M's Sign A Cuban!!!

[NWinAZ]

SEATTLE — The Mariners took a small step into the burgeoning Cuban talent pool recently by signing utilityman Dayner Moreira to a minor-league contract.

Moreira, 32, spent time with the Cuban national team before defecting last year after the Caribbean World Series. He will report to the Mariners’ minor-league mini-camp, which begins Feb. 21 in Peoria, Ariz.

"What you have is a 32-year-old who can really, really run," said Tom Allison, the club’s vice president of player personnel. "He’s got multi-positional flexibility. He can play short. He can play third.

"We’ve never seen him in the outfield. Maybe he can run out to left field. Maybe he can be another depth option."

Moreira is a slasher-type hitter who draws comparisons to Pedro Ciriaco, a six-year veteran who recently signed with Texas. Moreira agreed to a standard minor-league contract that did not include a signing bonus.

"He hasn’t played active games in a year," Allison said. "That’s why we’re going to bring him in early (to mini-camp). We’re trying to add depth and flexibility. That’s one thing he can do."

 

[wazzu31]

A 32 year old Cuban? So he's really 40?

 

[unlvmariners]

Not much to be excited about. I would be surprised if he makes any real impact.

 

[NWinAZ]

A 32 year old Cuban? So he's really 40?

Now that is harsh. His 25 year old son also says his dad is 32 and I believe him!

 

[NWinAZ]

Not much to be excited about. I would be surprised if he makes any real impact.

Now that negativity won't work with new managements positive thinking platform. You must change or be prepared to be blocked by team.

 

[unlvmariners]

Now that negativity won't work with new managements positive thinking platform. You must change or be prepared to be blocked by team.

I can't help it....

 

[NWinAZ]

I can't help it....

I think there is an app for that. Look up Tony Robbins and he will set you free...for a low, low price of course.

 

[wazzu31]

Now that is harsh. His 25 year old son also says his dad is 32 and I believe him!

I think it was a gentleman's agreement that when his son turns 18 next year he will sign with the Mariners.

 

[NWinAZ]

I think it was a gentleman's agreement that when his son turns 18 next year he will sign with the Mariners.

Ah, I see. But you mean his 28 year old son, right? He just looks 18.

 

[unlvmariners]

His kid played in the little league world series last year.

 

[NWinAZ]

His kid played in the little league world series last year.

So he is over 18!

 

[unlvmariners]

So he is over 18!

He was the kid with a beard and smoked cigars on the bench. I believe he was born in 1990

 

[wazzu31]

We can't say all Cubans, when Yuni played here he played like a bad 12 year old.

 

[Anointed One]

 

[blstoker]

Mariners signed Cuban 25 yr old CF Guillermo Heredia

 

[NWinAZ]

Mariners signed Cuban 25 yr old CF Guillermo Heredia

Nice catch. Here is an article on him;

Mariners Agree To Terms With Cuban Center Fielder Guillermo Heredia

By Steve Adams | February 22, 2016 at 11:51pm CST

The Mariners have reached an agreement with Cuban center fielder Guillermo Heredia, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Terms aren’t yet known, and the contract is still pending a physical, according to Dutton. The 25-year-old Heredia is old enough and has enough professional experience that he is exempt from international bonus pools, so the Mariners are free to sign him for any length of time and any dollar amount.

Heredia played professionally in Cuba from 2009-14, amassing exactly 1400 plate appearances and compiling a .285/.376/.418 batting line. Back in late January, Baseball America’s Ben Badler wrote that while Heredia is a standout defender in center field with plus speed and a strong arm, there are significant questions about his bat. Notably, Badler pointed out that Heredia doesn’t chase many pitches off the plate but dropped switch-hitting (in favor of batting solely right-handed) in his final pro season in Cuba and doesn’t show much power. (He hit 23 home runs in his Cuban career.)

Questions about his bat or not, a young, possibly plus defender in center field with a keen eye at the plate fits squarely into the mold that Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto has prioritized this season in placing an emphasis on outfield athleticism, defense and on-base percentage. Heredia may be viewed as more of a fourth outfielder than a starting option in center field, but such players have received fairly notable guarantees in the past, with Dian Toscano’s four-year, $6MM deal with the Braves serving as the most recent example. Certainly, that’s not said as a means of setting any type of expectation for Heredia’s ultimate contract — that will depend on how much the Mariners believe in his bat — but simply to illustrate that even a limited skill set can indeed bring in a relatively notable investment.

Given questions surrounding his bat and the fact that he hasn’t played regularly since the 2013-14 season due to his defection and lengthy free agency — Heredia was declared a free agent last July after defecting in January 2015 — Heredia could be ticketed for the minor leagues upon signing. Then again, if the deal is finalized and Heredia looks solid in camp, he could step in as a backup to countryman Leonys Martin in center field; Dutton writes that the Mariners have been seeking a viable backup option to Martin in center field, and Heredia’s strong defensive reputation fits that bill.

Heredia switched agencies this offseason, as Badler reports that he “recently” hired Magnus Sports — the same agency that has come under fire recently due to the human trafficking indictment of agent Bart Hernandez in connection with Martin’s free agency back in 2011. (Martin switched agents in 2013.) Heredia was also connected to the Cubs and Astros before reaching his apparent agreement with Seattle. Assuming a deal is completed, it’d mark the second Cuban free agent signed by the Mariners this month, as Seattle also inked infielder Dayner Moreira to a minor league deal on Feb. 1.

 

[unlvmariners]

I like the CF'er sign, could end up being a solid addition and still pretty young. He sounds like the "Dipoto type" player in CF, all D.

 

[NWinAZ]

I like the CF'er sign, could end up being a solid addition and still pretty young. He sounds like the "Dipoto type" player in CF, all D.

Agreed. May not make the big club out of spring, but may be ready if needed which is more than I can say about anybody else we currently have in the minors.

 

[NWinAZ]

 

[NWinAZ]

Guillermo Heredia, a 25-year-old center fielder from Cuba, has agreed to a one-year Major League contract for about $500,000 with the Mariners, according to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.

Mariners sign Cuban OF Guillermo Heredia

quick video of him in centerfield