I am generally a lurker... but this turned my head. I was slowly going after a Intl SP.. 

http://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=6378921

I gave up around 8$ Million bonus.  Figuring I could get a player to fill my 5th starter elsewhere and the rest of my minors need the draft picks to get signed (I have no 1st round pick so shouldn't be anything dramatic), I bailed out of the bidding.

I come in today to see the Int-FA was signed and the other owner transferred $$$ to offer him a $24,570,000 signing bonus.  He is a 76/89 control... and a great 1st pitch.... rest of the numbers as expected for a mid-rotation guy.  Is this insane.... Is this a "public world" phenomenon or is this normal and I should be prepared to battle for each and every Intl-FA?

Just curious to hear from the Veterans about this.

IFA's are generally way overpriced.  So this is not an uncommon phenomenon in any world, either public or private.

Top-notch IFA are big money players.  24m looks about right for him.  Maybe even a little low. 

You can check world history for IFA signings by going to Reports, International Signings and picking a season.   Click the Bonus column to sort and you'll have an idea how high your leaguemates will go.    Don't know which world you're asking about but here's the top of Rickey last season:

Player	Season	Signing Date	Signing Franchise	Signing Owner	Signing Age	Pos	B	T	Bonus	Contract Type	Hometown
Benito Ayala	14	1/2/2014	Dover Dragons	willsauve	18	LF	R	R	$22.0M	MILB	Zulia, VE
Harry Cruz	14	12/31/2013	Toronto Brigands	rquin9	21	2B	R	R	$19.0M	MILB w/STI	Ceiba Del Agua, CU
Ricardo Escuela	14	1/16/2014	Wichita Yeti Crabs	soxfan_9	20	SS	R	R	$16.2M	MLB	San Cristobal, DO
Albie Garrido	14	1/25/2014	Monterrey Cartel	meahsdaddy	18	P	S	L	$15.6M	MILB	Distrito Nacional, DO
Arismendy Zumaya	14	1/14/2014	Helena Montana Moose	soxfanjohn	18	P	L	L	$15.0M	MILB	Palenque, DO

Boggs(the world you're talking about) last season:

Player	Season	Signing Date	Signing Franchise	Signing Owner	Signing Age	Pos	B	T	Bonus	Contract Type	Hometown
Wandy Fuentes	25	12/16/2013	Kansas City Swabbies	graybeard	18	P	R	R	$22.3M	MILB	Cambiaso, DO
Leonys Jimenez	25	1/18/2014	Charlotte Rednecks	bigpop34	18	SS	S	R	$19.5M	MILB	Barahona, DO
David Romano	25	1/16/2014	San Antonio Roadrunners	breezee	18	P	L	L	$17.5M	MILB	San Pedro de Macoris, DO
Santo Schoop	25	1/17/2014	Kansas City Swabbies	graybeard	19	LF	S	R	$14.0M	MILB	Don Gregorio, DO

@pdauderis - if you want to score a real top level IFA, you pretty much have to play the transfer budget game. Unless a large number of IFAs show up, and one drops to you after everyone else has blown their wads.

@Mike... thanks for the report area.  That will help.  So basically if I am not prepared to drop those kind of dollars it may not even be worth International Scouting and put it into the Am-Draft Scouting instead?  I guess I was thinking that was pretty crazy.

I move in and out of the IFA market.   If you're picking near the bottom of the draft, 25-32, the best way to get an impact player is thru the IFA market.  Otherwise you have to hope someone falls thru the cracks.    If you're picking in the top half of the draft, Am-Draft is a better way to go.  

But, yeah, if you're not willing to give a bonus of 20m+ and drop 12-15m into IFA scouting meaning one guy might cost you 1/5th of your budget, stay out of IFA.

I don't play for the top IFAs, but at a reduced IFA budget I find that second-level players can be good talent to backfill your minor leagues, and maybe pick up a lottery ticket player or two. Good fielders and short relief pitchers can be had while the "serious" owners wait for the big fish to show up.

Does anyone have a sense regarding the effect of offering a MinL + STI or a ML contract w/3 guaranteed years on the size of signing bonus?

Straight dollars as far as comparison. ML gives you a little extra on a max guy but not much.

The $24.5M is the reason I got out of the IFA game.  No money allocated to International Scouting.  8 Million to Prospects.  I don't even see IFA's any more.

The market is way overpriced.  So that guy didn't just const $24.5M, but also the amount of money that is in International Scouting.  He'll be a good pitcher.  But he probably just cost somewhere north of $35M.  He's got a MLB contract.  So he's controlled for 6 years.  Add $6M to his Contract each year to get the true cost of that guy.  So he'll be $6M and change for each of the first 3 years, then $7.8M, then $11M then $13M.  Something like that.  He's only going to be in MLB for 4 years.  So his MLB cost is even higher.  Too rich for me.