Last week, without much buzz or fanfare, 16-year-old Dominican catching prospect Jacob Beltre agreed to terms with the San Diego Padres for a $60,000 bonus, a fraction of what many thought he would command just months ago when he was considered one of the top prospects in Latin America.
At the start of this year, Beltre had the attention of dozens of major league scouts. He was in such demand that in late January Beltre's agent Kelvin Nova -- during a workout in San Pedro de Macoris -- showed me a daily planner filled with scheduled workout dates at several MLB teams' Dominican academies.
