The Dodgers have agreed to sign Cuban outfielder Yusniel Diaz to a $15.5MM deal, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. Furthermore, the Dodgers and Omar Estevez have agreed to a pact that will pay the infielder $6MM. When considering the 100 percent luxury tax the Dodgers will have to pay on each player due to the fact that they’ve already shattered their league-allotted international bonus pool, Los Angeles will be paying a combined $43MM or so to add the pair of prospects to its ranks.
Even though he’s only 18, Diaz has been known in Cuban baseball circles for years thanks to his offensive prowess while playing center field in Cuba, Ben Badler of Baseball America (subscription required and recommended) wrote earlier this year. In fact, as a 14-year-old in Cuba’s 16-and-under league, Diaz garnered the attention of scouts when he slashed .367/.519/.517 across 80 plate appearances. In his writeup, Badler praised Diaz for his athleticism, speed, and his production in Serie Nacional, where he faced competition at his own age level as well as veteran talents. Despite having seen time in the corner outfield in the past, Diaz’s best position is center field and that’s where Badler sees him playing at the major league level.
Diaz likely would have been chosen as Serie Nacional’s Rookie of the Year in 2015 but that award went to another player after he defected from Cuba in April. In August, Major League Baseball issued a memo to all teams announcing that Diaz was free to sign. Badler ID’d the Dodgers as one of the logical destinations for Diaz at the time since they were one of the clubs that were already over their 2015-16 bonus pools and facing spending restrictions starting on July 2 next year. The Dodgers will be handcuffed from spending more than $300K on any international player during the next two periods, so they essentially decided to go out with a bang before entering their penalty period.
Estevez, meanwhile, “showed above-average power in games and solid raw power in batting practice,” Sanchez writes. While he doesn’t have the strongest arm out there, he does have good instincts for the second base position. The Dodgers’ international haul for the 2015-16 period has been rather expensive between Diaz, Estevez, Cuban right-handed pitcher Yadiel Alvarez ($16MM), outfielder Starling Heredia ($2.6MM), infielder Ronny Brito ($2MM), outfielders Christopher Arias ($500K) and Carlos Rincon ($350K), and shortstop Oneal Cruz ($950K). That grouping along cost more than $87MM when factoring in luxury tax expenditures, although by Sanchez’s count, the Dodgers have signed 28 international prospects since the signing period began on July 2.
Diaz, 18, ranked as the No. 17 player in Baseball America’s rankings of the Top 20 Cuban players in April. At 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, + defense, + arm.
This is getting stupid. They need an Int’l draft and fast. The Dodgers can’t be allowed to get EVERY international free agent of value.
They won’t be able to for two years now so I don’t see the problem. Other clubs have done the same thing. Your club should’ve too
“Dodgers are already well over the int’l limit for this period (until July 2), so they can keep going over as far as they want, with 100% tax”
-TrueBlueLA
correct
Honestly, MLB just needs to limit how many of these players teams can sign. It’s clear that LA, among other teams, don’t care one bit about the penalty.
If they’d just say, “you can sign (x amount) of international free agents per (x amount) of time” this wouldn’t be a discussion.
It’s wrong any good Cuban playing the game can be a millionaire just by defecting that’s wrong 1/3 don’t make it but again Dodgers can dump on the braves lol
I agree International draft would be a smarter idea.
Not “every” one, but definitely an inordinate share of the international talent pool has ended up in dodger blue, with a surprising amount of underwhelming outcomes.
The Dodgers have signed 4 off the top of my head. Most clubs have signed 2 or more. I hardly think you can call it an ‘inordinate share’
LA signed Yadier Alvarez(16M), Yusniel Diaz(15.5M), Omar Estevez(6M), Starling Heredia(2.5M), Ronny Brito(2M) & more for 45M(+44M tax) = 89M. Previously they signed Puig, Ryu, Alex Guerrero, Urias, Erisbel Arruebarrena
unfortunately that’s not up to MLB… any international draft would only applies to player from countries that agreed to be a part of it.
which would be nobody, because they make more money under this system.
Thats the Dodgers for you.. dropping 22M on 2 players I’ve never heard of..
it’s the Dodgers fault you don’t know them
maybe that says more about you than the Dodgers.
You never heard of them??? Wow they are actually good prospects especially Diaz who is ranked higher than OF Eddy Martinez. Or do you not know who he is too?
Diaz is actually a VERY WELL KNOWN and VERY GOOD player..
More than that if you include the tax.
I hope the dodgers never win again / Cub fan
I’m 6’4 and a lefty… Wonder if I moved to Cuba if the Dodgers would sign me too. I could throw a mean batting practice.
this is what happens when a team has to much money.
Remember when this happened? Dodgers agree to sign Cuban IF Alex Guerrero for $28 million… HAHA. how did that work out for the Dodgers? they GIVE away money.
they’re gonna trade him & others to Oakland for Sonny Gray
he has a 28M contract and you might be better than him.
Yeah, because Alex Guerrero’s $28M contract is hurting them so much right now…
like i said..they give away money.
I (and some 4million fans) will purchase some merchandise to offset the costs
i hear ya…they will continue to give away money looking for the next big thing.
It was a small risk (for them) that didn’t work out. His contract will expire in a year, either way.
For context, his $5M salary this season took up less than 4% of their payroll.
thats sad …28M is a small thing. MLB needs a better system for these players. The dodgers spend but they can’t win. ha.
The only problem with Guerrero is that he is average-slightly below on defense. The guy can hit but its pretty hard to put up any sort of numbers getting one at bat a week
They’re paying free market value for prospects. This is probably the smartest way they could spend their money. This risk are minimal.
well they spend on INT players they havnt really spent on the mlb free agent market think Greinke is the only big FA they have sign and i guess you can include kuroda and RYU , lets see in 2012 they didnt sign pujols,fielder,reyes or darvish 2013 they got Greinke but not hamilton bourn or sanchez in 14′ they didnt sign Scherzer lester shields hanley those are some big FA dodgers didnt sign i dont get why they say they sign everyone
im just checking the top5 or so top free agents over last couple years
Lol only the fans who most pay the cost
Guerrero’s not a bad player, he’s just playing in the wrong league right now.
As a Cubs fan I don’t mind the Dodgers signing all these players…every team has a chance, betting on 18 year olds sometimes works and other times doesn’t, it’s the nature of baseball…the Dodgers can’t win a playoff series…if it was a real problem for baseball, only the Dodgers would be winning World Series…only the Dodgers haven’t been to the World Series since I can remember
so they sign another CF when they already have pederson who just need to work on his bat. i get he still young but why another CF? but never hurts to get another IF prospect since the dodgers dont really have one at 2nd
Could easily move to a corner or platoon with Joc. He’s also 3 or so yrs away.
Who is Jose Peraza then?
They will sign Vladimir Gutierrez as well.
Is the goal complaining about the spending of the Dodgers (and a few other teams, perhaps)? Or is the goal to figure out a somewhat equitable solution to allowing more teams chances at talent? Or is the goal to get owners who severely limit their spending internationally (or in development) to step it up?