Venezuelan RHP Cesar Gonzalez gets $325K from Padres

According to industry sources, the signing bonus received by Venezuelan right handed pitcher Cesar Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres amounted to $325,000 in late July/early August. Gonzalez was one of five players MLB re-granted free agency to this July after signing with the Red Sox in the 2015-2016 signing period for $300,000.

Back on the first day of July, one day prior to the beginning of the 2016-2017 International Free Agent signing period, Major League Baseball levied a record-setting fine upon the Boston Red Sox. Due to the intentional circumvention of the international bonus pools, the Red Sox lost those five players and were banned from signing any free agents subject to previously mentioned bonus pools for one year.

Baseball America went into great detail when the story broke, and I highly recommend giving it a read along with the update on the five players granted free agency again. One line from the BA piece is that MLB set up a tryout for all five players to attend when announced as free agents. Only Gonzalez showed up and according to Evan Drellich at the Boston Herald, only the Padres and Phillies were vying for his services after he bombed his tryout set up by MLB.

If clicking links isn't your thing, here's the too-long-didn't-read (TL;DR) version. Four of the five were with a new team in a matter of days and all five were allowed to keep their original $300,000 bonus from the Red Sox. MLB also ruled the new team would essentially get a $300,000 coupon when it came to tallying up the bonus pool. CF Simon Muzziotti went to the Phillies and signed for $750,000, so only $450,000 counted towards Philadelphia's bonus pool in accordance with the ruling.

SS Antonio Piniero found a $375,000 deal waiting for him from Milwaukee (with just a $75,000 hit to the bonus pool), and SS Eduardo Torrealba agreed to a deal with the Yankees for $300,000. A day later, C Albert Guaimaro caught on with the Marlins, netting an $800,000 bonus leaving the only pitcher of the group, Cesar Gonzalez, unsigned at the time. With Gonzalez singing for $325,000 the Padres will only have $25,000 count against their pool. and pick up another pitching prospect.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, the Maracay, Venezuela native made five appearances for the DSL Red Sox prior to being re-granted free agency. He threw 11.2 innings with five strike outs, five walks, and seven hits allowed with a 1.54 ERA and .171 opponents average. With the Padres, he made three more appearances, allowing only one hit in six frames, but nine walks and just three strike outs with a 1.50 ERA.

The scouting report on young Cesar Gonzalez is that he works in the high 80's with his fastball and features a curve and change up. The command and control need some serious ironing out and his change up is an obvious third pitch that needs work. Gonzalez will turn 18 prior to the beginning of the 2017 campaign.