Earlier in the week it was reported that Cuban infielder Alexander Guerrero could sign with a team soon. There are four or five teams who have seen the 26-year-old Guerrero work out five or six times, according to new agent Scott Boras. Here's the latest on a couple of other Cuban names who figure to make headlines in the offseason…
- Cuban first baseman Jose Dariel Abreu will have two open showcases for all teams next week, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Abreu will audition for teams at the Yankees’ Dominican facility on Monday and Tuesday and It’s expected that he will field grounders at first base, take batting practice, then face some live pitching. However, he isn’t expected to play in any games or simulated games.
- Pitcher Raicel Iglesias is rumored to have defected from Cuba, writes Nelson Acosta of Reuters. The 23-year-old impressed scouts on Cuba's U.S. tour where he hit 92-95 mph on the gun and made batters miss often with his breaking ball, according to Badler, who also passes along a highlight reel of the hurler. Right now, it appears that Iglesias' biggest problem is control. At 5'11" and 165 pounds, he's also a bit undersized. Badler feels that Iglesias is likely to begin his career in the minors.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
