The Giants didn’t blow way past their international budget last year. They signed Lucius Fox for more than their allotted cap, which meant they couldn’t sign anyone for more than $300,000 this July. So it made sense that they would just keep spending, spending, spending on prospects while they were already paying a penalty. They didn’t, Fox isn’t even here anymore, and the best prospects from this signing season all went to the Padres. That seems less than optimal.
However, it’s not like the Giants pocketed the money they didn’t spend on international prospects this year. They spent quite a bit of money on the farm system after all, and they’ll open up the Felipe Alou Baseball Academy, a state-of-the-art baseball facility in Boca Chica next week.