Cuban Second Baseman Hector Olivera Defects

[ace3113]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/kiley-mcdaniel-prospects-chat-13015/

 

Comment From RotoLando

Have you heard any more scouting opinions on Hector Olivera since the showcase?

 

Kiley McDaniel: Talked numbers with a scout yesterday and it seems to be moving north now that people know what they’re looking at. Age and injury history could limit the pool of teams in on him. If I plan my DR trip right (July 2 is the purpose of the trip), I should be seeing him in the coming weeks.

[Angrioter]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/kiley-mcdaniel-prospects-chat-13015/

Kiley McDaniel

Olivera will turn 30 years old in April and has had some injury issues that MLB teams will need to sort out, but he looked good in a recent open workout and will continue working out for teams in the Dominican Republic. It’s still too early to know where the bidding will land on him, but he’s seen as a potential Opening Day MLB second baseman if things check out health-wise and further workouts go well, with optimistic estimates having his value on a multi-year MLB deal in the $20-40 million dollar range.

[ace3113]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/kiley-mcdaniel-prospects-chat-13015/

 

Comment From randplaty

Who is a major league comp for Hector Olivera?

 

Kiley McDaniel: 50+ bat and power at 2B or 3B. Haven’t been looking for comps on him yet but I’m sure you guys can figure one out for me. Right?

[Atothe]

yikes

[ace3113]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/hector-olivera-hits-two-home-runs-open-showcase-game/

 

Hector Olivera Hits Two Home Runs At Open Showcase Game

 

Cuban second baseman Hector Olivera made another strong statement today at his second open showcase.

 

Playing in a game at the Dominican air force base, the righthanded-hitting Olivera hit two home runs, including one to left-center field in his first at-bat. Later in the game, he pulled another home run to left field, then used the opposite field for a double to right-center. While he wasn’t facing major league pitching, it was a standout day for Olivera, who split time in the field between second and third base. He also showed above-average speed by running the 60-yard dash in 6.65 seconds, a touch better than the 6.7-6.8 times he posted at his previous showcase.

 

A physically imposing 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, the 29-year-old Olivera has impressed scouts from several teams with his tools, athleticism and performance since he arrived in the Dominican Republic. That’s not a surprise, given that he was a standout on the Cuban national team from 2008-10 and one of the top hitters in Cuba’s Serie Nacional. However, Olivera sat out the entire 2012-13 season in Cuba reportedly due to a blood disorder. He returned in 2013-14 to hit .312/.412/.474 with seven home runs, 38 walks and 25 strikeouts in 273 plate appearances, though he played just 29 games at second base and spent most of his time at DH. In August, Baseball America ranked Olivera as the No. 6 player still in Cuba.

 

Of all the teams at the showcase today, the Dodgers had the most notable presence. Dodgers vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes, VP of amateur and international scouting David Finley and director of player personnel Galen Carr were all there. Diamondbacks VP of baseball operations De Jon Watson and special assistant Craig Shipley were both at the showcase, and the Giants also had a notable presence.

 

The Padres, Giants and Braves have all had their top club officials scout Olivera recently and have been linked to him as potential landing spots. The Mariners also had president Kevin Mather and general manager Jack Zduriencik scout him at a private workout in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, though Seattle is already locked in at second and third base with Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager.

 

Olivera is scheduled to have a third open showcase on Wednesday. That event should draw even more scouts, since it’s the day after Major League Baseball’s annual international showcase in the Dominican Republic, and several high-ranking scouts are in Puerto Rico right now for the Caribbean Series. MLB has not declared Olivera a free agent yet, though that should be coming soon.

 

It doesn't seem like we even have anyone checking in on him.

[Jimcanuck]

Jays need to get into the Cuban baseball scene in a big way. With unrestricted travel Canada-Cuba, they have an advantage, currently, on American teams. Find the Cuban equivalent of Epy Guerrero.

 

If US-Cuba relations fully thaw, Jays can then be the first to set up a baseball academy

[Spanky99]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/hector-olivera-hits-two-home-runs-open-showcase-game/

 

 

 

It doesn't seem like we even have anyone checking in on him.

 

f***ing joke.

[TwistedLogic]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/hector-olivera-hits-two-home-runs-open-showcase-game/

 

It doesn't seem like we even have anyone checking in on him.

 

I've been hoping they'd check in on him, but I don't think it's a realistic fit with their apparent budget.

[ace3113]

I've been hoping they'd check in on him, but I don't think it's a realistic fit with their apparent budget.

 

Yeah, it's just a shame though. I think this guy's going to be pretty good, and likely much better than anything we have at second. If we use our remaining budget to improve the rotation or bullpen I guess I can't complain. But I'm worried that they may just end up sitting on it.

[TwistedLogic]

Someone should convince Yulieski Gourriel to defect.

[Angrioter]

Someone should convince Yulieski Gourriel to defect.

 

The Gourriel are three brothers who play for the same team, team for which his father used to play.

[o2cui2i]

It's like fleas jumping off a dead dog. maybe we should start a thread about which Cubans are still playing ball in Cuba?

[Spanky99]

It's like fleas jumping off a dead dog. maybe we should start a thread about which Cubans are still playing ball in Cuba?

 

Wtf?

[BigBounceyBlueBalls]

Maybe Air Canada or West jet can work on a promo to fly all Cuban defectors direct to Toronto!

[Angrioter]

[L54]

 

I like the compact swing. Good extension through the zone. Then again, lots of guys look good in BP.

 

Would go a long way to stabilizing the MIF.

 

3/30 lets get this done.

[Angrioter]

I like the compact swing. Good extension through the zone. Then again, lots of guys look good in BP.

 

Would go a long way to stabilizing the MIF.

 

3/30 lets get this done.

 

Young Alfonso Soriano.

 

 

Olivera is so hot right now

http://media.giphy.com/media/tBb19eUNiEjBsYeZPhu/giphy.gif

[L54]

Would really be nice if these guys throwing BP to Olivera and Baby Vlad would throw on the outer half (I'm only half joking, would like to see them go the other way in these clips).

[ace3113]

He's apparently looking for Rusney Castillo money which is about 10.2M a year. Not sure if he's seeking the same term though since he's already 30. 10.2M seems pretty reasonable to me for a guy who projects to be above average offensively and at least average defensively at an up the middle position.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/hector-olivera-shines-final-showcase/

 

Hector Olivera Shines At Final Showcase

 

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic—Hector Olivera was a favorite among several scouts who have spent years following the Cuban national team.

 

There wasn’t any question about his talent level then. The only concerns were the unknown, since Olivera, 29, missed the 2012-13 season due to a blood clot and as a result had not been seen outside of Cuba for a few years.

 

After watching Olivera at multiple open showcases and private workouts in the Dominican Republic, scouts are still excited about Olivera’s potential to make an immediate impact on a major league team in 2015. Playing in a showcase game Wednesday, Olivera had another strong showing, going 3-for-3 with a walk, a hit by pitch and two doubles. By Olivera’s standards, that may have been an off day for him, given that he hit two home runs in an open showcase game last week. Olivera’s camp has informed teams that Wednesday would be his final open showcase. He’s expected to continue holding private workouts, though with his free agency likely coming any day and spring training approaching, he’s expected to sign soon once he’s officially a free agent.

 

Teams Watching

 

Major League Baseball’s annual international amateur showcase for the top July 2 players was Monday and Tuesday, so there were already hundreds of scouts in town, including several high-level executives who went to Olivera’s showcase on Wednesday. The team with the most notable presence was the Dodgers, who had president Andrew Friedman and vice president Josh Byrnes in attendance, with Friedman at one point walking down the first-base line to take video of Olivera. Unlike top officials from other clubs at Olivera’s showcase, Friedman and Byrnes were not at MLB’s July 2 showcase.

 

The Athletics (assistant GM Dan Kantrovitz, special assistant Chris Pittaro), Padres (senior advisor Logan White) and Giants (vice president John Barr, among several others) were the other teams with a notable presence. They have all been linked to Olivera, along with the Braves, who had special assistant Gordon Blakeley in attendance, and the majority of international scouting directors were here as well.

 

Batting Practice

 

Olivera didn’t run the 60-yard dash, though he’s run anywhere from 6.65 to 6.8 seconds at previous open showcases. Olivera is a big man at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, but doesn’t have the monster 70 to 80 raw power of Jose Abreu, Yoenis Cespedes or Yasmany Tomas. That’s never been his game. Olivera did show plus bat speed and a loose, easy swing with good bat path through the hitting zone and a mature approach that was evident even in BP. He drove the ball with authority and out of the park to all fields. The showcase was at the Dominican air force base, where the fences are short and scouts warn that can make for a deceptive evaluation, but he hit several balls that would have been out at any major league stadium, including one blast to straightaway center field. In three rounds, he hit around 10 balls out, mostly to his pull side, showing the power to be a 20-home run threat.

 

Game At-Bats

 

When Olivera was dominating in Cuba and in international competitions, he was one of the most well-rounded players on the island. What stood out Wednesday was Olivera’s mature hitting approach, pitch recognition and lack of swing-and-miss, a strong contrast with Tomas. Olivera stayed within the strike zone, made consistent contact and hit the ball hard to all fields. After getting hit by a pitch in his first at-bat, Olivera stayed at the plate and they reset the count. On the next pitch he saw, Olivera ripped a breaking ball for a line-drive double.

 

In his third plate appearance, Olivera fouled off the first pitch, then hit a fastball up in the zone on the outer third to the opposite field for a line-drive single. His next time up, Olivera worked a walk, then stayed at the plate and the count reset. On a 2-0 fastball at the thighs, Olivera kept his hands inside the ball and drove a double into the right-center field gap. After reaching base in all five plate appearances, that was the end of the day for Olivera.

 

Defense

 

Olivera was primarily a second baseman in Cuba, though several teams are looking at him as a third baseman, a position he has some history with when he was starting his career and should be able to play comfortably if a team wanted to put him there. On Wednesday, he played exclusively at third base, where he made all the routine plays, including the start of a 5-4-3 double play. He ranged well to his left, making a solid play to get a ground ball hit toward the shortstop. Later in the game he made a diving stab to catch a line-drive toward the third-base line, which wasn’t a highlight-reel grab but still showed quick reactions and good coordination to snare the ball to his right.

 

Overall

 

Olivera looked like a man among boys. To some degree, that literally was true, since there were several teenagers on the field. Yet there were also several Cuban players in their mid-20s and even 30s on the field, and the difference between Olivera and everyone else was striking.

 

Yes, there is still uncertainty surrounding Olivera’s health and ability to play the field every day. During his final season (2013-14) in Cuba, Olivera played 29 games at second base and spent most of the 90-game season at DH, so there are questions about how he will respond to playing in the field every day over a 162-game season. Strictly in terms of the talent he’s shown, both in Cuba and since arriving in the Dominican Republic, there are teams that project him as an above-average player who could hit at the top or in the middle of a major league lineup as soon as he signs.

 

That talent level is why teams are under the impression that the asking price from Olivera’s camp will be Rusney Castillo money, if not in total dollars than at least in average annual value. Castillo in August signed what’s essentially a six-year, $72 million contract with an opt-out after five years, while Tomas in December signed for six years, $68.5 million with an opt-out after four years. An asking price is just that. You can ask for whatever you want. I don’t know what Olivera will sign for, nor do I care to speculate, per my own general policy on unsigned Cuban players, for a variety of reasons.

 

Yet, on talent alone, Olivera was a better player than Castillo and Tomas when they were in Cuba. Olivera is 29 while Castillo is 27 and Tomas 24, so that works against him, but Olivera is the same as as most major league free agents. But if I had my choice of one of those three players, assuming the team doctors give him a thumbs up, I would take Olivera over Castillo or Tomas. From talking with several scouts about it, I’m not alone in that opinion, either.

[Abomination]

He's apparently looking for Rusney Castillo money which is about 10.2M a year. Not sure if he's seeking the same term though since he's already 30. 10.2M seems pretty reasonable to me for a guy who projects to be above average offensively and at least average defensively at an up the middle position.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/hector-olivera-shines-final-showcase/

 

It seems reasonable if he can play the field regularly. It will be really interesting to see if we're in on him.

[ace3113]

It seems reasonable if he can play the field regularly. It will be really interesting to see if we're in on him.

 

I may have been low on the estimate. I though Rusney signed for 72/7. I honestly don't think we're in on him, since none of our high level personnel have been in to see him. I am higher on Travis than most and think he can be a solid player for us, just not sure how much adjustment he'll need to the majors and how much we can count on him this year.

[Angrioter]

He's apparently looking for Rusney Castillo money which is about 10.2M a year. Not sure if he's seeking the same term though since he's already 30. 10.2M seems pretty reasonable to me for a guy who projects to be above average offensively and at least average defensively at an up the middle position.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/hector-olivera-shines-final-showcase/

 

Olivera is good, but health

[Ehjays]

If there is one clear area this team needs to improve on its International scouting Presence. Everytime a big free agent is signed from Japan or Cuba AA says we didn't have enough info on him.

 

MLB is a competitive league and you have go far and beyond to get that edge. If you don't have enough info.....you better change your ways because there are 10 teams improving when you aren't.

[xposbrad]

If there is one clear area this team needs to improve on its International scouting Presence. Everytime a big free agent is signed from Japan or Cuba AA says we didn't have money for him.

 

MLB is a competitive league and you have go far and beyond to get that edge. If you don't have enough info.....you better change your ways because there are 10 teams improving when you aren't.

 

Corrected with what AA really meant to say

[Mikeleelop]

I like the compact swing. Good extension through the zone. Then again, lots of guys look good in BP.

 

Would go a long way to stabilizing the MIF.

 

3/30 lets get this done.

 

3/30 likely doesn't get this done. Ben Badler says he's in line for Tomas dollars. $10-11mil AAV

 

he looks big, not a typical 2B - probably ends up playing 3b for someone

[Angrioter]

MLBTR: Hector Olivera May Have UCL Damage

Hector Olivera may have a damaged UCL in his throwing arm, sources tell Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan. The extent of the damage is not known, but should Olivera have to undergo Tommy John surgery, the Cuban infielder would need six to nine months of recovery time, in all likelihood sidelining him for the entire 2015 season.

 

Olivera’s throwing arm didn’t raise any concerns during workouts for teams, Passan notes, though clubs were already conducting physicals on the infielder in order to be prepared for his eventual free agent clearance by Major League Baseball.

 

Olivera was reportedly looking for a six-year contract in the $70MM range from MLB teams, and at least five team executives told Peter Gammons that this was a realistic asking price. Passan reports that Olivera had received at least one offer already that was north of $50MM. Obviously this injury news will dampen Olivera’s market, and his hopes of a major payday could be scuttled altogether if he needs surgery. The Dodgers, Braves, Mariners, A’s, Giants, Padres and Yankees were among the teams known to have an interest in Olivera’s services.

 

 

 

 

Jesse Sanchez

Reps for Hector Olivera surprised to hear report & unaware of any UCL damage. Say HO feels fine & had private workout for a club last week.

[Jimcanuck]

MLBTR: Hector Olivera May Have UCL Damage

Hector Olivera may have a damaged UCL in his throwing arm, sources tell Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan. The extent of the damage is not known, but should Olivera have to undergo Tommy John surgery, the Cuban infielder would need six to nine months of recovery time, in all likelihood sidelining him for the entire 2015 season.

 

Olivera’s throwing arm didn’t raise any concerns during workouts for teams, Passan notes, though clubs were already conducting physicals on the infielder in order to be prepared for his eventual free agent clearance by Major League Baseball.

 

Olivera was reportedly looking for a six-year contract in the $70MM range from MLB teams, and at least five team executives told Peter Gammons that this was a realistic asking price. Passan reports that Olivera had received at least one offer already that was north of $50MM. Obviously this injury news will dampen Olivera’s market, and his hopes of a major payday could be scuttled altogether if he needs surgery. The Dodgers, Braves, Mariners, A’s, Giants, Padres and Yankees were among the teams known to have an interest in Olivera’s services.

 

Perfect time to sign him

[King]

Ben Badler ‏@BenBadler 35s35 seconds ago

Hector Olivera's camp vehemently denied a report that there is anything wrong with his elbow. “It’s absolutely not true.”

[King]

Ben Badler ‏@BenBadler 44s45 seconds ago

Olivera camp said he has taken four physicals and passed them all. Said he has been training and throwing as normal with no pain.

 

Someone lying to drive the price down

[Maahfaace]

Ben Badler ‏@BenBadler 44s45 seconds ago

Olivera camp said he has taken four physicals and passed them all. Said he has been training and throwing as normal with no pain.

 

Someone lying to drive the price down

 

or up