After a long period of contract negotiations, Boise brass folded and paid 2035 second overall pick Pancho German the money he wanted, and ultimately deserved.
German, a 19-year-old Mexican righty, is immediately ranked internally as the team's top pitching prospect, and fourth-best prospect overall. As per OSA, German's signing netted him the distinction of being the 61st ranked prospect in the entire league, and bumped the health of Boise's overall farm to the top 10, just ahead of the Atlantic City Gamblers.
"Ultimately, we couldn't take the chance of losing the kid, even if it meant we'd have an extra first round pick next year," assistant GM Kyle Banks said. "Pancho has the chance to be an incredibly special player, and nothing would make us more proud as a young franchise than seeing our first amateur draft pick become a superstar for the city who saw his potential and took a chance."
Team officials say German will spend the rest of the year developing in the rookie league, and that they will lock his role as a starter to see how his performance measures up to his hype. Scouts project that German could be a top of the rotation starter, but the path to that potential largely depends on his stuff hitting its ceiling and his changeup developing to elite levels.
Spuds' fans were purportedly pleased with the signing, even though it may be several years before they see German at the major league level. A few excited fans even purchased Tijuana Cutthroats German jerseys, hoping to get in on the ground floor and showcase their true fandom before the bandwagoners hop on in a few years.
