Let the bidding war for Cuban prospect Yoan Moncada begin. The 19-year-old has been cleared by the Office of Foreign Assets Control to freely sign with any MLB club, and because he was made available before June 15, some deep-pocketed teams are in the mix.
Breaking: Yoan Moncada is a free agent after MLB changes its rules regarding Cuban players. Story with details soon on Yahoo Sports.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 3, 2015
The “heavy favorites” are the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, two clubs in need of an injection of youth, but the Los Angeles Dodgers are also considered the favorites by other MLB sources.
Some other teams view the Dodgers as the strong favorite in the Yoan Moncada sweepstakes. — Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 4, 2015
Moncada is a five-tool shortstop, but it’s believed he will eventually wind up at either second or third base. Moncada is expected to receive a deal between $30 and $40 million which will be taxed at 100 percent. The price may be steep for a player so young, but glowing reviews of his workouts make it seem like the risk is worth it.
Baseball America’s Ben Badler believes the Yankees have dire need for an impact position player, and their current holes in the infield offer great opportunities to rise quickly.
“From conversations with several industry sources, the Yankees are one of the frontrunners to sign Moncada, who has residency in Guatemala and is a free agent, though Major League Baseball won’t let him sign until he receives a specific unblocking license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
“While the young Latin American talent in the organization is promising, the Yankees are light on young, impact position players. Moncada, a 19-year-old switch-hitter who would likely slot it at second or third base, would immediately change that, and slot in as the Yankees’ top prospect if he ended up signing with them.”
The Yankees’ current top prospect is Double-A outfielder Aaron Judge, who isn’t expected to reach the majors until mid-2016.
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