Reds signing Cuban defector Perez

[oldschooler]

[b][url="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/Reds-signing-Cuban-defector-Perez?urn=mlb,241409"][size="5"][color="#0069aa"]Reds signing Cuban defector Perez[/color][/size][/url][/b]
By [url="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors?author=Mark+J.+Miller"][color="#0069aa"]Mark J. Miller[/color][/url]



Cuban defector Felix Perez was supposedly a 20-year-old outfielder last spring when he signed with he [url="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/nyy/"][color="#0069aa"]New York Yankees[/color][/url] to a deal that had him supposedly getting $3 million or more as a signing bonus. Well, that all got chucked out the window when questions arose of just how old he was. Folks put him at four or five years older than that and it's likely we'll never know for absolute sure how old Perez is. It didn't matter to the Yankees, who scuttled the deal, or the league, which suspended him for a year because he lied.

His ban was lifted in October and he's been working to find a job in baseball since. The word from ESPN is hat the [url="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/cin/"][color="#0069aa"]Cincinnati Reds[/color][/url] are [url="http://twitter.com/jorgearangure/status/14132381904"][color="#0069aa"]about to sign him[/color][/url].





[url="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/Reds-signing-Cuban-defector-Perez?urn=mlb,241409"]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/Reds-signing-Cuban-defector-Perez?urn=mlb,241409[/url]

[oldschooler]

[b][size="5"]Reds sign another Cuban named Perez[/size][/b]

[b][size="4"]Reds notebook[/size][/b]
By John Fay • [email="jfay@enquirer.com"]jfay@enquirer.com[/email] • May 17, 2010

[b]CINCINNATI – [/b]The Reds made another investment in a Cuban player, signing outfielder Felix Perez for $550,000 Monday.


Perez nearly signed the New York Yankees for $3.5 million in 2009. But that contract was voided when it turned out that Perez had lied about his age.

He said he was 20. He was actually 24 at the time. Major League Baseball also suspended him.

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The Reds knew full well what they're getting – a 25-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder, who can help them down the line.

"We don't think he's going to be a Hall of Famer," said Tony Arias, the Reds' director of Latin American scouting. "But we think that he's an addition that hopefully down the road will be of value to the organization."

Perez has been in the Dominican Republic for more than a year. The Reds have scouted him thoroughly.

"He's got all five tools," said Bill Bavasi, vice-president of player development and scouting. "Nothing jumps off the charts. But he's a baseball rat. He loves to play."

Because Perez is 25, the Reds will fast-track him.

"We're not thinking he's going to help us this year," Arias said. "He hasn't been playing against high-level competition. We're going to get the visa, get him to Arizona and see where he is.

"I'm sure he's going to have the same difficulties as Chapman, getting used to living the United States. But I think we'll be more prepared having the experience with Chapman."

Bavasi thinks Perez will start in Single-A.

"We might move him on Dayton or Lynchburg," Bavasi said. "But no matter what he does at Single-A, we've got move him on Double pretty quick.

"He's got to be challenged.



[url="http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100517/SPT04/305170102/Reds-sign-another-Cuban-named-Perez"]http://news.cincinna...ban-named-Perez[/url]

[oldschooler]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5UJL3HfPrs[/media]

[oldschooler]

[b][size="5"]Reds sign Cuban outfielder Perez[/size][/b]
[size="4"][b]Club likes free agent, but not comparing him to Chapman[/b][/size]
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

05/17/10 7:46 PM ET



CINCINNATI -- The Reds added another Cuban defector to the organization on Monday, when outfielder Felix Perez was signed to a Minor League contract.

However, the club was quick to distance the comparisons from the more high-profile signing of left-handed pitcher Aroldis Chapman in January. The 22-year-old Chapman's signing for $30.25 million over six years sent shockwaves through the league.

Perez, 25, received a signing bonus worth around $550,000. The Reds were impressed by his work ethic and baseball instincts. He bats and throws left-handed and can play all three outfield spots, but he hasn't been compared to a current Major Leaguer.

"We're not thinking he's going to be a Hall of Famer, but we think he's an addition to the organization, a left-handed hitter that hopefully down the road will be of value to the organization," said Tony Arias, the Reds' director of Latin American scouting.

Once Perez receives his visa, he'll report to the club's player complex in Goodyear, Ariz., to get comfortable with U.S. baseball. The organization believes he's ready for Double-A because he's older, but will likely start him at the Class A level in either Dayton or Lynchburg.

"We're not thinking he's going to help us this year [in the Majors]. He hasn't been playing against high-level competition," Arias said.

"No matter what he does at Class A, he'll need to get to Double-A pretty quick. He needs that challenge," said Bill Bavasi, Reds vice president of scouting, player development and international operations.

Last May, Perez was all set to sign with the Yankees for $3.5 million until revelations surfaced that he lied about his age by claiming to be 20 years old. The deal was pulled when Major League Baseball suspended Perez. He became free to negotiate with any club once the suspension was lifted in October and was pursued by several teams, according to Reds general manager Walt Jocketty.

Since defecting from Cuba, Perez has been in the Dominican Republic, where he worked out several times at the Reds academy in Boca Chica for Arias and Dominican scouting coordinator Richard Jimenez. The league cleared Perez to sign a contract about 10 days ago.

"These two guys did a lot of hard work and signed him," Bavasi said. "He's got all five tools. Nothing jumps off the charts at you, but he's kind of a baseball rat. He loves to play. You can't underestimate this -- he's been there a long time going to workout after workout. He'll play in any game you ask him to. He'll work out any time you want him to. Most of the other guys going through the same thing are very calculating. They won't work out for you all the time. He'll do anything you want. Everything he does is hard."

Although Perez's addition doesn't match the scope of the Chapman signing, the Reds will use the pitcher as a blueprint. Like Chapman, who is now at Triple-A Louisville, Perez has never been exposed to the American way of life and will need to make cultural adjustments off the field besides playing baseball. "I think we'll be more prepared after having some experience with Chapman," Arias said. "We'll be able to utilize our experience with Felix Perez."




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