The 16-year-old Rodney Daal has signed a seven-year minor league contract with the San Diego Padres organization according to a report by Rogier van Zon on Honkbalsite.com. The third baseman/catcher from the Netherlands made his debut in the Dutch Hoofdklasse this year with Mr. Cocker HCAW collecting two doubles in five at-bats through four games, scoring a run and driving in another.
Daal will begin his professional career with the Padres in next year’s Spring Training. He is currently at the European MLB Academy in Tirrenia, but interrupted the training camp for a day to come home and sign the contract. Overall 13 MLB organizations were interested in the promising player. In July he played for the Dutch Junior National Team at the AAA World Championship in Thunder Bay, Canada and was named best hitter at the MLB Academies Tournament in Regensburg this spring.
When a player is signed away from a club like this, does the club get any compensation?
Probably not. But even if he doesn’t reach the upper minor league levels or the big leagues, he will become a much better player and is going to bring this experience back to Europe.