A new Cuban player is headed to America, so is it time for Yaisel Puig and Yoenis Cespedes to move over? That might be overstating it, but infielder Jose Miguel Fernandez has left Cuba and is job-hunting. The Yankees should get on the horn and see how soon he is available.
Fernandez, 27, is the No. 3 ranked player in Cuba, and he made his mark on MLB clubs during the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Fernandez slashed 524/.545/.667 in 21 at-bats, and didn’t strike out once, which will be his appeal to MLB teams. Fernandez is no slugger – he hit just five home runs in more than 300 plate appearances in his most recent Serie Nacional campaign – but he projects as an OBP monster.
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Fernandez is described as a “major league-ready infielder with a short, quick swing from the left side, excellent bat control and stellar plate discipline,” by Baseball America. He registered on-base percentage in 2013 for the Cocodrilos de Matanzas, and posted a .938 OPS despite his lack of power. It’s important that scouts are convinced Fernandez can maintain that level of on-base ability, because he’s a bit of a one-trick pony. Baseball America cited his thick lower body as something that limits his range, and he’s also a non-factor on the bases. In 2013 Fernandez stole two bags and was caught stealing three times. Defensively, teams may consider Fernandez at third base, where he has some experience, but his arm strength is reportedly not ideal for the hot corner.
Fernandez also hasn’t played since early 2014, because he was suspended for attempting to defect from Cuba. That won’t deter several teams from getting in on the bidding for him once he has established residency in another country and been declared a free agent, which is unlikely to have happened by Opening Day 2016. The Yankees have a need at second base, however, and their current combination of Dustin Ackley and Rob Refsnyder can paper over their issues there until a longer-term solution is found.
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