by: Ben Embry
Anyone who has read me consistently over the couple years that I've written this blog probably gets the sense that I'm pro-player development and anti-big money free agents. I would say that is generally a true statement, in that I find developing players more interesting and challenging than simply being the highest bidder for players that were cultivated by other teams who, more times than not, couldn't afford said player once they hit free agency. And I always find it difficult to lay down my prejudices against guys who have played for and been successful for other teams, (Jacoby Ellsbury being a prime example). Ultimately though I just want to see the team win a lot and to do that you have to have a blend of home grown and free agent talent. If you think about building a team they way you build a house, I think of the farm system players as the house's foundation and frame and the free agents as the finish out. So I accept Ellsbury and root for him, but he'll never be my favorite player.
Young Cuban, (as well as Japanese and Korean), talent sit at an interesting cross roads of these two ideas. They're free agents when they first come to America and thusly go to the highest bidder, but they have not played in Major League Baseball previously and therefore have no team identity to fans; we don't have to lay down any existing contempt we have with them from when they played against us. They've been playing professional baseball for several years but that was in their home country and not against us.
They differ from traditional free agents in two key ways. The first is they're generally younger. Take a look at Keith Law's list of top free agents and most are 30-32. By contrast, OF Yasmany Tomas, who just signed with the Diamondbacks, is 24. Boston's new OF Rusney Castillo is 27. Jose Abreu was 27 when he signed with the White Sox. Yoenis Cespedes was 26, Yasiel Puig was 21, Jorge Soler was 20. So you're getting more of the prime of these players' careers. Secondly, you don't have to forfeit draft picks to sign them. All they cost is money. Adding them to your team doesn't hinder the pipeline to your farm system. Some, like Soler and a couple of the players I'll mention later, add to it.
Cubans for the most part have enjoyed a lot of success. They come from a country with a rich baseball tradition and the professional leagues they played in are extremely competitive. Major League teams such as the White Sox, the A's, and the Dodgers have benefited from prospecting talent from this rich gold mine. Unfortunately, the Yankees have just barely dipped their toes in the water. The only player New York has signed from Cuba the past few years is Omar Luis, the 6' LHP who spent all of 2014 in low A Charleston. He's best known for the fairly substantial $4 million bonus but he has struggled to live up to it.
Some interesting players I'd like to see New York take a run at are:
The first and most talented is Yoan Moncada. Scouts are raving about the 19 year old infielder according to several publications. Moncada is a true 5-tool player who could play 2B, 3B, or any any OF spot. He's just 19 and would likely be in the running for the first overall pick in this year's draft if he were living in the US. He should consider himself fortunate that he's not because his bonus is likely to be $40 - $50 million as it stands now, where as if he were drafted he'd be subject to slotting that would restrict the bonus to $6 - $7 million. It's been said he's probably one of the top 10 prospects today.
To put it mildly, I am obsessed with the hope of New York signing Moncada. They never get a chance at young players with this much talent. They always draft late and thus the best amateur talents are going to other teams. July 2 IFAs are just 16 and are very raw. They're not comparable to Moncada who has professional experience in Cuba. He would immediately be their best prospect and likely be playing in the Bronx in a couple years or less. Almost every team is thought to be in the running given the circumstances but Ben Badler at Baseball America considers New York one of the favorites due in part to them already being over their spending limit for this IFA signing period. That makes me HAPPY.
Andy Ibanez is a 21 year old 2B who played for the Cuban national team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He also played on the 16U World tournament team in 2009 and 18U team in 2010 so he has plenty of international experience. According to Badler he doesn't have a standout tool but is a Gold Glove defender in the Cuban league and is solid at the plate. Badler recently ranked him the 8th best player in Cuba, which included players of all ages and experience, which is impressive given he's just 21. To my knowledge he's not been linked to any teams specifically.
Yoan Lopez is a player that I'm just becoming aware of but am very intrigued by. He's a 21 yr old RHP that uses a 4 pitch mix with a fastball that sits 93-95 and touches 100. The track record, at least recently memory, is not great for pitchers coming off the island. Aroldis Chapman is the only successful Cuban pitcher that comes to mind recently. Lopez is 6'4 and a lean 190 lbs, (kid needs to put on some weight, amirite?). The Yankees, along with San Diego, San Francisco, and Arizona have expressed "strong" interest according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.
Jose Fernandez, (not the Marlins pitcher), is an older player relative to the first 3 players I mentioned. At 26, he would not be subject to IFA spending pool. He's a major league ready 2B that Keith Law ranked 14th best free agent this year. He would serve as an alternative option if New York fails/declines to sign Chase Headley and decides to play Martin Prado at 3B. Color me skeptical that the Yankees would feel comfortable going into Spring Training with the only two options for 2B being two rookies, (Pirela and Refsnyder), as has been floated about as a possibility. Fernandez at the very least could be more competition.
We'll see if New York winds up with any of these guys. I just hope they give them all serious consideration and in the case of Moncada, they need to go all out for him. Damn the torpedoes boys!
On a different topic, next week I'll put out my first compilation rankings for the 2015 MLB Draft. As of right now, the Yankees have the 17th pick with the possibility of a compensatory 1st rd pick if David Robertson signs elsewhere prior to the draft. It's early to say, but looks like there's some good pitching talent in the college ranks if they wanted to go in that direction, (I would very much support that idea).
