Red Sox Nearing Minors Deal With Cuban Second Baseman Yoilan Cerse

[a700hitter]

By Steve Adams [May 15, 2015 at 1:28pm CDT]

The Red Sox are nearing a minor league deal with Cuban second baseman Yoilan Cerse, reports MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). Sanchez reported back in February that the former Cuban All-Star was seeking a deal with a big league club.

 

The 28-year-old Cerse has nine years of professional experience playing in Cuba, so given his age and experience, he’s exempt from international signing pools. It’s unclear at this time what type of signing bonus the Red Sox and Cerse are discussing. While the lack of media attention he’s received thus far would, at first glance, appear to indicate that he’s in line for a minimal bonus, that may not be the case. The Dodgers signed right-hander Pablo Fernandez to a minor league deal in March, and, despite having received little fanfare in the U.S. media, Fernandez landed a hefty $8MM bonus.

 

Cerse, a 5’9″, 172-pound right-handed hitter is a career .325/.395/.468 hitter in Cuba’s Serie Nacional. He never posted particularly gaudy home run or stolen base totals in his Cuban career, topping out at 14 and 10, respectively. However, he showed an excellent knack for making contact, as evidenced by the fact that he walked exactly as many times as he struck out (242) over the life of 3187 plate appearances with los Indios de Guantanamo.

 

Middle infield depth isn’t exactly an area of need for the Red Sox, as they have Dustin Pedroia locked up long-term and Xander Bogaerts penciled in as the shortstop of the future. The presence of that duo, as well as third baseman Pablo Sandoval (five years, $95MM) did not deter the club from giving Cuban infield phenom Yoan Moncada a record-setting $31.5MM signing bonus, however. Boston appears intent on stockpiling talent throughout the organization — even in areas that aren’t an obvious need — which could benefit them down the line in future trade scenarios.

Interesting that we are in the market for another International Free Agent middle infielder. This guy is in his prime years so I don't think he will be working his way up through our minor league system. I wonder what this means for Pedroia and Bogaerts.

[sk7326]

Interesting that we are in the market for another International Free Agent middle infielder. This guy is in his prime years so I don't think he will be working his way up through our minor league system. I wonder what this means for Pedroia and Bogaerts.

 

Considering it's not a big league deal - probably not that much

[Thunder]

Another Cuban? We have Castillo, Moancada, and now Cerse? If we had kept Cespedes, Fenway could have stolen the title of Little Havana from the area in Miami.

[Spudboy]

Hmm. Could be a lot of money for someone who is 28 and has no MLB position anytime soon.

 

Trade chip??? Still a lot of money.

 

Sox have org depth at 2nd.

[cp176]

I'm not sure why they want another middle infielder. Bogaert's and Pdroroia are locked up for a while. Moncada is still in Florida. I know we don't want to rush prospects but doesn't that seem a little overly cautious unless something is up?Cespedes is gone and Castillo can't stay on the field. I want pitchers and I don't care where they come from.

[Spudboy]

I'm not sure why they want another middle infielder. Bogaert's and Pdroroia are locked up for a while. Moncada is still in Florida. I know we don't want to rush prospects but doesn't that seem a little overly cautious unless something is up?Cespedes is gone and Castillo can't stay on the field. I want pitchers and I don't care where they come from.

 

Well said. That's telling them!!!!!

 

And no one has mentioned Coyle, either.

[User Name]

If you don't care where the pitchers come from, then stockpiling depth then trading for pitching sounds like a good idea.

[sk7326]

If they are signing a 28 year old to a minor league deal ... I am thinking trade bait or extra guy.

[cp176]

It's not a bad idea to stockpile depth to make a trade for pitching. It's a good idea. I just don't think that I want to try to guess what their thinking might be. I haven't been right at all so far. i'm a little anxious for that deal that looks logical and good to everyone. Everrtime I have tried to predict what they might do, I have been wrong. The Bradley for Furbush rumor sounded great but not even logical to imagine it. Might take a little more than that to come up with a pitching upgrade. I'm not holding my breath waiting for them to make a move, that's why I am so interested in their young pitchers on the farm.

[Behindenemylines]

Pitching is what needs to be stockpiled. The walks this staff gives up are killing them.