Bishop Amat’s Rio Ruiz still deciding between USC and the Houston Astros

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I spoke with Rudy Ruiz, the father of Bishop Amat standout Rio Ruiz, who was selected in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball draft earlier this month, about the possibility of Rio signing with Houston or going to USC. Rudy said the family is still negotiating with Houston and a decision could come soon.

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  • The Mighty Dollar

    Word is he is leaning on the Astros’ offer. The offer seems to be just less than $2 mil, and pops wants more.

  • no way

    No way its just less than 2 million. That would mean the Astros are offering Ruiz all of their bonus pool money and then some. Just less than 1 million is more realistic. If you are going to be like Jon Heyman and make up rumors, at least know the limits of reality before doing it.

  • Is this news?

    Maybe pops should find a real agent instead of leaching off the kid. So much for commitments but didnt CO find that out a few years ago?

  • Scout

    Just an FYI, here’s the slot value for pick #129

    129 Astros 5% $360,200

  • TeachDGame

    Awwe the haters, are you really THAT STUPID to think he doesn’t have an ADVISOR. He has THE BEST and I’m not talking about Rudy. To maintain his amateur standing the family MUST be the negotiator with the club.

    As the #’s shake out right now, Boras got #2 Pick of Astros a big chunk over slot, so that sucked up some of the extra pool money available from #1 signing for less than slot… #4 pick signed for slot. Rio is their #5 pick… here is the rub though, Houston’s 3rd Pick is a slick SS from Univ of Florida that many scouts feel is a quick and sure bet to make it to the bigs. So that means he is going to suck up some EXTRA money cuz he has leverage. That is not good for the $$’s for Rio. But, you never know

    As of this moment, the max money avail without Houston paying a Tax is $1.6M for Rio. that assumes NO OVER SLOT for #3 pick (a scenario i do honestly highly doubt). Now if Houston wants to pay a Tax, but avoid losing a DRAFT pick, they could give Rio a max of $2.2M, but that assumes no OVER SLOT for other pick and that houston likes him that much to pay a tax (I have not heard yet of ANY team getting into the TAX ZONE so that does not seem likely).

    Problem Also — #3 Pick just got eliminated from college world series, so that probably pushed back his negotiating a little, but that will start up now. So my bet is, Astros are going back and forth between #3 Pick and Rudy to see where they are. Feel pretty confident that #3 pick is going to want some over slot money and will use that leverage (although most of the picks around this guy have signed for under slot). My bet right now is Houston is sitting in that $1.0M to $1.6M range in their offer’s to Rio but I bet his real ADVISOR is telling them to hold off until the very end and a lot will depend on what happens with #3 pick….

    save and bottle your hate, probably will last right up until signing deadline mid July… by the way, Rio is a very good kid, hate pops if you want to, but the kid is genuinely good !

  • Go away

    Just leave the kid alone and that includes ALL the know it alls. Rio and his family will do what’s best for them. They don’t need anyone explaining their situation or ADVISING the bloggers of what’s going on in their lives.

    Good Luck Rio. I have enjoy coaching you over the years and look forward to watching you in the years to come (regardless of where).

  • Ignorant

    Whatever the number is, is that amount of money over 1 year? 3 years? What is the real yearly number that we are talking about?

  • Confused

    Joe Munoz goes in the second round and signs for 1/2 million. Rio goes in the fourth round and the talk is 2 million?

    Rio was projected to go in the second round, now going in the fourth round you would think it was a no brainer going to USC, but not. We can only conclude that USC was and still is just a bargaining chip for Rio and family to hold over the Astros. They never planned on going to USC.

  • MLB Man

    Ok here it is. Rio is due to take a physical tomorrow. If he passes, he has a deal set up with Houston for 2 million. No need to get into the specifics but the Astros really want him and are prepared to pay way over slot.

  • Valley ball

    Rio was considered a top ten pick but his injury dropped him to a second round projection.houston knew that he wouldn’t sign for round 4 money .so they are willing to pay him more.

  • anonymous

    No matter what the dollar amount is, if he’s smart with it, he can afford to go to college in case things don’t work out exactly as planned and he’ll have the best of both worlds.

    Good for him working all those years to be able to be in the driver’s seat at such a young age.

  • COChargerfan

    I don’t get the argument that a team really, really, really wants a player but risks missing out by letting him drop to the fourth round only to pay him what is essentially 2nd round bonus money. Why didn’t they just take him in the 2nd round?

    In reading the news about the financial terms of many of the signees to date, I just don’t see much activity of players getting anything over their slot level and, in fact, it appears that most are getting less.

    I hope that the kid gets every penny he can but it just seems illogical that he will get anything over $1M.

  • Interesting

    Teach D Game,

    THanks for the info. I don’t have a dog in the fight in any way, shape or form (kid doesn’t play ball, don’t care one way or the other about Amat, CO or others, can’t stand SC, but thats a different story), but I have watched and read about this kid and have always been impressed with him on the ball field and what I have heard and read about him off the field and am very interested in hearing what is going in and wish him the very very best. Totally a bummer about that injury that cost him most of his senior and the possibility of being a top ten pick etc… Certainly a great position to be in, either sign for hundreds of thousands of dollars and even up to 2 MM or go to USC to get a great education and play ball on the highest level (man that hurt to write). I say great job, good luck and get healthy and do work wherever you decide to ply your trade!

  • And the nomination is….

    I nominate Big Rudy for Big Bob’s replacement this fall football season.

  • MLB Man

    Ok the reason the Astros let him slip to the 4th round is cuz they didn’t want to risk paying big money in case he didn’t pass his physical, but that is all moot now. Rio has passed and has agreed to 2 mil (yes 2 million). Don’t hate just appreciate.

  • COChargerfan

    MLB Man…nobody is “hating” on the future of this local kid who many, including myself, have watched play since he was three feet tall. So you need to check your asinine attitude.

    Apparently you aren’t bright enough to realize that people are just commenting on the logical senario given the facts. If Rio defies logic and gets a windfall bonus, then congratulations to him.

  • MLB Man

    To COChargerfan
    What are you stupid? Can’t you read? I just informed you that Rio defied logic and is getting the big signing bonus (2 mil). So who is the bright one now? Hahaha

  • Rio’s a good kid

    Rio has been nothing but a class act with all te kids that look up to him, regardless of what happens, wish him the best and we WILL see him in the bigs some day! Haters leave him alone!

  • Stanford Dad

    Lost in all this hateration is one simple fact, Rio has been absent of drama, gossip or BMOC-itis that seems to come with so many young “uberstars” today. He’s done what all his coaches ask of him, plays where ever they ask him to play and not once abandoned his team mates for “greener pastures” or “safe havens”…I admire the kid and applaud his parents for a job well done.

    I’ve had the pleasure of watching him play and he’s a winner, plain and simple. Being a class act is a choice, one he’s taken very seriously, so I wish him nothing but the best in life.

    Maybe it’s time to examine how Rio has been vilified over the past four years on this blog and question the merit of those comments in hindsight of Rio’s soon to be announced decision.

    I read, off and on, about his Dad Rudy and wonder what makes any one dump on a person who actually helped raise a kid as well mannered as Rio. Don’t know the family at all but the pressure on them must be intense, and has been for years. Seems like Rio is one outstanding young man who lived up to every one ‘s expectations, and his own, and never once betrayed his values.

    The funny thing is if Rio turns out to be the next “big thing” those same haters will be at the end of some bar telling every one how many times “they” WITNESSED his greatness …and “just knew” the kid had it in him.

    Best of luck young man and congrats to the family for allowing others to see how it’s done.

  • Rio signs

    Rio signs for 1.85 million. Done deal!

  • Joe Amat
  • My Pal Joey

    My point exactly yet somehow this blog wasted four years dumping on a kid that was appreciated by every one except the brillinat haters on this very blog.

    Rio is a reflection of the people in his life that nurtured his talent on the field and and character “off the field”…which I hear is exceptional.

    So much for that. This blog has quickly become the cess pool of the stupid when it come to all things Bishop Amat and the watering hole for drive by fools who dump on kids because their own are a clear reflection of them.

    Even Aram has got into the trend of calling out Fred in his most recent “persona”…”gangsta journalist Rome wanna be”…”come strong or go home”….what a freakin joke that is. For someone who talks about “meds” and multiple personalities it seems Aram still hasn’t figured out who he is yet. With so many extremely talented coaches and players in our Valley we have given the floor to the bottom feeders in life.

    Great to see Plutko pitching for UCLA, Matthews, Pill and tons of others playing college ball yet all we talk about on this blog is Amat isn’t what it used to be and Monrovia and West Covina are the new farms, oh well.

    Great job to the Ruiz family…how stupid to have wasted soooooooooo much time on RIO SUCKS posts and ‘HE’S OVER RATED” BS….seems the Astros put that BS to rest.

    As in all things sooner or later the losers are exposed and the winners move on….MLB for Rio and Stanford for son #3. Hate all you want, me and Rudy got new caps to wear….LOL What about the haters..what they wearing these days? County jump suits?

  • anonymous

    Congratulations to Rio! Rudy you’ve done a great job raising a fine young man! I wish him all the luck in the bigs. As for all you haters, please find something better to do with your time. Fred I’m on your side. Aram may get a shot in here and there, but for the most part he’s clueless! LOL I guess in order to keep this blog interesting there always has to be drama. So Fred keep playing the good cop and Aram the bad cop, hahahaha.