Major League Baseball announced today that the Rays will play an exhibition game against the Cuban National Team in Havana, Cuba on March 22, thus marking the first time an MLB club has visited the island since the Orioles played an exhibition game there in March of 1999. (Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times first broke the news that plans had been finalized.) “During a time of historic change, we appreciate the constructive role afforded by our shared passion for the game, and we look forward to experiencing Cuba’s storied baseball tradition and the passion of its many loyal fans,” said commissioner Rob Manfred in a statement announcing the game. Added MLBPA executive director Tony Clark: “We thank the Cuban National Team and all involved in hosting this game, as we are very excited to return to Havana to continue our efforts to strengthen the ties between our countries through our love and passion for the game of baseball.”
As the Rays gear up for a historic trip to Havana, here are a few notes pertaining to some of the top Cuban talent in the world…
- The Padres are now the favorites to sign Cuban prospect Lazaro Armenteros, according to Baseball America’s Ben Badler (subscription required but highly recommended), though he notes that the Braves and Dodgers both have some interest. However, Badler notes that the player known as “Lazarito” has been “the subject of some of the most extreme sensationalism in public reports,” and ranks the 16-year-old 11th on his list of the top 15 Cuban players available to Major League clubs. Lazarito would add to what appears to be a potentially significant class of 2016-17 international prospects for San Diego, as Badler and ESPN’s Eric Longenhagen have both previously reported the Friars as the favorites to sign 19-year-old outfielder Jorge Ona (fourth on today’s rankings from Badler) and 17-year-old lefty Adrian Morejon (10th). It’s worth noting, too, that Badler isn’t downplaying Lazarito’s talent entirely; he does write that Lazarito’s talent is “right up there” with the other top international prospects that have signed in the 2015-16 international class, so the implication is merely that the “phenom” labels that have been placed on Lazarito are an overstatement.
- Third baseman Luis Yander La O, currently a bonus-pool-exempt free agent, did not perform particularly well at a February showcase that was also impacted by poor weather, Badler notes in his rankings. La O still landed eighth on Badler’s list, but he notes that La O may schedule another showcase in an effort to put on a better show for interested clubs.
- The Reds have seemingly changed course in their pursuit of shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez and will convince him to wait until July to sign, Badler reports while ranking Rodriguez 12th on his list. Had Cincinnati signed Rodriguez for his the $6MM bonus that was reported back in January, they’d have been barred from signing international amateurs for any more than $300K in each of the next two signing periods. Badler notes that as compensation for making Rodriguez wait, however, the Reds might end up giving him an even more sizable bonus than that $6MM sum (which, of course, will come with a 100 percent luxury tax).
- Guillermo Heredia’s previously reported deal with the Mariners became official today, per a club announcement. Heredia signed a one-year, Major League contract with the Mariners that will pay him the league minimum salary, as Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports. At the time of the signing, details on the contract were vague and did not specify whether Heredia had secured a Major League deal or a minor league deal. He’s been added to the 40-man roster, according to the Mariners, with Jesus Sucre being shifted to the 60-day DL in order to clear a spot. For what it’s worth, Badler noted in the aforementioned piece that the Mariners got “a terrific bargain” on Heredia, even with questions about his bat. Badler has previously noted that Heredia is a plus defender in center field with good speed.
I really do think that Lazarito will sign with the Braves. But I also don’t think he’ll live up to the hype…
On what basis do you think he’ll sign with ATL? Braves fan here, but I’m admittedly more focused on Maitan and Gutierrez. We really need some catching depth, and seemed to have done well with improving OF depth recently.
Completely agree. The 2016 draft doesn’t have much in the way of talented catchers and MLB pipeline lists just three catchers in the top 100 prospects and the top guy in the position ranks 50th!
Considering the lack of catching depth throughout baseball currently in major league baseball and the draft pools, and how much one of those three top 100 catching prospects would cost, we need to look in other places. The international pool seems like a good way to go though this solution is about 3-5 years away.
On a baseball level, I love what the MLB is doing in Cuba. On a human level I think it’s horrible. The Cuban government continues to repress, detain, and/or beat anybody who does not agree with them. My family has/had many friends who lived through it. It’s disappointing to see this country do business with a place like that. Just my opinion.
I doubt Cuba is any different than many other countries that we currently do business with. Hopefully recent events will lead to a better more open society for Cuban people. I’m not sure our policy for the past half century accomplished what it was intended to unless abject poverty and distress was its objective.
Definitely good points. If it helps put an end to what’s going on over there, I’m all for it. I just hope we’re not being overly naive.
It’s tough to say exactly what the best policy for Cuba would be. It’s obvious that the embargo and seclusion of the past 50 years has been a complete failure. Cuba, like many other Latin American countries is poor. So, simply opening trade is not going to fix their way of life. The Castro’s will be the past shortly and the Cuban population will have a greater voice in their government. The path they choose should be left entirely up to them and our government should not get involved. Personally, the way our government treats Latin American countries like they are a younger sibling that needs our guidance to run their country correctly embarrasses me and is part of the reason the Cubans threw us out in the first place. I hope our next president continues to grow a relationship with Cuba and soon we will have completely normal relations. When I was stationed in Gitmo I was able to see a very small fraction of what looks like a beautiful country and I would love the opportunity to see all of it.
For the baseball part of my post I would like to say Lazarito is only 16 years old. Who knows what kind of body and baseball iq he is going to have at 21. If he is able to hit a 90mph fastball at 16 I would think all teams should be interested in him. I would think his coachability should be one of the most important things teams should look at. Just my meager opinion but any 16 year old that shows his level of talent deserves to be called a phenom.
Don’t. Believe. A word of it (Lazarito to the Padres).
What could you say about a 16-year old that would not be an overstatement?
Can we please just not get Rodriguez at all?
At BEST hes a slick fielding AAA backup. He has zero power and his OBP is lackluster. There is little reason to believe his bat or approach will develop enough to warrant the investment.
Waste of money.
A few years ago the Pirates apparently “broke the system” when they signed Josh Bell a second round draftee to a $5 million dollar deal – causing MLB to overhaul the draft process for American kids.
So now, a team can sign a cuban plyer who is less talented for $6 million with a 100% Tax and that is seen as no problem?
Is it only because the Pirates didn’t pay MLB the Tax that was the problem??
How fair is this process to the American kids?
They think they have to treat kids from other countries better, why can’t they treat us all the same
Bottom line is if you are good you will get your pay day no matter who you are some just have to be patient. I doubt Harper is losing sleep over night about it.
Harper isn’t the rule, he’s the exception. kingfelix34 is referring to the rule. Harper is a once-in-a-generation talent brought before most, allowing him to maximize his earning potential because of his age. If you have 16 year-olds signing with teams, spending 4-5 years with a club developing to possibly debut at 20-21, they’ll be in a better position than most natives that have had to go to school. Sure, there’s a lot more risk on the former than the latter, but there doesn’t seem to be an even playing field, talent or not.
Take your 16 year old to Cuba establish residency and then see if he gets a contract then, you are acting like he isn’t one of a kind him self teams are not signing every random 16 year old from Cuba.
It isn’t an even playing field because one side lives in the USA with every advantage in the world, and the other comes from poverty with no advantages.
I think American kids have enough economic advantages over kids from Cuba to not complain, does this Cuban kid have any option outside of baseball? I think the American kids will survive.
Maybe you haven’t noticed, but one of the most constant drum beats on the business of baseball side for the last 12 months has been that the international signing process is a problem and it needs to be overhauled.
Of course, the system that’s in place today was put in at the exact time that they overhauled the draft process and was seen as a way to “fix the problem.” It’s just that Bud Selig was inept and his “fix” was an unmitigated disaster for teams with smaller budgets that want to bring in foreign talent.
Would love the braves to get laz and maitan