Yoan Lopez Archives - River Avenue Blues

Got a few smaller miscellaneous updates of various importance to pass along. Away we go …

Diamondbacks sign Yoan Lopez

According to multiple reports, the Diamondbacks have signed free agent Cuban right-hander Yoan Lopez. His $8.25M bonus is a record under the new international spending rules. Arizona will have to pay a 100% tax on the bonus. Jesse Sanchez says Lopez turned down more money to sign with the D-Backs because he feels it’ll be easiest to crack their rotation. I guess that’s a compliment?

The Yankees reportedly had “strong interest” in Lopez along with several other teams. Meanwhile, the baseball world continues to wait for infielder Yoan Moncada to be unblocked by the Office of Foreign Assets Control so he can sign. That needs to happen before June 15th for the Yankees to have a shot at signing him, and by all accounts Moncada is a potential star at age 19. Moncada is definitely the greater of the two Yoans.

Sabathia feels good, will begin throwing bullpens soon

For the third straight year, CC Sabathia has spent part of the offseason rehabbing. Two years ago it was the bone spur that had to be removed from his elbow. A year ago it was the Grade II hamstring strain he suffered late in September. This year it was the clean-out procedure on his balky right knee.

Sabathia started playing catch in September and, after deciding not to throw off a mound before Thanksgiving, he plans to start throwing bullpen sessions soon. “I’ve been good. I’ve been playing catch. I’ve been throwing. I’ll probably start throwing bullpens by the end of the month … I feel good, I don’t have any pain, no nothing. My arm feels good,” said Sabathia to Mitch Abramson over the weekend.

There’s no real way to know what Sabathia will give the Yankees next season. It could be the knee injury was the root cause of his problems from 2013-14, and this procedure will get him back to being an effective pitcher every fifth day. Or it could just be that he’s a 34-year-old with a ton of innings in his arm and he won’t be much of a help from here on out. Sabathia is going to be one of the most important players to watch in Spring Training.

Sterling and Waldman officially coming back in 2015

This isn’t much of a surprise: John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman are officially returning as radio voices of the Yankees this coming season, according to Neil Best. WFAN operations manager Mark Chernoff confirmed the duo will return for their 11th season together. The Yankees don’t have hiring or firing power over the radio announcers, but they do have input.

Sterling hasn’t missed a game in 26 years, and, back in September, he said he is “never going to retire. I don’t understand why people would.” I seem to be in the minority that doesn’t mind Sterling and Waldman, though then again I don’t listen to more than a handful of games on the radio each year. Sterling is an icon at this point. I can’t imagine a Yankees radio broadcast without him.

Franklin set to take over as “roving evaluator”

Over the weekend, Triple-A Scranton and Double-A Trenton announced their coaching staffs for the upcoming season, and a report said longtime Thunder manager Tony Franklin will be taking over manager of the team’s new rookie ball affiliate, the Pulaski Yankees. That isn’t the case though. Franklin told Nick Peruffo he is moving into a “roving evaluator” role.

“I’m extremely happy. It’s given me some renewed energy,” said the 64-year-old Franklin to Peruffo. “(New player development head Gary Denbo) asked me to do something for him. It was an honor for me that he asked … I’m very happy he thought enough of me to do that.”

According to Peruffo, Franklin is going to travel between the team’s minor league affiliates — with an emphasis on the lower level affiliates — and help the organization’s players, managers, and coaches. His official title has not been finalized but he’s basically going to be a roving baseball guru. Franklin had been Trenton’s manager since 2007. Now he’ll have an opportunity to impact more people. Neat.

Yankees are “heavy favorites” for Yoan Moncada

According to Kiley McDaniel, the Yankees and Red Sox are currently the “heavy favorites” for 19-year-old infielder Yoan Moncada. That’s consistent with everything we’ve heard the last few weeks and months. Moncada has been declared a free agent by MLB but Jesse Sanchez says he still hasn’t been unblocked by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, so he can’t sign yet. Private workouts are coming later this month.

In order for the Yankees to have a shot at signing Moncada, he needs to be unblocked by the OFAC before the end of the current international signing period on June 15th. (Really well before that so they have to time to negotiate.) As a result of their massive international spending spree last summer, the Yankees won’t be able to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 signing periods, and that simply won’t be enough to get Moncada. He’s expected to receive a $30M to $40M bonus, which will be taxed at 100% no matter which teams signs him.

Also, make sure you check out the video embedded at the top of post. It’s a part of a recent documentary about baseball in Cuba called El Trogon. The clip above is video of Moncada with Ben Badler providing commentary about his skills and all that sort of stuff. It’s basically a video scouting report. Make sure you check it out. By all accounts, Moncada is a budding star.

Yoan Lopez now able to sign, Yankees interested

Right-hander Yoan Lopez is now free to sign after being unblocked by the OFAC and declared a free agent by MLB, according to Sanchez. The 21-year-old is expected to sign before Spring Training and the Yankees are one of several teams to “express strong interest” in Lopez. Here’s a scouting report from Sanchez:

Lopez throws a cut fastball, a change, a curve and a slider, but he is best known for a fastball that has reached 100 mph and usually hovers in the 93-95 mph range. In Cuba, Lopez played three seasons for Isla de la Juventud in Serie Nacional, the island’s top league. He sported a 3.12 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 11 walks in 49 innings in his final season before defecting.

Because of his age, Lopez will be subject to the international spending restrictions, meaning the Yankees can sign him for any amount prior to June 15th. After that, they can only offer $300,000. I’m guessing that won’t get it done. That doesn’t figure to be a problem since Lopez seems likely to sign within the next few weeks.

Lopez held a showcase for teams in November and has participated in private workouts the last few weeks. The consensus seems to be that he is not quite MLB ready and will need at least some time in the minors, so Lopez isn’t someone who can step in and help New York’s shaky rotation right away. That doesn’t mean he isn’t worth signing, of course. Sign all the Yoans!

First showcases scheduled for Hector Olivera

Third baseman Hector Olivera will hold his first showcase for teams later this month, at the Giants’ academy in the Dominican Republic on January 21st and 22nd, according to Badler. Olivera has established residency in Haiti but has not been unblocked by the OFAC or declared a free agent by MLB. Since he will turn 30 in April, he is not subject to the international spending rules.

The Yankees are among the teams connected to Olivera, though that was reported before they re-signed Stephen Drew. There isn’t a spot on the roster for another infielder now, and I doubt Olivera is looking to go to Triple-A. The Yankees should be focusing on the 19-year-old Moncada and the 21-year-old Lopez. Olivera is expected to be a solid player, not a star, and at his age he’s simply a lower priority for New York.

News & Notes: Lopez, Sabathia, Sterling, Waldman, Franklin