Millions spent on baseball players

[NewsWhore]

A total of RD$623 million has been spent on Dominican baseball prospects so far this year. A total of 359 players have been signed to professional careers that could end in the Major Leagues. As reported in El Caribe, tourism is no longer the only smokeless industry in the DR. According to the office of the Commissioner of Baseball, the first eight months of the year saw 359 young men signed to professional contracts. According to the MLB statistics, the various teams from the big leagues spend US$84 million in the Dominican Republic each year. The 359 prospects were signed for a total of US$18,885,000 or more than RD$620 million pesos. Three young men became dollar millionaires overnight. The highest-paid prospect, a strapping third baseman named Angel Villalona, signed with the San Francisco Giants for US$2.1 million. (Seattle offered even more but got to the table too late.) Esmailin Daniel Gonzalez signed with the Washington Nationals for US$1.4 million. This young man will most likely be called "Smiley" which is what his first name sounds like. The Baltimore Orioles signed pitcher Pedro Beato for a cool million. Just below these three millionaires is catcher Francisco Antonio Pena, son of New York Yankee coach Tony Pena, who signed for three-quarters of a million dollars with the New York Mets. Pablo Peguero, who runs the San Francisco operation in the DR, told El Caribe that his organization only signs youngsters who have an excellent chance to reach the major league level.

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