The Los Angeles Dodgers could be considered the favorite to land 19-year-old Cuban phenom Yoan Moncada.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, other teams around the league believe Moncada will end up in LA.
As Yahoo Sports first reported, Major League Baseball has changed its rules regarding Cuban players. If players can present sworn affidavits and provide paperwork proving they are permanent residents of another country, have no intention of returning to Cuba and are not Cuban government officials, they are now free to sign with any MLB team. Moncada is currently a resident of Guatemala.
Moncada, a switch-hitting infielder, will likely cost the team that signs him somewhere in the $80 million range. He would see about $40 million of that due to tax rules involving the signing of amateur international players.
Other teams that are said to be interested in Moncada are the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers. In others words, a serious bidding war is expected.
The Red Sox already signed one Cuban superstar, so it would be a surprise if they also splurge for Moncada.
One American League scout told the New York Post that Moncada is viewed as an “exceptional talent” who can hit for power from both sides of the plate and is a five-tool player. Considering he is only 19 and scouts think this highly of him, you can understand the level of interest in Moncada.
