In 2014, the Houston Astros came under fire for their handling of number one overall pick Brady Aiken. They selected the high-school pitcher, appeared to agree on a big money deal with him ($6.5 million signing bonus), and then dropped their offer significantly after some medical concerns arose. Ultimately, Aiken did not sign with Houston and entered the draft again in 2015.
Their decision to remain firm in the face of medical concerns has proven to be a wise one. After being drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 2015, Aiken has gone on to miss significant time due to injury (most notably undergoing Tommy John). Houston also used the compensation pick from failing to sign Aiken to take stud position player Alex Bregman.
Though they appeared to be the bad guys at first, history has vindicated their decision.
Now, it looks as though the Astros are taking a similar stand in the international market. Earlier this week, Houston voided a $5.15 million deal with top Cuban pitching prospect Cionel Perez. According to Keith Law of ESPN, it was in fact a medical issue that led to the decision (though the specifics have not yet been reported).
Like many teams, Houston had planned for a large expenditure on the international market. Perez was just part of their large haul from this year’s July 2 signing period. Because they vastly exceeded their international bonus pool, they had to pay a 100 percent tax on the overage – meaning Perez’s contract would actually cost the team north of $10 million.
Removing the $5.15 million from their international ledger doesn’t get Houston under their allotted bonus pool, though. Even without Perez, they will still be subject to the overage tax and a two-year ban on international signing bonuses over $300,000.
Even with his injury concerns, Perez will still find a big money deal with a Major League team. He will no longer command in the $5 million range but his talent is still impressive. Many rated him among the top 10 prospects from this signing period.
There’s a possibility that Houston attempts to restructure a deal. Also, teams who have already exceeded their bonus pool could look to add Perez.
Houston made the right decision when it came to Aiken. Only time will tell if their concerns over Perez will play out the same way.
Scott Ferris covers all things baseball as a Staff Writer for Outside Pitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter @ScottHFerris
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