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New York Yankees Need to Sign Cuban Free Agent Yoan Moncada

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By @chriswgamble

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If the New York Yankees are serious in getting younger and better then they simply must do everything in their power to go after Yoan Moncada. Moncada is a 19-year-old infielder who recently left Cuba legally and established residency in Guatemala. He has set up a showcase for interested Major League teams which will take place next Wednesday while he awaits being declared a free agent by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. The Yankees are expected to attend along with every other team in MLB.

Moncada has drawn comparisons to Jorge Soler and Yasiel Puig from scouts. That is pretty high praise for a player as young as Moncada. However, as a 17-year-old he hit .283/.414/.348 in 172 plate appearances and followed that up with a .273/.365/.406 campaign as an 18-year-old this past season in Cuba’s highest league.

Because of his age Moncada will fall under the international spending restrictions. This is where the Yankees could benefit, assuming Moncada is posted this year. The Yankees have already gone all-in this season in the international free agent market which will limit them to a ceiling of $300,000 for the next two seasons. However, this year the Yankees seem to be putting all their chips on the table to build up a farm system that hasn’t produced much in the way of Major League talent in recent years. This season, the Yankees can offer Moncada whatever they want as long as they pay a dollar-for-dollar tax on that contract. That doesn’t mean the Yankees will give him a $140 million deal but it could be a decent bit of change, potentially higher than the $30 million Soler received from the Chicago Cubs a couple of years ago.

Adding Moncada would instantly give them an heir apparent at shortstop to Derek Jeter. Granted, he would still be a couple of years away but when an impact player of Moncada’s ability becomes available the Yankees need to do whatever is necessary to bring him to the Bronx.

The Yankees have let young, impactful talent like Jose Abreu, Yasiel Puig, Jorge Soler, Aroldis Chapman and Yoenis Cespedes among many others to go elsewhere when the only risk was money. With Moncada the only risk is money but at his age, talent level and the position he plays he would instantly rank among the team’s best prospects, if not at the top. Given his experience playing in Cuba’s pro league and in international tournaments, it would not be surprising to see Moncada rocket through the minors and give the Yankees some hope that he could be manning shortstop by age 22 or 23.

This is where the Yankees need to be aggressive. Will Moncada be a guaranteed superstar? No. Nothing is guaranteed in baseball but the Yankees must do everything in their power to sign him. This year’s free agent shortstop class is void of any real talent worthy of a long-term deal. Perhaps the best idea for the Yankees would be to sign Stephen Drew as a stop gap and develop a player like Moncada who can be a potential middle of the order bat with blazing speed as a shortstop. It would make more sense to give money to Moncada instead of a multi-year $100 million deal to a Hanley Ramirez who is already 31-years-old and can’t stay healthy.

Even if he never develops into a shortstop at the MLB level the Yankees could have a middle of the order bat that is on the right side of age 25. It has been forever since that has happened in the Bronx and GM Brian Cashman can’t let Moncada walk away. If the Yankees are really serious about improving their farm system then it should begin with Moncada and let the chips fall where they may.

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