Rumors: Dodgers To Hold Private Workout For Yoan Moncada

As more and more Cuban baseball players begin to defect earlier in their lives, teams are beginning to pay top dollar for their services.

It was reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers were interested in right-hander Yoan Lopez after he was cleared to sign. Due to his age and lack of playing time in the Serie Nacional in Cuba, Lopez was due to be paid under the international signing money. The Dodgers lost out on the 21-year-old when the Arizona Diamondbacks signed him on Tuesday, but they’ve quickly moved on.

According to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, the Dodgers are interested in another Cuban of the same first name:

Source: #Dodgers aggressively pursued Yoan Lopez but came up short. Will now shift attention to OF Yoan Moncada. Expect a private workout.

— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) January 13, 2015

Moncada is a 19-year-old that can play second base, shortstop or third base. He’s a switch-hitter that has garnered the most hype of any teenager from Cuba. He too would be signed under the international money, meaning that some teams could be out of funds to even compete for his services.

There is one issue with Moncada thus far and that’s his ability to even sign yet:

Source: Yoan Moncada still not cleared by US govt to sign. His schedule includes seven private workouts with undisclosed teams this month.

— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) January 13, 2015

Once Moncada is cleared by the OFAC, it could become a bidding war for the infielder. Lopez received $8.27 million signing bonus from the Diamondbacks, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim recently signed another Cuban infielder, Roberto Baldoquin, to an $8 million bonus. Moncada should receive at least that much, if not more, once he’s cleared.

Moncada could become the next great Cuban player in Los Angeles, following in the footsteps of Yasiel Puig.