Yoan Moncada signs with Red Sox($30 Million)

Red(s)HawksFan

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Snoop Soxy Dogg said:
I think Moncada is in the minor league camp, so no number conflicts. I think.
 
I believe that's correct.  When you think about it, there are well over 100 players between major and minor league camps.  Unless they're handing out uniforms with triple-digits on them, there are going to be repeated numbers.  If the camps are separated, there's not a lot to be concerned over.  Besides which, no one is confusing Moncada for Porcello any time soon.
 

nvalvo

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I wish one of the Boston papers had a native speaker of Spanish on the sports page. (And why the hell don't they? Baseball has had a lot of Latin players for awhile now...). I'd love to read a real interview with the guy.
 
I enjoyed the Kiley McDaniels Fangraphs one, but the interposition of the translator makes it awkward hard to follow, even for somebody like me who speaks passable Spanish. 
 

jimbobim

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Bradfo dropping a must read 
 
http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/rob-bradford/2015/03/13/story-behind-how-yoan-moncada-landed-red-sox
 
The tale of how Moncada found Hastings – who barely speaks a word of Spanish – and how the Red Sox identified Moncada as worthy of the biggest bonus ever awarded an amateur free agent, starts in Cuba and would eventually include armed guards in Guatemala, an in-law apartment/base camp in St. Petersburg, Fla., and frantic text messages to Red Sox owner John Henry at the Daytona 500
In the end, the Red Sox outlasted the Yankees, Dodgers, and Padres to secure Moncada's services on a minor-league contract. His Red Sox career may officially begin today, but before he takes a swing, let's dive into the story of how he got here.
 
 
Read the whole thing but this is another paragraph that stands out 
 
The Red Sox weren't going to get in a bidding war with the Yankees, Dodgers, or anyone else. And, in this case, they didn't have to. Following their private workout with Moncada at JetBlue Park, baseball operations had presented their case to ownership for a healthy allocation of money for pursuit of the switch hitter. Seven separate scouting reports had uncharacteristically yielded a unanimously positive view of the player. The path of evaluation was thorough and long. There was very little intelligence in terms of what other teams were willing to invest -- Hastings held such information close to the vest -- but the Sox had already determined a willingness to reach the $30 million range.
 

ivanvamp

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jimbobim said:
Bradfo dropping a must read 
 
http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/rob-bradford/2015/03/13/story-behind-how-yoan-moncada-landed-red-sox
 
The tale of how Moncada found Hastings who barely speaks a word of Spanish and how the Red Sox identified Moncada as worthy of the biggest bonus ever awarded an amateur free agent, starts in Cuba and would eventually include armed guards in Guatemala, an in-law apartment/base camp in St. Petersburg, Fla., and frantic text messages to Red Sox owner John Henry at the Daytona 500

In the end, the Red Sox outlasted the Yankees, Dodgers, and Padres to secure Moncada's services on a minor-league contract. His Red Sox career may officially begin today, but before he takes a swing, let's dive into the story of how he got here.

 

 

Read the whole thing but this is another paragraph that stands out 

 

The Red Sox weren't going to get in a bidding war with the Yankees, Dodgers, or anyone else. And, in this case, they didn't have to. Following their private workout with Moncada at JetBlue Park, baseball operations had presented their case to ownership for a healthy allocation of money for pursuit of the switch hitter. Seven separate scouting reports had uncharacteristically yielded a unanimously positive view of the player. The path of evaluation was thorough and long. There was very little intelligence in terms of what other teams were willing to invest -- Hastings held such information close to the vest -- but the Sox had already determined a willingness to reach the $30 million range.
So this kid could be pretty good when all is said and done, eh?
 

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johnnywayback said:
"Go to 31" could someday become a pretty memorable phrase in Boston sports history. 
Go to 31 was my biggest takeaway from that article. Henry knew the Sox had an opportunity to acquire a talent that can set them up for years of future success and he wasn't going to let 5 or even 6 million dollars come between Moncada and the Sox. Really says a lot about the ownership of this team.
 

Tharkin

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Great article. I hope he spends some time in Portland, I would absolutely drive down to see him in a few games. Here's something from the article that stood out to me:

Everyone in Moncada's camp liked the Red Sox. From the first introductions during the teenager's showcase in Guatemala, the organization's professionalism and friendliness had separated it. The fact that Boston could, and would, pay as much as any of its competitors didn't hurt, either.

I remember reading similar things when Bogaerts signed. Maybe it's just fluff and they'd say that about whichever team won the bidding, but it's nice to read anyway. Can't hurt future negotiations to have a " good guy" reputation.
 

Minneapolis Millers

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Not that we need any more examples, but the difference between how this club operates from the Yawkey Sox is almost hard to fathom.  These certainly aren't our fathers' (or grandfathers', for you youngsters) Sox.
 

joe dokes

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Having Luis Tiant around didn't hurt, I'm sure.  who knows how much input he had on the talent evaluation side, but for a Cuban kid, the team that has a Cuban Baseball God at the workout must be a nice bonus.
 

ivanvamp

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reggiecleveland said:
He doesn't look 19. I hope he isn't really 22.
 
Given how talented he seems to be, I'd be fine if he's 22.  Either way he's really young and very talented and under the Sox' control for a while.  
 

theapportioner

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What I was impressed by was how multiple different scouts came to the same conclusion that this guy was the real deal.
 

Green Monster

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What is potential?
One of most talented 19yo.  Multi positions, natural 2B....developing.....committed to helping him develop
 

Green Monster

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Yoan
Looking forward to getting back on the field....thanks for the opportunity
tough process
thrilled to join the Red Sox
 

Green Monster

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asked about Hastings Yoan gets choked up comparing him to his father back home
 
played with Rusney once.....thinks Rusney is faster.  Needs to train more
 

Green Monster

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favorite position - second base most comfortable also 3B and SS will work on others .  Comes across very humble
 
favorite players - Hanley, Victorino Cano
 

Green Monster

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11 private workouts
 
this is first with so much media
 
just want to get on the field with teammates and start fitting in
 

Green Monster

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YM: limited resources in cuba to follow any teams.  Luis Tiant instrumental about what its like to play MLB
 
BC: no time table in mind.....whatever time he needs....assigned to affiliate....expect Greenville
 

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Green Monster said:
YM: limited resources in cuba to follow any teams.  Luis Tiant instrumental about what its like to play MLB
 
BC: no time table in mind.....whatever time he needs....assigned to affiliate....expect Greenville
 
WIN
 

PaulinMyrBch

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Opening in Greenville, which is huge for me. If Chavis is there also, I may set up shop for a month just to prove I can be inefficient working remotely.
 
On a more serious note, anyone that hasn't been to Greenville, now is your chance. The ballpark and the area around it are great for a weekend getaway. Take the wife and she won't be disappointed with the Main Street restaurants/shopping/etc.
 

Pilgrim

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So, Greenvilles IF will be Devers-Guerra-Moncada-Travis. That's not bad.

Edit- that's using Soxprospects' projected rosters, anyway
 

nvalvo

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Green Monster said:
favorite position - second base most comfortable also 3B and SS will work on others .  Comes across very humble
 
favorite players - Hanley, Victorino
That answer was Robinson Cano in the Fangraphs piece.
 

Rasputin

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PaulinMyrBch said:
Opening in Greenville, which is huge for me. If Chavis is there also, I may set up shop for a month just to prove I can be inefficient working remotely.
 
On a more serious note, anyone that hasn't been to Greenville, now is your chance. The ballpark and the area around it are great for a weekend getaway. Take the wife and she won't be disappointed with the Main Street restaurants/shopping/etc.
And here I was hoping he'd go to Salem so I could see him in Myrtle Beach.

We'll be trying to get to Greenville later in the season, but I'm afraid Moncada won't be there then.
 

nvalvo

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Green Monster said:
Yeah, I was typing while he was talking and missed some of it.....should have left it out
 
I was just suggesting that he's (quite understandably) changed his story since a week ago :rolleyes: .
 

SaveBooFerriss

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Pilgrim said:
So, Greenvilles IF will be Devers-Guerra-Moncada-Travis. That's not bad.

Edit- that's using Soxprospects' projected rosters, anyway
 
I really hope  Travis doesn't need repeat Greenville. If an advanced college hitter can't start his full year in high A, there is something wrong.  
 

Drek717

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SaveBooFerriss said:
 
I really hope  Travis doesn't need repeat Greenville. If an advanced college hitter can't start his full year in high A, there is something wrong.  
Hasn't there been some talk of Sam Travis getting jumped to Portland out of the gate?  I mean, they get the kid taking ABs in big boy ST games when they only have partial squads or get deep into games and he's holding his own, I see no reason for him to repeat Greenville as well.
 
That said, Nick Longhi is hopefully going to be in Greenville before too long even if he doesn't immediately start there.  His season got cut short last year but he was handling the NYPL with ease offensively so if he looks healthy in mL camp this year I would hope they'd seriously consider giving him the jump out of the gate.  If not he shouldn't be too far behind.
 

charlieoscar

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PaulinMyrBch said:
Opening in Greenville, which is huge for me. If Chavis is there also, I may set up shop for a month just to prove I can be inefficient working remotely.
 
On a more serious note, anyone that hasn't been to Greenville, now is your chance. The ballpark and the area around it are great for a weekend getaway. Take the wife and she won't be disappointed with the Main Street restaurants/shopping/etc.
 
I've been to a game there and quite enjoyed Fluor Field. The town looked very interesting but we didn't have a chance to check it out as this was a side trip with the SABR national convention in Atlanta and we also went to the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and Library, which is locaetd near the ballpark.
 

SaveBooFerriss

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Drek717 said:
Hasn't there been some talk of Sam Travis getting jumped to Portland out of the gate?  I mean, they get the kid taking ABs in big boy ST games when they only have partial squads or get deep into games and he's holding his own, I see no reason for him to repeat Greenville as well.
 
That said, Nick Longhi is hopefully going to be in Greenville before too long even if he doesn't immediately start there.  His season got cut short last year but he was handling the NYPL with ease offensively so if he looks healthy in mL camp this year I would hope they'd seriously consider giving him the jump out of the gate.  If not he shouldn't be too far behind.
 
Yup, if Longhi is healthy he should be in Greenville.  He may have been able to handle Greenville last year (pre-injury).  
 

charlieoscar

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Scott Lauber, in Yoan Moncada still a mystery (Herald) has a story about how Moncada's agent, David Hastings declined to provide any information about he left Cuba legally: "It is a private matter." Hastings is an accountant from Florida who allegedly speaks very little Spanish, knows little about baseball, and is more of a surrogate father to Yoan. Lauber goes on to say, "Vice Sports, a web site that explores sports’ role in society, reported in December that Moncada was listed on an online baby registry with California-based agent Nicole Banks, who has been linked with Hastings’ wife to a business called Baseball Divas, LLC."
 
A web search shows that Nicole Banks is no longer active with Baseball Divas, LLC, but a Josefa Gonzales Hastings is the active managing member. It further shows that Nicole Banks was teh Managing Member, President, Secretary, and Treasurer of Diamond Divas, Inc., which is now inactive.
 
Any resemblance to Pi? 
 

DrBlinky

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Drek717 said:
Hasn't there been some talk of Sam Travis getting jumped to Portland out of the gate?  I mean, they get the kid taking ABs in big boy ST games when they only have partial squads or get deep into games and he's holding his own, I see no reason for him to repeat Greenville as well.
You may be confusing Sam Travis with Travis Shaw. Travis Shaw has gotten about 15 ABs in games thus far while Sam Travis has 2 ABs.

That said, hoping Moncada makes it to Salem by the time I get to Roanoke later this summer.
 

amfox1

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Pilgrim said:
So, Greenvilles IF will be Devers-Guerra-Moncada-Travis. That's not bad.

Edit- that's using Soxprospects' projected rosters, anyway
 
I would project Sam Travis to start in Salem.  He got 100+ PAs in Greenville last summer and should start in high-A.  Moncada will likely stay back in Florida for extended spring training for a couple of weeks before going to Greenville.
 

Byrdbrain

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charlieoscar said:
Scott Lauber, in Yoan Moncada still a mystery (Herald) has a story about how Moncada's agent, David Hastings declined to provide any information about he left Cuba legally: "It is a private matter." Hastings is an accountant from Florida who allegedly speaks very little English, knows little about baseball, and is more of a surrogate father to Yoan. Lauber goes on to say, "Vice Sports, a web site that explores sports’ role in society, reported in December that Moncada was listed on an online baby registry with California-based agent Nicole Banks, who has been linked with Hastings’ wife to a business called Baseball Divas, LLC."
 
A web search shows that Nicole Banks is no longer active with Baseball Divas, LLC, but a Josefa Gonzales Hastings is the active managing member. It further shows that Nicole Banks was teh Managing Member, President, Secretary, and Treasurer of Diamond Divas, Inc., which is now inactive.
 
Any resemblance to Pi? 
It may be hat you meant to say but Hastings speaks very little Spanish not English. Hastings wife is from Cuba though and owns or is involved in a Cuban restaurant that Moncada's friend hung out at which is how they initially got hooked up, per the Bradford article anyway.There is a link above to a story Bradford did that gives some good background though not any specifics about him actually leaving Cuba.
 
Edit:Bradfo article linked in post 316, previous page not above.
 

charlieoscar

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Byrdbrain said:
It may be hat you meant to say but Hastings speaks very little Spanish not English. Hastings wife is from Cuba though and owns or is involved in a Cuban restaurant that Moncada's friend hung out at which is how they initially got hooked up, per the Bradford article anyway.There is a link above to a story Bradford did that gives some good background though not any specifics about him actually leaving Cuba.
 
Edit:Bradfo article linked in post 316, previous page not above.
 
Yes, that was supposed to have been "speaks very little Spanish." My fingers don't always type what my mind is thinking. I corrected that, thanks. I missed the Bradford article.
 
edit: And it's miles and miles better than Lauber's article.