Los Angeles Dodgers fans are eager to see what they have in Cuban free agent infielder Hector Olivera, who was signed to a six-year, $62.5 million contract this offseason despite zero MLB experience, an elbow that could have required Tommy John surgery, and sitting out all of 2013 in Cuba with blood clots.
Olivera played just six games at Double-A Tulsa before being promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City, and so far his bat has been impressive at both stops. Olivera was primarily signed for his bat, but there are no designated hitters in the National League so he needs to bring a passable glove with him. The Dodgers have split his time between second and third base, but have not determined whether his leather is MLB-ready.
"It's obviously only been a few games but our staff has been impressed by the calmness he has in the box," President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. "He's worked some tremendous at-bats."
Friedman said that the All-Star break was a "reasonable" expectation for Olivera's debut, but that he does not have "a good enough feel yet" for Olivera's defensive capabilities. Manager Don Mattingly said he has no idea when Olivera will be called up, and commented that it could depend on the Dodgers' needs.
"From our standpoint, we don't have a magic date. We don't have a date circled on the calendar. It's much more about getting him into good baseball shape," Mattingly said.
"You know, he hadn't played in a long time. So we're getting him some games under his belt and once we reach the point of feeling he's physically ready, then we'll decide if it makes sense at that point in time (based on the Dodgers' needs at the big-league level)."
Olivera would be icing on the Dodgers' cake. Justin Turner has been a big surprise as an everyday player, slashing .319/.388/.514 with six home runs, 26 RBI, and plus defense at the hot corner. Howie Kendrick has been reliable at second base as well, and it's not likely the Dodgers trust Olivera's defense enough to replace Jimmy Rollins at shortstop.
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