16-Year-Old Dominican Prospect Gets $1.4 Million From the Mets By LEE JENKINS Published: July 12, 2005 When the Mets signed Jose' Reyes out of the Dominican Republic in 1999 as a 16-year-old, they paid him $15,000. When the Mets announced yesterday that they had signed another 16-year-old Dominican, outfielder Jesu's Marti'nez, they gave him about $1.4 million. The price of Dominican prospects has risen exponentially. "I didn't expect something of this size," Marti'nez told The Associated Press in the Dominican Republic. Marti'nez, a 6-foot, 185-pound left-handed hitter with celebrated arm strength, cannot play in the United States until he turns 18. The same goes for the 16-year-old Venezuelan pitcher Deolis Guerra, a 6-5, 200-pound right-hander the Mets also signed. Guerra is an imposing presence on the mound, but he is not as touted as Marti'nez. "These are two of the best young international players," Mets General Manager Omar Minaya said in a statement. "Signing them goes in line with our original plan of being active in the international market." Among the scouts Minaya credited for landing Marti'nez and Guerra was Eddy Toledo, who signed Reyes. Although Marti'nez's deal dwarfs Reyes's original salary, he is a bargain compared with a high first-round draft choice. Philip Humber, a pitcher who was the Mets' first-round pick last year, signed a $5 million contract that included a $3 million signing bonus. Marti'nez is further proof of the Mets' commitment to developing talent in the Dominican Republic. They have a year-round baseball academy there as well as a Dominican summer-league team. Their ace pitcher, Pedro Marti'nez, is from the Dominican Republic, and Minaya was born there. When the Mets signed Pedro Marti'nez in the off-season, Minaya predicted that the move would resonate with Dominican prospects who did not know yet where they wanted to play. One Marti'nez known for his throwing arm may have helped pave the way for another. -- If you're not have fun in baseball, you miss the point of everything. --

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