What scouts are saying about new Red Sox prospect Yoan Moncada
The Boston Red Sox's reported signing of Cuban phenom Yoan Moncada caught many by surprise Monday given the club's wealth of young infield prospects and stockpile of talented position players.
Not only will the 19-year-old infielder cost the Red Sox double the price of his $31.5-million bonus due to international signing rules, the positions he projects to play - second and third base - are occupied by Dustin Pedroia and Pablo Sandoval, respectively, for at least five more seasons.
Related: Red Sox reportedly land Cuban prospect Moncada
Boston's All-Star surplus notwithstanding, the addition of Moncada is a big-time coup for a club that already possesses top young talent, including infielders Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts. While the Red Sox have time to figure out how to best disperse their wealth of assets, Boston fans are undoubtedly eager to know more about their prized acquisition.
Here's what scouts and talent evaluators are saying about Moncada:
He's got tools
First and foremost, scouts drool over Moncada's physical build and raw abilities.
Baseball America's Ben Badler:
Moncada, 19, is a 6-foot, 210-pound switch-hitter who projects as a second or third baseman in the big leagues, though he will start his career in the minors, with a Class A assignment most likely. His has several tools that grade out now or project to be a 60 or better on the 20-80 scale. His speed, raw power and arm strength are all plus tools, and he projects as a future plus hitter.
A machine in workouts
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Though Moncada first caught the attention of international scouts in 2010 at the COPABE Pan American U16 Championships in Mexico, his November workout in Guatemala reportedly left dozens of scouts in awe.
From Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com:
Different sources had Moncada timed differently in the 60-yard dash, though he ran somewhere in the 6.56- to 6.6-second range. That gives him a 70 for his speed on the 20-to-80 scouting scale, or close to the top of the scale. Moncada reportedly looked better at third and second than he did at shortstop, with enough arm from any infield position. He swung the bat well from both sides of the plate, showing plus raw power both ways.
Standout effort against Team USA at 18U Worlds
Despite his age, Moncada already has experience against top MLB prospects, leading Cuba in average, OBP and slugging at the U18 World Championships in 2013.
They said it
Moncada is considered the best prospect to leave Cuba since Jorge Soler, and would be a potential No. 1 pick in this year's draft if he were eligible.
For a major-league comparable, look no further than a pair of perennial All-Star infielders.
"He could be the next Robinson Cano/Chase Utley, but more Cano," one talent evaluator told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. "That's the kind of potential bat we're talking about."