Report: Red Sox land IF prospect Moncada
Yoan Moncada Agrees With Red Sox
Yoan Moncada Agrees With Red Sox
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FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Boston Red Sox reportedly have landed the latest free-agent prize out of Cuba, coming to terms with 19-year-old switch-hitting infielder Yoan Moncada.
MLB.com reports that Moncada will receive a signing bonus in the range of $30 million.
Neither the club nor Moncada’s agent David Hastings had confirmed the deal as of midmorning Monday. Hastings had targeted Monday so Moncada could head to spring training as soon as possible.
Twitter @yoanmoncadaSwitch-hitting infielder Yoan Moncada, who turns 20 in May, hit .277 over two seasons in Cuba’s Serie Nacional — the island’s top league.
The Red Sox, who in August signed Cuban center fielder Rusney Castillo to a six-year, $72.5 million deal, had long been considered one of the favorites to sign Moncada. The New York Yankees also targeted Moncada and reportedly conducted multiple private workouts for him, including one late last week.
Given his age and relative inexperience, the assumption is that Moncada will begin this season in the minor leagues, but the player has said he expects that stay to be short.
“He’s a younger Robinson Cano type with better speed and more positional versatility,” one National League executive told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. “Our people think that he would likely go 1/1 [first round, first pick] in the [first-year player] draft if it were held today and that he has more upside than any free agent on the market. I don’t know much about his overall makeup, but everything says this is a special kid — and his numbers in youth tournaments are unbelievable.”
It remains to be seen where the Red Sox will play him. The Sox would appear to be set at second base, shortstop and third base with Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts and Pablo Sandoval, and the outfield is also crowded.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Moncada batted .277 in two seasons with Cienfuegos in Cuba’s Serie Nacional before leaving the country last year with the permission of the Cuban government. He held a workout for a reported 70 to 100 MLB talent evaluators in Guatemala in November.
Moncada officially hit the open market last week when MLB eliminated its requirement that Cuban players obtain a license from the U.S. government before becoming eligible to sign with big league teams.
The Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, Cubs, Rangers, Padres, Giants, Tigers, Braves, Brewers, Rays and Angels were among the teams that have scouted Moncada or invited him in for private workouts, according to sources and media reports.
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