D-Backs Sign Cuban Pitcher Yoan Lopez for $8.27 Million
HAVANA TIMES — Yoan Lopez, a 21-year-old right-hander has signed a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The agreement reached for $8.27 million is a record amount for an international player with less than five seasons played in his home country.
Lopez played three seasons with his home town team, Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth), with his best year being his final season in Cuba, (2013-2014) when he had a 3.12 earned run average (ERA) with 28 strikeouts in 49 innings.
Yoan acheived his dream to sign with a Major League team on the wave of dozens of successful players coming from Cuba, leading the Diamondbacks to take a chance on him. He had fled the island to Haiti last year along with his father and settled in the Dominican Republic to await his big chance.
The New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres had also expressed interest in the 6-foot-4-inch pitcher who has a fast ball reaching around 95 MPH and also a slider, change and a curveball.
Hahaha! If Jose can stay out of trouble, he will get better every year. Whatever the value is today, it will be worth more next year, and the next, and the next.
I find it interesting that he chose to accept the offer from the last place Diamondbacks instead of the Yankees or the Dodgers. Perhaps he figured he would have a better shot at being a starter in Arizona? I wish him well.
By the way, now that Jose Abreu is rookie of the year, how much do you think my son’s autographed ball and Cuban flag will be worth on eBay? Not that they’re for sale.
He gets to keep all of the $8.27 million. Well, except for the part he has to pay to his agent, his trainer, his lawyer and the guys who paid for his travel and room and board for the year he spent in Haiti and the DR. On top of all this, the Castros want their cut. Let’s hope that the new relationship will not include blood money to the regime. MLB has enough problems without doing business with a dictatorship.
Another report said Lopez had interest from the Dodgers, the Yankees and San Diego. He chose to go with Arizona as he felt it was a better fit for him. Let’s hope he’s right, and good luck!