11:58am: MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (via Twitter) that it’s a minor league deal for Mendoza, who will receive a $500K signing bonus. As previously noted, that doesn’t come with a luxury tax since Mendoza is exempt from bonus pools, making his addition is a relatively low-cost pick up for St. Louis.
9:37am: The Cardinals announced that they’ve agreed to terms with 23-year-old right-hander Hector Mendoza. The Cuban native, who is being represented by Wasserman, was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball back in January and is reportedly exempt from international bonus pools. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, though his exemption means that the Cards were free to sign him to a Major League contract.
Though Mendoza falls shy of the requisite five years of pro experience in Cuba that MLB requires for bonus pool exemption, El Nuevo Herald’s Jorge Ebro reported in January that the league determined that Mendoza can be considered a professional rather than an amateur due to brief stints in Japan across parts of two separate seasons (combined with his four years in Cuba).
Baseball America’s Ben Badler connected the Cardinals to Mendoza over the weekend (subscription required and strongly recommended), noting that while he once was one of the more promising young arms on Cuba, he’s struggled Japan and had durability issues in Cuba. Per Badler, Mendoza has a three-pitch starter’s repertoire, including a 94 mph fastball, when he’s at his best. However, scouts who’ve seen him recently offer mixed reports and peg him as a potential reliever. Badler suggests that he’s currently ready to pitch at Class-A Advanced or Double-A. That could conceivably make him an option for the Redbirds later this season, depending on how quickly he’s able to join a minor league affiliate and how he fares once he returns to competitive ball.
In parts of six professional seasons between the Cuban National Series and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, Mendoza has a 2.95 ERA with 6.6 K/9 against 5.3 BB/9. Control issues seem to have always been a problem for the righty, based on his yearly walk rates, but he’s also consistently managed to post solid ERAs and did have a successful run as the closer for Cuba’s Isla de la Juventud in the 2013-14 campaign.
Still waiting for the headline “Cardinals Fire Mike Matheny’.. that was just embarrassing last night.
If they do, it’ll be after the season. More likely that Mabry goes during the season.
I’ve heard that Matheny has said if Mabry goes Matheny will walk too. Fingers crossed!
Red feather – then I hope Mabry is fired immediately
Praying they both Go
Me too
Marmol is a terrible 2rd base coach.
How many times do runners need to be thrown out at the plate by 5 feet or more?
3rd base coach*
Sounds like he will fit right in with all of the latest deals the Cardinals GM has made over the last 4 years plus!
Way to go Matt Adams! Wish you continued success!!!
Cardinals are hilarious they always get the scrap or “leftovers” of what’s available rather than jumping on the better opportunity when presented to them. Everytime.
The first person to go is senior vice president and general manager John Mozeliak.
Interesting
They do need young arms any which way they can get them
they need some young arms with brooms to sweep up the empty offices in the front office and clubhouse that need new employees.
Not sure I agree, but I like what you did there.
Not to mention their possible involvement in the hacking incident. Do we really believe they didn’t know?
I don’t.
Really? One missed playoff by one game and a lackluster season and we clean house…? Mo has done a fantastic job of building a farm system while consistently picking after 25 in the draft. Matheny needs to develop himself and the players, but players have to perform… that’s been the failure
I don’t think he knows how to develop players. Every single player has regressed under his helm. He inherited a pretty good team and system. Nothing has improved. Moz continues to have off season blunders and make clueless decisions. This team seems completely disinterested under Matheny. Personally I don’t think the players wanna play under him. At least that’s what it appears to me. Obviously I’m no GM or player but I’ve watched enough baseball, coaches enough sports, played enough sports to recognize there is something going on. And yes Mabry needs to go, and if Matheny walks because of it or refuses to fire him then I’d 100% say there are issues with Matheny and his inability to change or adjust.
St. Louis has consistently gotten it done. Players have regressed under him, but that was to be expected when they over performed under his helm. Two examples are Grichuck and Diaz. Neither had a strong prospect pedigree and they clearly out performed projections. They they then regressed. How this is the managers fault is beyond me. They were playing over their head.
If that was expected then why didn’t Moz make the right moves? Obviously he and Matheny didn’t think it was to be expected. Carp has continually gone downhill as well, the pitching staff continues to get worse. On a professional level when the results are continually going the wrong direction yes it is the managers fault and GM. They get the pieces and it’s Matheny’s job to make them better and manage the games which he clearly hasn’t shown he can do, you know it’s bad when Joe Buck even says he’s being out managed in playoff games. How this isn’t a managers fault is beyond me. Coaching matters, developing matters. He can’t do either.
Gritchuk was the first round pick right before Mike Trout.
Pretty sure he was a high prospect.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a a different result.”
Brett Cecil should not appear in any kind of high leverage situation
Careful what you wish for. I agree they have to do something different but I am not sure that you are going to get the answer to the problem if you replace everyone in the middle of the season. What I don’t understand is how we have players who aren’t good enough to get playing time here but they go to another team and immediately start hitting well.
Oquendo could take over as Manager immediately and then team morale would be better and their on the field play will be better. Period!