In case you’re not into International Free Agents you may have missed that a number of teams have hit the baseball lottery thanks to signing Cuban players. You don’t need to take my words on faith, you can simply look at Yasiel Puig and Jose Abreu. Yoan Moncada is the latest in a series of Cuban players to tantalize state-side teams with his talent. He’s a shortstop (might be destined for 3rd Base) who can hit, hit and also hit.
He’s going to cost a lot of money to sign and he might never reach the majors or reach his potential, but I’d be over the moon if the Mets made the signing. Here are five reasons why:
- He’s Really Really Good. I mean, it’s something that people forget to mention, but the kid is 19 years of age and can flat-out play. He’s supposed to be better than Rusney Castillo and Yasmany Tomas. His hitting chops are most closely compared to Jorge Soler.
- He’s Young. At 19 years of age he’d instantaneously be the Mets #1 prospect and give the Mets a major piece to slot into their future. Added to Amed Rosario, Wilmer Flores, Dilson Herrera and others he could be part of a rebirth of Met infield talent in the next couple years.
- He’s A Switch Hitter. The Mets have Jhoan Urena in their farm and Urena actually reminds me of a less gifted Moncada. What separates them? Moncada trumps Urena on both speed and power.
- The Mets Have Made No Waves. The Mets don’t want to be a “Circus” but they do want the fans excited about their season and their future. While Moncada might not make an impact on the 2015 roster he gives the Mets the semblance of a plan for building their offense. He also becomes a focal point for the disenfranchised fans.
- Consider Who We’d Be Taking Him From. The Yankees, Braves and Nationals have all been linked to Moncada. Not only would we be getting him onto the Mets but we’d be keeping him off of those three rivals.
The Mets are not likely to make my dreams come true, but wouldn’t it be lovely if they did?
The day the Mets and the Wilpons pony up 80m+ for Moncada (a conservative estimate of his 40m signing cost plus 100% of that amount in bonus pool tax) is the day I own Citifield. The Braves are all over him and either they or the Yankees or Red Sox will land him.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say Moncada will not get more than 25m since Tomas only got 68 mil when people were saying he could get 100+.
There are already rumbles he may not stick at SS. I expect to hear a lot more of what he can’t do in the future (to drive his price down)
For how many years?
He projects as a + defensive third baseman
Apparently the Yankees and Red Sox are going to be in a bidding war for the kid. He seems like an intriguing option, but it just doesn’t seem likely.
Love the idea of Moncada joining the Mets. I think another factor to add to this list is excitement. Fans are excited to come to the ballpark when Harvey pitches, but Moncada could provide that excitement on an everyday basis. I think he’s a player to take a risk on, as he could be an electrifying player.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/yoan-moncada-cuban-baseball-star/
Wow! This would be a miracle, but maybe we’re saving up for something. I somehow doubt it though.
This franchise and its’ fans are being held hostage while ownership tries to prove that they’re smarter than Bernie Madoff.
Sad when we’ve been beaten down to the point where we can’t even hope for something exciting like this.
Sad, really sad.
Dave how much do you think it would cost the Mets?
I have no good gauge on these international signings. I’m more of a talent scout than a money man.
I like #’s 2-5. As for # 1 – all of those players mentioned have not spent significant time in the majors, so we don’t know. What I do know is that as the Cuban leagues get depleted of talent, the level of play will drop and thus players doing well there will not necessarily be translatable to the majors. But at 19, I like the idea of going after a gifted athlete with talent and developing him to reach his fullest potential. He’ll probably cost a lot but we don’t have a #1 pick this year, this would be a nice substitute.
Agreed 100%. I also agree with those that say he won’t come to the Mets though.