Baseball America has released the 2011 international spending information, noting the top overall spenders, and the top 30 individual bonuses.
The Pirates finished sixth overall in 2011, spending $4.09 M. They were fourth overall in 2010 after the signing of Luis Heredia drove them to $5 M.
Two of the top 30 bonuses were signed by Pittsburgh. Harold Ramirez signed for $1.05 M, ranking as the 15th biggest individual bonus in 2011. Elvis Escobar signed for $570 K, ranking 30th overall.
The Pirates also signed Leandro Rodriguez for $80 K and Cuban pitcher Cesar Lopez for $600 K. The Baseball America individual bonus ratings didn’t include Cuban players.