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Dodgers sign Cuban defector Puig to 7-year deal - Yahoo! Sports
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Los Angeles Dodgers have jumped back into the pool of elite international talent with a resounding splash.
The Dodgers signed outfielder Yasiel Puig to a seven-year, $42 million contract on Friday, a record deal for a Cuban defector and a clear indication the team has rediscovered its traditional aggression in pursuing international players.
''This signing is really one snapshot of a much bigger vision, a much bigger plan,'' Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. ''We needed to get re-invested in international signings, obviously Asia as well, but Latin America at this time. This represents the first of many. It's a long-term plan for us to continue to build the farm system from every place we can.''
Just a few days after getting a look at the 21-year-old Cuban who hasn't played competitive baseball in about a year, the Dodgers persuaded Puig to choose them from among several major-league suitors. The signing is the latest bold financial move by the team's new ownership group, fronted by Magic Johnson and backed by billionaire Mark Walter, to restore the Dodgers to their traditional high-profile status.
''I think the message should be that we need talent in the system,'' said Logan White, the Dodgers' assistant general manager in charge of scouting. ''Did it cost money? Certainly. But if you want to play in the game and make the Dodgers great, it's going to cost money, and it feels great to be able to do that again.''
The Dodgers paid top dollar for this particular talent: Puig gets a $12 million signing bonus and will make $2 million in each of his first three seasons. He'll make $4.5 million, $5.5 million, $6.5 million and $7.5 million in the final four years of his deal.
The Dodgers signed outfielder Yasiel Puig to a seven-year, $42 million contract on Friday, a record deal for a Cuban defector and a clear indication the team has rediscovered its traditional aggression in pursuing international players.
''This signing is really one snapshot of a much bigger vision, a much bigger plan,'' Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. ''We needed to get re-invested in international signings, obviously Asia as well, but Latin America at this time. This represents the first of many. It's a long-term plan for us to continue to build the farm system from every place we can.''
Just a few days after getting a look at the 21-year-old Cuban who hasn't played competitive baseball in about a year, the Dodgers persuaded Puig to choose them from among several major-league suitors. The signing is the latest bold financial move by the team's new ownership group, fronted by Magic Johnson and backed by billionaire Mark Walter, to restore the Dodgers to their traditional high-profile status.
''I think the message should be that we need talent in the system,'' said Logan White, the Dodgers' assistant general manager in charge of scouting. ''Did it cost money? Certainly. But if you want to play in the game and make the Dodgers great, it's going to cost money, and it feels great to be able to do that again.''
The Dodgers paid top dollar for this particular talent: Puig gets a $12 million signing bonus and will make $2 million in each of his first three seasons. He'll make $4.5 million, $5.5 million, $6.5 million and $7.5 million in the final four years of his deal.
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