Cubs Sign Cuban Catcher
6/15 UPDATE:
On the last day of the 2017-18 International Signing Period (ISP), the Cubs have signed their 46th IFA:
RHP Luis Marte
NOTE: See updated list in original post below.
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6/13 UPDATE:
With just two days left in the 2017-18 International Signing Period, the Cubs have signed their 45th IFA:
RHP Alberto Sojo
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6/5 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed two more IFA (the 43rd & 44th they have signed so far in the 2017-18 ISP):
INF Augusto Acevedo
C Efren Aular
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5/14 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed two more International Free-Agents:
INF Christhian Espinal
INF Pedro Martinez
So the Cubs have signed 42 IFA so far in the 2017-18 International Signing Period (ISP), including 19 from the Dominican Republic, nine from Mexico, nine from Venezuela, three from Cuba, one from Colombia, and one from Panama.
Seven of the 42 (R. Garcia, Guerra, Mora, K. Moreno, Orta, Pertuz, and Verdugo) are presently at Cubs Extended Spring Training in Mesa (Pertuz and Verdugo also attended post-2017 AZ Instructs in Mesa), while the other 35 are attending Spring Training at the Cubs Dominican Academy in Boca Chica this month before making their pro debut in the DSL on June 2nd. (The seven 2017-18 IFA at Cubs EXST in Mesa are competing for jobs at Eugene or with one of the two AZL Cubs teams, but it's just as possible that one or more of the seven could be sent to the DSL if the Cubs believe the player is not yet ready for more-advanced competition in the U. S.).
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5/4 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed three more International Free-Agents:
C Pablo Aliendo
OF Rafael Herrera
C Malcom Quintero
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4/26 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed 18-year old Dominican INF Flemin Bautista.
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3/24 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed three more International Free-Agents (IFA):
LHP Jesus Gomez
RHP Andy Hernandez
INF Juan Mora
All three are 18 years old.
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2/16 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed three more International Free-Agents (IFA), and all three have been assigned to the AZL Cubs (see updated list in original post below).
Among the signings is 21-year old (turns 22 next month) RHSP Raidel Orta. He reportedly received a $10,000 signing bonus.
A veteran of Serie Nacional (the Cuban major league), Orta defected from Cuba two years ago and hasn't pitched competitively since, but he was rated Cuba's #20 prospect by Francys Romero (oncuba.com) going into the 2015-16 season.
This brings the total number of IFA signed by the Cubs in the 2017-18 International Signing Period (ISP) to 33.
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2/15 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed 17-year old Cuban OF-3B Kevin Moreno to a minor league contract and he has been assigned to the AZL Cubs. Moreno says Kris Bryant is his favorite player, and the Cubs are his father's favorite MLB team.
Moreno was not selected to play on the Federacion Cubana de Beisbol 16U or 18U Junior National teams and he has not played in Serie Nacional (the Cuban major league), either, so not much is known about him.
Unlike other Cubans signed by MLB clubs over the years, Moreno is - NOT - a defector. He will be coming to the U. S. on an H2B work visa (just like other international players who reside in foreign countries). But because the U. S. embassy in Havana stopped processing visas last summer, Cubans who wish to obtain a travel or work visa to the U. S. must apply in person at the U. S. embassy in Bogata, Colombia.
So just like their foray into Mexico over the past three or four years has produced some of the best young talent in their system, once again it appears the Cubs are ahead of the curve as far as "working the system" by scouting and signing younger Cubans who are not defectors before they become well-known from playing in international tournaments or in Serie Nacional. (At 17 years and eight months of age, Moreno is the second-youngest Cuban player ever signed by an MLB organization -- LHP Adrian Morejon signed with the San Diego Padres in 2016 when he was 17 years and five months old).
Moreno is the second Cuban player signed by the Cubs during the 2017-18 International Signing Period (see ORIGINAL POST below).
The Cubs have now signed 30 International Free-Agents (IFA) since the start of the 2017-18 ISP on July 2nd (see UPDATED LIST below).
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12/15 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed another International Free-Agent (IFA), bringing the number of IFA signed by the Cubs since the start of the 2017-18 International Signing Period (ISP) to 29 (see updated list in original post below)...
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12/11 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed three more International Free-Agents (IFA), bringing the number of IFA signed by the Cubs since the start of the 2017-18 Internationaal Signing Period (ISP) to 28 (see updated list in original post below)...
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10/28 ORIGINAL POST
The Cubs have signed 20-year old Cuban catcher Alexander Guerra to a minor league contract. He will report to Minor League Camp in Mesa in 2018, and he possibly could receive an NRI to Spring Training (TBD).
Guerra played for Granma in Serie Nacional (the Cuban major league) in 2015 and 2016 before defecting, hitting 267/375/465 with six HR in 33 games (123 PA) for los Alamandas in 2016.
Including Guerra, the Cubs have signed 25 International Free-Agents (IFA) so far since the start of the 2017-18 International Signing Period (ISP) on July 2nd (see list below):
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INTERNATIONAL FREE-AGENTS SIGNED BY CUBS IN 2017-18 INTERNATIONAL SIGNING PERIOD
LAST UPDATED 6-15-2018
* throws or bats left
# bats both
NOTE: Player's listed age is his age when he signed.
PITCHERS: 19
Willy Cabrera (age 17) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'3 210 - SIGNED JULY 2017
* Alejandro Carrillo (age 17) - MEXICO - 5'10 168 - SIGNED JULY 2017
Luis Devers (age 17) - DOMINICAN REPBLIC - 6'3 178 - SIGNED JULY 2017
Moises Diaz (age 16) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'0 195 - SIGNED DECEMBER 2017
Manuel Espinoza (age 16) - MEXICO - 6'0 175 - SIGNED JULY 2017
Kelvin Feliz (age 16) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'1 164 - SIGNED JULY 2017
Francisco Fermin (age 19) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'4 175 - SIGNED DECEMBER 2017
* Misael Garcia (age 16) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'2 196 - SIGNED JULY 2017
* Jesus Gomez (age 18) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'2 190 - SIGNED MARCH 2018
Andy Hernandez (age 18) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'1 178 - SIGNED MARCH 2018
* Johan Lopez (age 19) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'6 200 - SIGNED FEBRUARY 2018
Luis Marte, RHP (age 17) - NFI available - SIGNED JUNE 2018
Raidel Orta (age 21) - CUBA - 5'9 180 - SIGNED FEBRUARY 2018
Luis Ramos (age 19) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'5 205 - SIGNED DECEMBER 2017
Jorge Remon (age 16) - PANAMA - 6'2 160 - SIGNED JULY 2017
* Luis Rodriguez (age 17) - MEXICO - 6'1 190 - SIGNED JULY 2017
Florencio Serrano Jr (age 17) - MEXICO - 6'0 175 - SIGNED JULY 2017
Alberto Sojo, RHP (age 17) - NFI available - SIGNED JUNE 2018
* Saul Vazquez (age 17) - MEXICO - 6'1 178 - SIGNED JULY 2017
CATCHERS: 6
Efren Aular (age 18) - VENEZUELA - 6'1 199 - SIGNED JUNE 2018
Pablo Aliendo (age 16) - VENEZUELA - 6'0 155 - SIGNED MAY 2018
Alexander Guerra (age 20) - CUBA - 5'11 240 - SIGNED SEPTEMBER 2017
Miguel Fabrizio (age 16) - VENEZUELA - 5'11 178 - SIGNED AUGUST 2017
Brayan Mancilla (age 18) - VENEZUELA - 5'11 185 - SIGNED DECEMBER 2017
Malcom Quintero (age 17) - VENEZUELA - 6'0 165 - SIGNED MAY 2018
INFIELDERS: 11
Augusto Acevedo (age 17) - NFI available - SIGNED JUNE 2018
# Flemin Bautista (age 18) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 5'10 170 - SIGNED APRIL 2018
Christhian Espinal (age 17) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'2 180 - SIGNED MAY 2018
# Reivaj Garcia (age 16) - MEXICO - 5'11 175 - SIGNED AUGUST 2017
Nestor Heredia (age 16) - VENEZUELA - 6'1 179 - SIGNED OCTOBER 2017
Widimer Joaquin (age 16) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'2 180 - SIGNED JULY 2017
# Pedro Martinez (age 17) - VENEZUELA - 5'11 165 - SIGNED MAY 2018
Juan Mora (age 18) - MEXICO - 5'9 176 - SIGNED MARCH 2018
Fabian Pertuz (age 16 ) - COLOMBIA - 6'0 156 - SIGNED AUGUST 2017
Luis Verdugo (age 16) - MEXICO - 6'0 172 - SIGNED JULY 2017
* Orlando Zapata (age 18) - VENEZUELA - 5'11 160 - SIGNED OCTOBER 2017
OUTFIELDERS: 10
# Josue Fernandez (age 16) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'3 180 - SIGNED FEBRUARY 2018
Rafael Herrera (age 17) - VENEZUELA - 5'11 170 - SIGNED MAY 2018
Kelvin Hidalgo (age 16) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'3 190 - SIGNED SEPTEMBER 2017
* Kevin Miranda (age 17) - VENEZUELA - 5'11 168 - SIGNED AUGUST 2017
Kevin Moreno (age 17) - CUBA - 6'2 180- SIGNED FEBRUARY 2018
Carlos Morfa (age 16) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'2 190 - SIGNED AUGUST 2017
* Alexander Ovalles (age 16) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'0 190 - SIGNED JULY 2017
* Brailin Pena (age 16) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 5'11 160 - SIGNED JULY 2017
Jonathan Rodriguez (age 16) - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 6'2 190 - SIGNED JULY 2017
* Marco Valenzuela (age 17) - MEXICO - 6'1 170 - SIGNED JULY 2017
All of the IFA were "Signed for Future Service" (meaning they signed 2018 contracts).
Pertuz and Verdugo attended AZ Instructs in Mesa post-2017. The others will be making their pro debut in 2018.
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