Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada to hold showcase

[ace3113]

Someone go down to Main and Danforth and pull AA from his souvlaki.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/11/yoan-moncada-to-hold-showcase.html

 

Yoan Moncada To Hold Showcase

 

Top young Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada has established residence in Guatemala, where he will have a showcase November 12, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports. Evaluators from all 30 teams are expected to attend. Moncada is petitioning to become an MLB free agent. In June, Sanchez reported that Moncada had left Cuba through legal means.

 

Unlike many Cuban arrivals, the 19-year-old Moncada will be subject to MLB rules regarding MLB bonus pools. Sanchez notes that it’s not clear whether Moncada plans to sign in the current signing period or wait until next July 2. The Cubs and Rangers, who spent dramatically more than their bonus pools in the 2013-14 signing season, would not be allowed to sign him for more than $250K in the current signing period, while the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays will not be able to sign him for more than $300K starting next summer.

 

The young shortstop and third baseman has played alongside Jose Abreu, Erisbel Arruebarrena, Raisel Iglesias and other top Cuban players. Sanchez notes that scouts have described Moncada as “the next Jorge Soler.”

[jaysfan2014]

Yes, AA should be in on this guy.

 

Lucky for the Jays(and 24 others), the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees, along with the Cubs and Rangers, won't be able to get him, as they are in the penalty with their bonus pools, and Moncada will likely get more than $300K based on scouts' projections.

[GD]

We already destroyed the bonus pool with Guerrero so spend all the moniez on this guy pleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaasssseeeeeeeeIlikehimsomuchhhhhhhhh

[ace3113]

Yes please!

 

A second or third base version of Soler (talent-wise not power-wise).

[SAAviour]

Sign me up. Well sign Yoan up actually, please!

[Vdubfan]

We already destroyed the bonus pool with Guerrero so spend all the moniez on this guy pleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaasssseeeeeeeeIlikehimsomuchhhhhhhhh

 

Guerrero?

[Vdubfan]

Awesome. I saw one of the BP prospect guys the other day say it's pretty well known within MLB circles who he will sign with, but wouldn't share. This is BIG if true.

[Vdubfan]

Link?

 

It was fangraphs, not BP. Here is link:

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/scouting-the-top-2015-july-2nd-prospects/#comment-4788201

[Mikeleelop]

If Moncada gets posted before June 30 2015 and a team signs him before July 2015 he'd be part of this years pool. That would let Yankees etc go after him because he's part of the same group that obliterated the limit

 

I think

[ace3113]

If Moncada gets posted before June 30 2015 and a team signs him before July 2015 he'd be part of this years pool. That would let Yankees etc go after him because he's part of the same group that obliterated the limit

 

I think

 

Yup. They could put him anywhere from 3rd, SS, 2nd, all organizational needs. He probably needs at least a year or two of seasoning in the minors like Soler though. He's only 19.

[Mikeleelop]

Guerrero will be next year (after July 1 2015) Moncada may be this year's pool which goes through June 2015.

 

He will take a huge bonus and force a team into penalty next year

 

I doubt jays are into him unless he fall into big pool next year with geurrero

[ace3113]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/11/yoan-moncada-expected-to-receive-record-bonus-for-amateur-player.html

 

Yoan Moncada Expected To Receive Record Bonus For Amateur Player

 

Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada is quickly becoming one of the most hyped amateurs in history, and it’s expected that he will absolutely shatter the record for an amateur player — international or domestic — according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. Passan spoke to a pair of GMs and two other executives, and all four agreed that they expect the 19-year-old Moncada to land an incredible $30-40MM bonus.

 

While that bonus doesn’t necessarily seem steep right off the bat, at least when juxtaposed with the commitments made to countrymen Yoenis Cespedes ($36MM), Yasiel Puig ($42MM), Jose Abreu ($68MM) and Rusney Castillo ($72.5MM), bear in mind that each of those players was viewed as a professional under baseball’s collective bargaining agreement and therefore was not subject to international spending limitations.

 

Moncada, on the other hand, will be subject to spending limits, but executives that spoke with Passan still seemed to believe the price tag could approach $40MM. That would obliterate any team’s bonus pool, and a signing team would have to pay a 100 percent luxury tax on all overages (in addition to subsequently being prohibited from spending more than $300K on a player in the next two signing periods). In that regard, then, a team would essentially be dropping $60-80MM to add Moncada to its farm system, based on the range Passan received in his poll of execs.

 

As Passan notes, Moncada has yet to be unblocked by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control or Major League Baseball, so the timeline for his arrival on the free agent market is uncertain, but the timing of his arrival is critical. If Moncada isn’t declared a free agent until next year’s signing period (the current signing period runs through June 15, 2015), the Angels, Yankees and Red Sox would not be able to sign him, as the penalties they’ve incurred prevent them from signing a player for more than $300K in the next two signing periods. If he’s declared a free agent in the current signing period, the Rangers and Cubs, who exceeded their bonus pool in the 2013-14 signing period, would not be able to sign him.

 

Nearly every team was on-hand today in Guatemala to see a Moncada showcase, although Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets that the Angels weren’t there to see him (they’ve seen him in the past, Fletcher notes).

 

MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo spoke to multiple scouts who were on-hand, with one scout giving Moncada a 60 hit-tool, 60 power, 70 speed, a 60 arm and a 50 in terms of fielding (on the 20-80 scouting scale). A scouting director told Mayo that Moncada is “worth going way over your international spending pool,” adding that the game is ultimately about talent, and Moncada “is the kind of talent worth the investment.” Another touted his five-tool potential and said he was in great shape. Mayo hears that Moncada looked better at third and second than shortstop, though he has the arm to play any infield position. The Yankees, Red Sox, Braves and Cubs all had four or more scouts in attendance, per Mayo.

 

Those wishing to learn more about the potential phenom can check out this report on him from Baseball America’s Ben Badler penned back in August.

[KingKat]

^^^^ wow

[Mikeleelop]

As Passan notes, Moncada has yet to be unblocked by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control or Major League Baseball, so the timeline for his arrival on the free agent market is uncertain, but the timing of his arrival is critical. If Moncada isn’t declared a free agent until next year’s signing period (the current signing period runs through June 15, 2015), the Angels, Yankees and Red Sox would not be able to sign him, as the penalties they’ve incurred prevent them from signing a player for more than $300K in the next two signing periods. If he’s declared a free agent in the current signing period, the Rangers and Cubs, who exceeded their bonus pool in the 2013-14 signing period, would not be able to sign him.

 

Not that the Jays will be involved, but if he gets processed before June 30, 2015 then the Jays CAN NOT sign Moncada this period then follow through on the Guerrero rumour July 2, 2015. If its delayed until the next signing period then Toronto can go all in with the two big signings

 

as we all realistically know - Never gonna happen..........

[kgm1]

I posted most of the Moncada stuff in the around baseball thread but here is a little from a Badler chat

 

Prison Mike (Scranton, PA): Can you tell us more about Yoan Moncada?! How's he look?!?! I want to know!

Ben Badler: I’ve seen him play before and I’ve seen what he looks like since he’s been in Guatemala, though not on the field there. We’re going to have reports on how today’s showcase went for him, but I know he’s in terrific shape, and I’ve yet to hear anything but high praise for him. We’ve all known it for a few years now, but this guy is the real deal.

[kgm1]

Here is BA,s write up on the showcase

 

 

 

Yoan Moncada faced only a batting practice pitcher at his showcase in Guatemala on Wednesday, but the young Cuban phenom gave scouts a glimpse at his tools and showed that he’s kept his strength and conditioning on point since leaving the island.

 

The Red Sox, who had a strong presence at Rusney Castillo’s first showcase before they signed him to a $72.5 million deal, had a big group in town, led by vice president of player personnel Allard Baird. So did the Braves, who had special assistants Roy Clark and Gordon Blakeley there, and the Giants, led by assistant general manager John Barr. The Yankees, Cubs, Tigers, Rays and Padres were among the other clubs that scouts in attendance felt had a significant showing at the event. In all, there were around 80-100 scouts there to see Moncada, including several top-level evaluators.

 

“There was about 1,000 years of experience in there,” said one scout. “It was pretty interesting.”

 

A 19-year-old switch-hitter listed at 6 feet, 210 pounds while he was in Cuba, Moncada took several rounds of batting practice from both sides of the plate, performing much better from the left side, consistent with what scouts who have followed him over the years have said. He showed excellent bat speed and plus raw power, though after a long day and a lot of swings so scouts could see him from both sides of the plate, he did seem to wear down.

 

He showed his plus speed by running the 60-yard dash in around 6.6 seconds, and he took groundballs at shortstop, second and third base. In Cuba’s 18U national league in 2012, Moncada played shortstop, though that’s mostly because he was the best athlete on the field. At junior national tournaments, Moncada has played third and second, and he’s been primarily a second baseman for Cienfuegos during his two seasons in Serie Nacional.

 

Scouts said Moncada looked uncomfortable at shortstop, which they expected, but looked more natural at third and second, the positions he’s most likely to play in pro ball, although he has plenty of speed to go to the outfield if a team sees him as a fit there. He has at least a plus arm, with some scouts giving it a 70 grade.

 

For scouts who had never seen Moncada before, it was a chance to get a first-hand look at what all the fuss has been about, a better sense for his raw tools and the way his swing worked from both sides, at least in BP. For those who have spent three years following him, the showcase was just a routine checkup.

 

“You were looking at the menu,” said another scout. “Now it’s just up to whether you want to order.”

 

The next step for Moncada isn’t known yet. He’s in Guatemala, which makes things a little more difficult, but most Cuban players go through private workouts for interested clubs. Some believe he could come to the United States for more showcases.

 

Moncada still has to obtain a specific unblocking license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and Major League Baseball has yet to declare him a free agent.

 

Once eligible, he will be subject to the bonus pools, though teams will certainly have to break their pool by a wide margin to get him signed. Since players subject to the bonus pools are not allowed to sign a major league contract, a team will have to put all the money into Moncada’s signing bonus, then essentially pay double that amount as a 100 percent tax on their pool overage.

[Angrioter]

Moncada (70-90M) is out of our range.

[Atothe]

Did you guys read this fangraphs story by Kiley McDaniels. Apparently he was told by sources that Moncada was allowed to Cuba freely. The Government let him leave. Unbelievable

[Atothe]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/yoan-moncada-the-most-fascinating-piece-of-the-offseason/

[Angrioter]

Did you guys read this fangraphs story by Kiley McDaniels. Apparently he was told by sources that Moncada was allowed to Cuba freely. The Government let him leave. Unbelievable

 

Yeah. He has his passport

[Mikeleelop]

Did you guys read this fangraphs story by Kiley McDaniels. Apparently he was told by sources that Moncada was allowed to Cuba freely. The Government let him leave. Unbelievable

 

This seems really strange? Does Cuban government have a deal where they will get a kick back portion of his bonus???

[Atothe]

This seems really strange? Does Cuban government have a deal where they will get a kick back portion of his bonus???

 

I would think so, I think my Raul Castro avatar is unbelievably smart choice in hindsight

[Maine Jays]

I would think so, I think my Raul Castro avatar is unbelievably smart choice in hindsight

 

MLB Trade Rumors just posted that he's now a FA. Any prospect junkies care to offer an opinion whether he or Tomas is the better prospect in terms of dynasty?

I hold 1, 4, 6, & 7 in a 20 team dynasty, so his addition makes things even more intriguing.

[flafson]

Funny thing is, he falls under the international FA rules, meaning whoever signs him will have to pay penalties in the tens of millions.

[baseballsss]

Funny thing is, he falls under the international FA rules, meaning whoever signs him will have to pay penalties in the tens of millions.

 

I'm lost. If he's declared a free agent why is it still subject to the INT spending pool?

[Vdubfan]

I'm lost. If he's declared a free agent why is it still subject to the INT spending pool?

 

He's an international free agent, not a FA like Melky. He has under 5 years professional playing experience and is under 23 years old, so the spending pool rules apply still. Some team will spend 30mil on him, and pay another 30 mil in tax.

[AdamGreenwood]

I think Cuba is figuring out that all the top talent is going to leave Cuba anyway.

They might as well figure out a way to profit from it, as well as let these guys play from the Cuban team when the WBC comes up.

 

I think at some point, they'll give all these guys amnesty, (with a financial penalty), allow them to come home, and then start dominating the international tournaments.

[Atothe]

I'm lost. If he's declared a free agent why is it still subject to the INT spending pool?

 

Because he's 19, international players under 26?? are subject to the spending pool

[Orgfiller]

Because he's 19, international players under 26?? are subject to the spending pool

 

I think it's 23 (or 24), Yasmani Tomas is 24 and he's considered a Free Agent.

[GD]

It's 23 or 5 years of service or something