on Nov 15, 2011 4:35 PM EST up reply actions

I apologize on behalf of my high school classmates for ruining that for you

by Mr. E on Nov 15, 2011 6:01 PM EST up reply actions

the lefty clearly has some pretty fluid and clean mechanics. would be great if the pirates and their latin/mexican scouting department could build a good relationship with him and his family and sign him right when he turns 16. literally once you hit high school baseball, effective lefty pitchers become the hot commodity. as we all know, thats obviously the case in the bigs too. i would love to see the bucs sign this kid and add more pitching depth in the system

by rinsana11 on Nov 15, 2011 2:23 AM EST reply actions

Only die-hard, long-suffering Pirates fans on BD

would be so interested in a 15 y/o from Mexico and how much the club might be willing to shell out for him in another year.

“Hey, Urias might be able to join Heredia in 2020 in Pittsburgh!”

パトリック

by patthatt on Nov 15, 2011 11:27 AM EST reply actions

Good thing that’s the audience for whom I was writing, then, eh?

I dunno. I enjoy all these minutiae of baseball operations. If other people don’t, that’s probably a good thing for them – means they’re well-adjusted, and have more sensible priorities in their lives.

by Vlad on Nov 15, 2011 11:46 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs

Rec'd

cause I’m the same way Vlad.

Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Nov 15, 2011 4:20 PM EST up reply actions

Vlad

There’s no need for your snarky “well-adjusted” comment. Getting excited about a 15 y/o(perhaps) from Mexico who throws well for his age is near meaningless for the Pittsburgh Pirates and what 99% of the fanbase care about, which is getting a winning club on the field at PNC Park after suffering through nearly 2 decades of sorry baseball. I guess some of your “audience” here gives a hoot about this kid from south of the border, but that’s about it.

The organization has somewhat improved the minor league system since gettting rid of DL. But the talent that is there will simply provide some replacements for the few good homegrown players in Pgh. at present. This being the case as I see it, and with few opportunities to attract quality FAs for any substantial period of time, the Pirates will continue to be terrible for the foreseeable future. (Maybe they get lucky and trade a bunch of prospects for a few MLB-ready players that really turn the team around soon, but I doubt it.)

If you’re more interested in writing about what you describe as the “minutiae of baseball operations,” so be it. Good for you and Charlie et al. who make a few extra bucks doing so. But at the pace this organization is going with its newest version of a 5-year rebuilding program, the current leaders will get the heave-ho in 2-3 years after failing in their own “DRIVE FOR 75,” just in time to bring in some new people who say they’re “all in” and tell everyone to patiently wait a few more years for the turnaround.

パトリック

by patthatt on Nov 17, 2011 12:59 PM EST up reply actions