View Post

The Extra 2%, 18.3° N Edition

In Commentary And Analysis by GW

Yoan Moncada has been cleared for free agency, just as soon as he gets unblocked by the U.S. Treasury Department. The Cubs had a strong presence at a workout in Guatemala on Wednesday. Since he is subject to international spending bonus pools, however, the Cubs will only have the chance to sign him if they can convince him to wait until next July. …

View Post

Jose M. Fernandez Cuban Stats

In Commentary And Analysis by GW

Multiple reports indicate Cuban second baseman Jose Fernandez has left the island and will seek to play in MLB. For those of you Google-stymied by his also-Cuban namesake, his full name is Jose Miguel Fernandez Diaz. I have Fernandez’s birthday as April 27, 1988, meaning that 2015 will be his age-27 season. He has played played for Matanzas in Serie …

View Post

OV “Daily” Facepalm 7-9-2014

In Facepalm by GW

Happy Arismendy Alcantara Day! Of all the strange consequences for prospects under the current CBA, perhaps the strangest is this: the less potential a prospect has, the quicker he is likely to make the majors. If your goal as a prospect is to get to the “Bigs” as soon as possible, the sweet spot is being good enough to contribute …

View Post

IFA: Cubs Sign Four Players; Video and Potential Trade Partner Updates

In News And Rumors by GW

Cubs Summary I was wrong, there was one Cubs signing today: Panamanian SS Francisco Garay. Has to be below $250k as penalty for last year’s spending. — Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) July 3, 2014 There seem to be some questions about his birthday. Cubs Sign Dominican LHP Wander Cabrera For $250,000 (via @iplbaseball_rd). Story at Baseball America: http://t.co/FMOF3f9sxP — Ben Badler …

Who Will the Cubs Trade With on July 2nd?

In Uncategorized by GW

The new international free agent signing period starts Wednesday. The Cubs were unable to stay within their allotted bonus pool limits last year, and won’t be able to spend more than $250,000 on a single player this year, despite having nearly four million dollars to spend. What that adds up to is the that the team is likely to trade …

View Post

Yasmani Tomas Cuban Stats

In Commentary And Analysis by GW

Slugging outfielder Yasmani Tomas Bacallao has defected from Cuba. Tomas traveled to Haiti early last week and has since made his way to the Dominican Republic. The story was first reported two days ago by Ben Badler at Baseball America, and has been confirmed by Cuban officials. Tomas is 23, right-handed, and has played in parts of five seasons with Industriales …

View Post

Yoan Moncada Stats and Video

In Commentary And Analysis by GW

Yoan Manuel Moncada Olivera has long been hyped as the next big thing in Cuba during a distinguished amateur career. He was born May 27th, 1995. He’s a switch-hitter who primarily played third base in international tournaments as a youth, but mostly second and a bit of shortstop with Cienfuegos in Serie Nacional. There’s a good chance that he’s seeking …

View Post

Yoan Moncada: The Next Great Cuban Defector?

In Commentary And Analysis, News And Rumors, Uncategorized by GW

Since it has become socially acceptable to speculate on which Cuban great will be the next to play in the Major Leagues, allow me to throw in my two cents: Yoan Moncada. Unlike Alfredo Despaigne’s case, there’s good reason to think it could happen soon. Yoan Manuel Moncada is a switch-hitting second-basemen who played for Cienfuegos alongside Jose Abreu and …

Alfredo Despaigne Returns to Cuba

In News And Rumors by GW

In the past week, there have been rumblings about Cuban outfielder Alfredo Despaigne possibly playing in the United States. None of it makes much sense. Despaigne is one of the best players in Cuba. He’s a short outfielder with an extremely quick bat, a corner outfielder who could probably play regularly in majors. Last year, Despaigne started playing in Mexico …

View Post

Irait Chirino Stats and Video

In Commentary And Analysis by GW40 Comments

One of the puzzling things I’ve found in digging into Cuban exiles is just who gets coverage. Jose Abreu has received plenty of attention, of course. But so has Yozzen Cuesta. Cuesta defected from a tournament in Canada last August, and has been mentioned as a promising defector in dozens of articles since. (Even on Deadspin!) The biggest mystery for …