DOWNTOWN — Calling it one of the surest signs of their now-established footing in Latin America, the Cardinals will announce three signings Friday that surpass any of the previous bonuses given to international players.

On Wednesday, baseball’s lesser-covered free agent market opened and teams could begin signing Latin American players who are 16 or older. Over the past several years, the Cardinals, under the guidance of vice president Jeff Luhnow, have spent to create a facility in the Dominican Republic, plant a footprint in Venezuala and other South American countries, expand their scouting in the region, and recreate scouting and coaching staff especially for the area.

This week, they just spent on players.

The Cardinals have agreed to deals in principle with six Latin American players, three of whom will receive bonuses of more than the club’s record. Each is in excess of $500,000. (For context, Baseball America’s Ben Badler reports that Oakland signed one of the most coveted pitchers available for $4.25 million, and there is another record bonus forthcoming according to observers and other reports; more on it later.) The deals are pending the Cardinals research into each player’s background and verification of the player’s age.

“Over the past several years we have been able to develop the infrastructure we needed, build a scouting staff and sign some good players,” said Luhnow late Thursday night. “Now we’ve decided it’s time to turn it up a click on the player side and spend enough to sign some of the talent that is out there.”

Here are the three who received the Cardinals’ highest bonuses:

3B ROBERTO DE LA CRUZ, San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic

Also referred to as Roberto Pina in some reports — like the recent rankings by ESPN — De La Cruz is a righthanded batter. He’s 6-2, 180 pounds. De La Cruz, 16, attended the Cardinals’ workout for draft-eligible players last month in Memphis, and Luhnow said he showed well against and with players three years or more older than him. “For a 16-year-old to have a bat as polished as his is is pretty exciting,” Luhnow said. Future Redbirds, naturally, mentioned De La Cruz/Pina before and made the comparison between this signing and the Cardinals recent first-round pick writing: “(Pina) sounds like he could be the Dominican version of Brett Wallace due to his quick bat, nice power and a thick lower half that should only get bigger as he fills out.”

RHP SANTO FRANCO, Bani, Dominican Republic

ESPN’s rankings of available Latin American prospects pegged the tall, lanky righthander as the eighth-best available. The Cardinals believe he is one “of the three or four best pitches in Latin America,” Luhnow said. Various reports have Franco at 6-foot-5. The Cardinals list him at 6-7, 190 pounds. Baseball America reported that he was seeking a $1 million, though it’s believed he signed for less than that. His fastball sits from 88 mph to 92 mph and he already has a “good feel for a changeup,” Luhnow said. His curve, with improvement, could be an average-plus pitch. “Very projectable,” Luhnow said. “Throwing like he does at his age, you could see him throwing in the mid- to upper-90s.” At whichever height is accurate, Franco is a lanky pitcher, and mechanics can be tricky, especially as the frame fills out and the delivery becomes less elbows and knees and more refined. The Cardinals video taped the delivery and spent time evaluating whether his delivery would adapt as his body fills out. “With instruction he could have picture-perfect mechanics,” Luhnow said. “Fairly athletic, limber, with a loose arm.”

SS CESAR VALERA, Ocumare, Venezuela

One of the most coveted teen free agents is Yorman Rodriguez, a Venezuelan outfielder likened to Miguel Cabrera. The same ESPN rankings mentioned above echo the reports on Rodriguez: He’s stopped being showcased and may have a verbal agreement with a team already in place. (That team? Walt Jocketty’s Cincinnati Reds, no less.) Luhnow said he expects a record bonus for Rodriguez, but would not say if the Cardinals were in play, perhaps another hint that teams think Rodriguez’s destination is clear once he turns 16 later this summer.

It was, however, during the showcases scouts attended to see Rodriguez that the Cardinals fell for Valera. “Special abilities,” Luhnow said. “We would go to see Yorman, as I did a few times, and we would come away talking about this kid. Our organization really took to this kid.” Valera has “in our estimation all of the shortstop tools with a chance to have a really good bat,” Luhnow said. “He’s not going to be a home-run hitter, but he will develop power. He uses all fields. Right now he’s peppering the outfield walls with line drives.”

The Cardinals put the July 2 signings in the hands of Moises Rodriguez, the team’s Director of International Operations, and he was assisted by Juan Mercado, the scouting supervisor for the area. They are expected to announce six total signings as early as today, and other signings could follow throughout the summer as players turn 16 or deals are finalized. The other three done now are:

• RHP Dennis Montero, Dominican Republic
• LHP Jose Weffer, Venezuela
• SS Grabiel Hernandez (a switch-hitter), Dominican Republic

Most of the contracts will not be finalized for several months as the Cardinals look into the additional information needed to cement the deals. The players will take part in informal leagues season and then the first three mentioned and some of the other players signed will be invited to instructional league in Florida this fall. Their performances in instructional league will help determine if the player will return to Florida next spring to play for the Gulf Coast League team or if he’ll be assigned to the campus in the Dominican Republic.

More on the July 2 signings is available at Baseball America’s rundown of the uncovered signings, and in articles like this one from the Philadelphia Daily News.

Finally a bit of trivia: If the reports on the bonus Oakland is giving pitcher Michel Inoa have the dollar figure nailed, then it knocks a certain Cardinals’ name clean out of the record books for the Athletics’ organization. From BA:

With the deal finally official, the bonus becomes the largest in franchise history, eclipsing the $3.2 million the A’s spent on Mark Mulder when he was the second overall pick in the 1998 draft out of Michigan State.

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