Close to signing Cuban short stop?... Dodgers close to signing slick-fielding Cuban shortstop Erisbel Arruebarruenaby Aaron Gleeman | NBC Sports Hardball Talk -- 20 minutes ago Getty ImagesContinuing their focus on using their spending advantages to acquire talent internationally the Dodgers are close to signing Cuban shortstop Erisbel Arruebarruena, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes.Arruebarruena defected from Cuba in November and held workouts for MLB teams in December. He’s considered an elite defensive shortstop, but there are lots of questions about how his hitting will translate to the majors.Because he’s 24 years old the spending won’t count against the international limits, giving the Dodgers a way to spend all that cash they have sitting around. Earlier this offseason the Dodgers signed another Cuban middle infielder, Alexander Guerrero, for $28 million, and in 2012 they dropped $42 million on Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig. __
Dodgers Nearing Deal With Cuban Shortstop Arruebarruena By Steve Adams [February 12, 2014 at 10:36am CST] The Dodgers are nearing an agreement with Cuban shortstop Erisbel Arruebarruena, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes (Spanish link). Arruebarruena, who defected from Cuba last year and established residence in Haiti, is traveling to the United States to take a physical, according to Rojas' source. The 23-year-old Arruebarruena has six seasons of professional experience in Cuba's Serie Nacional and therefore is not subject to the spending restrictions placed on international amateurs. He is free to sign with any club for any amount. Arruebarruena is considered an elite defensive shortstop, but most scouts have serious questions about his bat. Though Arruebarruena batted .320/.367/.520 in 306 plate appearances in Cuba from 2011-12, Ben Badler of Baseball America spoke with multiple scouts at the time of his defection and noted that many questioned whether Arruebarruena could manage a .220 average or .300 OBP in the Majors. He's also not a particularly fast player, further limiting his offensive upside. Given all of that info, it's not difficult to see why Arruebarruena has drawn comparisons to fellow Cuban shortstop Jose Iglesias. This would mark the third significant Cuban signing for the Dodgers in the past two years, as the team has also inked Yasiel Puig and Alexander Guerrero. The Dodgers appear set in the infield with Juan Uribe, Hanley Ramirez, Guerrero (or Chone Figgins, Dee Gordon or Miguel Rojas) and Adrian Gonzalez. However, a deal for Arruebarruena would likely be made with an eye on the long-term. Badler noted in his write-up that the defensive wizard would almost certainly require some minor league seasoning to hone his offensive skills, possibly having to begin at the Double-A level. __
If we get him a good deal and he really is a defensive whiz, this could be promising. If he starts in AA, maybe they can tweak the bat too. I am not upset with the signing. Wanted Diaz but that may be wishful thinking.
Not to double post but... Could it be that we are trying to make ourselves the Cuban destination like we did with Japan a few years ago.
really hope they're keeping in contact with hanley don't want him reading into things too much kersh re-upped, $100MM+ bid on tanaka, signing not one but two shortstops...
not sure if we're still interested but the guy could help fill the punto void especially with guerrero and arruebarruena unproven... Emilio Bonifacio Clears Release WaiversBy Steve Adams [February 12 at 12:28pm CST]Emilio Bonifacio has cleared release waivers and is now eligible to sign with any team as a free agent, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish.The Royals avoided arbitration earlier with Bonifacio earlier this month, agreeing to a one-year, $3.5MM contract. However, since that time, they've agreed to bring lefty Bruce Chen back into the mix in 2014 and chosen to designate Bonifacio for assignment to clear roster space. The Royals were unable to find a trading partner and placed Bonifacio on release waivers two days ago. Arbitration contracts are not fully guaranteed, and as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports pointed out yesterday, Kansas City is only on the hook for roughly $575K of that $3.5MM guarantee.Any team is now free to sign Bonifacio at any price. The speedy 28-year-old struggled to a .218/.258/.321 batting line in his short time with the Royals but quickly turned it around upon arriving in Kansas City last year. With the Royals, Bonifacio slashed a healthy .285/.352/.348 in 179 plate appearances. He showed off his best tool -- speed -- by swiping 28 bases in 36 tries between the two clubs last season. Though he's not a gifted defender at most positions, Bonifacio is versatile; he comes with big league experience at second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions. As many as nine clubs, including the Orioles, are said to have interest in the switch-hitter. __
Dodgers, Erisbel Arruebarruena Agree To Terms By Steve Adams [February 12 at 12:27pm CST] The Dodgers have agreed to terms with Cuban shortstop Erisbel Arruebarruena, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick (Twitter link). Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reported earlier today that the two sides were nearing an agreement, and Arruebarruena was traveling to the United States to take a physical. The 23-year-old Arruebarruena has six seasons of professional experience in Cuba's Serie Nacional and therefore is not subject to the spending restrictions placed on international amateurs. Arruebarruena is considered an elite defensive shortstop, but most scouts have serious questions about his bat. Though Arruebarruena batted .320/.367/.520 in 306 plate appearances in Cuba from 2011-12, Ben Badler of Baseball America spoke with multiple scouts at the time of his defection and noted that many questioned whether Arruebarruena could manage a .220 average or .300 OBP in the Majors. He's also not a particularly fast player, further limiting his offensive upside. Given all of that info, it's not difficult to see why Arruebarruena has drawn comparisons to fellow Cuban shortstop Jose Iglesias. Arruebarruena adds to the Dodgers' infield depth, but it's unlikely that he'll be ready to make an immediate impact in the Major Leagues. Badler noted that some minor league time was almost a certainty for Arruebarruena, adding that he could even have to start at the Double-A level due to his questionable offensive skills. Arruebarruena can serve as an insurance policy in the event that the team is unable to reach an extension with Hanley Ramirez. He could also provide an elite in-house option at short (defensively speaking, that is) should Ramirez sign an extension but eventually need to move to third base. Arruebarruena joins Yasiel Puig and Alexander Guerrero as the third notable Cuban signing for the Dodgers in the past two years. __
Yeah, couldn't blame the guy if he is a bit puzzled about this whole deal...with his history of emotional behavior, I hope someone is stroking him on this...figuratively, of course. Otherwise, I just don't get it entirely. Talent is talent, but what the hell are they saying to Hanley about the near future? Maybe, "we have four outfielders...we want four ss, too. And eight starting pitchers. We are the Dodgers. The mighty, mighty Dodgers". Anyway, the guy probably sucks....his name does not start with a Y, and everyone knows, an Hispanic whose name doesn't start with Y is mierda.
Arruebarruena adds to the Dodgers' infield depth, but it's unlikely that he'll be ready to make an immediate impact in the Major Leagues. Ben Badler of Baseball America noted that some minor league time was almost a certainty for Arruebarruena, adding that he could even have to start at the Double-A level due to his questionable offensive skills. [Though] not a gifted defender at most positions, Bonifacio is versatile; he comes with big league experience at second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions. yeah, we could still very well be in on bonifacio
I truly say the more the merrier when it comes to IF depth. This would be a great pickup. One of my biggest fears is that Uribe looks like the Uribe who signs contracts. The thing I like about Uribe is that he seems to be a clubhouse guy that Hanley and Puig talk to. Bonifacio could solve a plethora of issues. SVS works as a backup OF/1st Bono (as he shall be known hereafter) would back up the left side of the IF Dee is the speedy guy that backs up 2nd and CF Chone Figgins (if he looks even good enough to play) adds depth. Justin Turner (Looks like could be a potential steal) Unfortunately we need room for the whomever does not play of the main four (I am guessing Kemp for at least two weeks) and a backup catcher. That leaves room for 10 pitchers. If Beckett is healthy, yeah. Someone was complaining about a depleted bench?
Always been a fan of Bonifacio. Speed for days, and can play tons of positions. Need the bench depth, so why not take a flyer?
Just thinking out loud here, feel free to poo-poo me. Maybe the IF depth hoarding is for future use, with maybe an eye towards moving an outfielder or two (for prospects) with the end result of stashing an extended Hanley in the outfield. Maybe next year or the year after. Who knows?
The Dodgers still apparently are interested in giving a contract extension to current shortstop Hanley Ramirez, but with an understanding that he would move permanently to third base when a shortstop replacement is ready. again, i hope they're communicating this with hanley and his representatives, and not just releasing it through the media...
they probably are...and the money they're offering is helping Hanley cope. lol let's get Aruba and Bonofacio into spring training and IN THE MIX! great news all around today.
update... 3:20pm: Arruebarruena could receive a guarantee of around $25MM, a source tells Rojas (Spanish language link). __
3:20pm: Arruebarruena could receive a guarantee of around $25MM, a source tells Rojas (Spanish language link). Let me put a very different spin on it for you. Maybe we are locking up a ton of IF guys for another reason. We have very few. If we grab Bono and we have Erisbel, that leaves the following long term: Alex, Seager, and Dee. To whomever suggested that we have 3 SS, that is only correct in name. Thus far we have only one--and he has defense issues. Dee is not an SS. He has shown that it is not his position. 2nd is a better fit with CF sporadically. Same goes for Alex. Hanley SHOULD be at 3rd. Seager is playing okay at SS right now, but scouts have said he would be the biggest SS ever if left there. Not going to happen. Guys we are playing this right. Hanley loves the atmosphere. He knows that his bat gives him precedence over anyone else not named Seager (and even him at this point). We are slowly creating a team that can replace the current one as one goes due to injury, FA, or whatever. Kasten has said numerous times that we will not live off FA forever. He ran the fucking Braves in their hayday and the Nationals until recently. What do they have in common? They grow from within and add pop when necessary. The amount of work that has been done in the course of 2 years is INSANE. I have never given Ned much credit but he deserves some--even if it is just listening to Kasten. We trade from areas of strength (pitching/4th outfielders) and we continue to stockpile in areas of weakness. A roster, in my opinion, should be 75% homegrown. There should be a pipeline that is able to handle most issues. The other 25% should come from FA and trades. That is how you build a dynasty.
That's a pretty large amount from the reports I've read about his game. Some scouts say that they see him struggling to have an OBP above .300. We'll see though, our scouts deserve some trust as well after striking gold on Puig and Ryu.