Big signing bonuses handed out to international baseball prospects

Foreign affairs

The international signing period got off to a torrid start when the Texas Rangers signed 16-year-old Dominican outfielder Nomar Mazara to a record-breaking deal reported to be worth more than $5 million.

That would be the largest bonus paid to a non-Cuban Latin prospect, eclipsing the $4.25 million that Oakland gave right-hander Michael Ynoa in 2008 — and it’s more than 27 teams paid for all of their international signings last year.

Texas also spent $3.5 million to sign 16-year-old outfielder Roland Guzman out of the Dominican Prospect League, meaning the Rangers shelled out more to sign two teenage free agents than they spent in the 50-round June draft last season.

The Cleveland Indians were also active in the first week of the international signing period, which began July 2. They signed five players, including Dominican shortstop Dorssys Paulino, who got a $1.1-million bonus.

International bonuses topped $100 million last season and are again proving expensive with at least eight of the players who agreed to terms in the first five days each getting at least $1.05 million. Three of those bonuses topped $3 million, well above the highest figure from last July.

Brewing controversy?

Stealing signs has been a part of baseball nearly as long as the four-pitch walk. Several teams over the years have confessed to positioning spies with binoculars in nooks and crannies of their home parks, from where they used a variety of signals to tell their hitters what pitch was coming.

So every time there’s a huge discrepancy between a team’s records on the road and at home, you can bet charges of cheating are bound to surface.

Whispers have already begun to surround the Milwaukee Brewers, who were a baseball-best 32-13 at home through Friday but have 29 losses in 45 games on the road.

It’s not the first time the Brewers have caused suspicion.

Years ago, when the Rangers were being battered in Milwaukee’s old County Stadium, umpires ordered mascot Bernie Brewer to take off his white gloves and kicked a companion out of Bernie’s outfield chalet after accusing the two of stealing signs and using the white gloves to signal Brewers hitters.

Bernie hasn’t come under suspicion this season, but the Brewers began Saturday leading the National League with a .281 batting average at home, where they average 5.3 runs per game. On the road, they’re hitting .234 and scoring nearly two fewer runs per game.

Stat watch(All-Star edition)

• Brooks Robinson played on the losing All-Star team a record 15 times. Willie Mays and Hank Aaron each played on 17 winners.

• Ken Griffey (Cincinnati) and Ken Griffey Jr. (Seattle) are the only members of the same family to win All-Star most-valuable-player honors. Both did it in Southern California, with dad winning in 1980 at Dodger Stadium and son winning 12 years later in San Diego.