As expected, the Seattle Mariners signed international free agent Guillermo Pimentel “as the clock struck midnight on July 2″ according to ESPN’s Jorge Arangure.  A 16 year old corner outfielder, Pimentel has been listed as one of the top five IFAs this yea and at $2M is one of the more expensive ones once you get past Miguel Angel Sano, Wagner Mateo, Gary Sanchez etc.

The Texas Rangers thought they had Pimentel but the Mariners stole him.  Go team!

I posted some video of Pimentel a few weeks ago.  Here’s what Baseball America’s Ben Badler had to say:

At the plate, Pimentel has a short swing, an advanced approach and plus power that some scouts say could rate a 70 down the road. He’ll still get fooled at times at the plate, but his pitch recognition and ability to adjust to offspeed pitches are advanced for a 16-year-old. Pimentel has showcased for teams as a center fielder, but he is expected to move to left field. He’s not a great runner and projects to get slower as he fills out. His range in the field is limited and his arm is a 40 or a 45 on the 20-80 scale.

70 power is not something you come across very often.  I’m not sure there are any Mariner prospects with that kind of power upside right now, with Rich Poythress and possibly Dennis Raben the only ones even close.  55-60 is probably more likely for Pimentel if he develops into a legitimate prospect, but you have to like that some scouts think he could be a 70 on the 20-80 scale.

With more and more people becoming interested in the amateur talent that feeds into the pro ranks, IFA day, much like the draft, is getting more attention than ever before.  That said, it is important to note that the success rates for these top IFAs are not good.  For every Felix Hernandez there are going to be a dozen or more that flame out in A-ball.  Jason A. Churchill has a solid writeup over at Prospect Insider about the illogical decision of some clubs– most predominately the Pirates but also our Mariners and others– to try and save money in the draft so they have extra cash to spend in international free agency.

That said, VP of International Operations Bob Engle knows what he’s doing and is better than most when it comes to looking at a 16 year old and determining whether or not they’re a major leaguer 5-10 years down the road.

The M’s won’t be done in IFA.  I haven’t heard many names connected to them, but 1B/OF Alexis Parma is a strong possibility.