Eddie Altamonte

I was one of the very few that indicated that signing Salty would be regretful He would never have the production for the Marlins hitting-wise, that many were hoping from him. He would continue to strike out a lot. The 2014 season finalized and every point I made came to be true. His defense behind the plate was actually much worse than I envisioned . I say that the Marlins should cut their losses with him now. He will never get 20 HRs in our stadium or hit .275 which would be needed to make up for his defensive woes. It's not a fire sale but time to take out the garbage. I kind of believe that Salty would rather play elsewhere as well. He may be a very productive player in the future, it just does not seem that it will be with the Marlins

More on Moncada... International Free Agent Profile: Yoan Moncada By Steve Sypa  <img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/37470292/163047536.0_standard_730.0.jpg"alt=""/> Koji Watanabe It's not supposed to be that easy. Rey Ordonez became estranged from his wife when he defected to the United States because of time, distance, and the extremely difficult logistics of coordinating temporary or permanent reunions. As a result, he played nearly no role whatsoever in his young son's life. Jorge Toca's marriage fell into disarray for similar reasons. Jose Contreras was separated from his mother for some eight years, though his story had a somewhat happy ending. Yasiel Puig and Aroldis Chapman are both currently facing litigation concerning their supposed "snitching" to Cuban authorities regarding co-conspirators in failed plots to smuggle themselves off of the island. Misael Siverio had to sneak away from a coach who had seemed to always support him without ever saying "thank you" or "goodbye," and then had to deal with the subsequent betrayal of their friendship. Yoan Moncada Olivera (sometimes "Johan") simply asked for his release from the Cienfuegos team, was granted a visa and passport by the government, and left the island nation on a plane headed for either the Dominican Republic or Mexico. This isn't an isolated case. Of late, the Cuban government has been allowing players to leave the country hassle-free, provided they petition and make their case to the Cuban National Baseball Commission. In addition to Moncada, the Cuban government has allowed Yenier Bello, Irait Chirino, and Pável Quesada to leave the country. Coupled with looser restrictions concerning players playing in leagues abroad, the moves are seen as an attempt to establish goodwill so that players can benefit financially and the government can gain more money and prestige. Moncada was born on May 27, 1995, in the central municipality of Abreus in the Cienfuegos province. Like many other Cuban boys, Moncada was raised on tales of great Cuban and American baseball players and aspired to be one growing up; but, unlike so many others, it quickly became apparent that he had hit the genetic jackpot and might just accomplish that dream. The boy sprouted into a roughly six-foot, 200-pound man, able to hit from both sides of the plate and proficient at playing both shortstop and second base. His performance in the National Championship opened eyes domestically, as he notched forty hits—including eight homers—in twenty-four games. His performance in the 14th IBAF U-16 World Baseball Championship opened eyes internationally, as he hit .500/.500/.800 in twenty at-bats, with two doubles and two triples. Naturally, Cienfuegos manager Narciso Ferrer wanted the switch-hitting middle infielder for his team. Playing mostly third and second base, the 17-year-old had a phenomenal season. In his rookie year, Moncada hit .279/.416/.343. He hit an impressive .304/.396/.380 during the Primero Fase (first phase) and .254/.436/.305 during the Segundo Fase (second phase). While he struggled a bit in the second phase, it is important to note that his line was still above average offensively, thanks to his 16% walk rate. GW of obstructedview.net calculated the rookie's OPS+ in the second phase to be 103, slightly better than league average. Moncada did not suffer a sophomore slump, as some players do. For the year—no longer split into Primero Fase and Segundo Fase—he hit .273/.365/.406. While his on-base percentage took a hit, he bolstered his slugging percentage with four more doubles than he had in the 2012-2013 season, two more doubles than in 2012-2013, and two more home runs. His ISO jumped from .064 to .133. Once again, he was an above-average offensive player, with a 118 OPS+. Year Age G AB AVG OBP SLG HR BB K SB 2012-2013 (52nd SNdB) 17 56 138 .279 .416 .343 1 20 35 13/18 2013-2014 (53rd SNdB) 18 45 165 .273 .365 .406 3 20 34 8/14 The youngster seems to know what he is doing at the plate. He has a level, line-drive swing that has already exhibited some burgeoning power, and should continue developing as he ages. According to Moncada himself, he has more power while batting from his left side, but has more bat control and plate coverage when batting from his right. While his strikeout rate over his two years of playing with Cienfuego has been slightly above league average, his walk rate has been very good. The fact that, as a 17- and 18-year-old kid playing against men old enough to be his father in some cases, he is not completely lost and fooled at the plate is an extremely encouraging sign. These are skills that can be honed with experience, and Moncada has a very solid foundation as it is. Though his stolen base success rate would not reflect it, Moncada is very quick. At the 52nd Serie Nacional All-Star Game speed display, Cubahora, a digital magazine, clocked the youth as running from home to first in 3.48 seconds, and rounding the bases in 14.15 seconds; but, as GW of obstructedview.net notes, it is not clear whether or not those numbers include swinging the bat (very likely they do not). As stated aptly in the magazine, the display of speed "left scouts with mouths gaping." By comparison, Billy Hamilton has been clocked as high as going home to first in 3.3 seconds, and Evar Swanson holds the record for fastest time around the bases at 13.3 seconds. Though it is unlikely that Moncada is as fast as Hamilton or Swanson, it can be said with a lot more confidence that he has more in-game speed than Rusney Castillo or Guillermo Heredia, previous winners of the All-Star Game speed display and two players generally considered to be the fastest in contemporary Cuban baseball. Moncada plays second base, shortstop, and third base, but prefers the two middle infield positions. "I feel good in all three positions. I used to play as shortstop, there I felt better, but now that I'm playing in second base I also feel comfortable and I think I can also do well here," he said shortly before the 52nd Serie Nacional. Well into the season, he echoed his earlier sentiments, confirming his desire to stay committed to second base. At 6 feet 2 inches and 205 pounds, either middle infield position is not out of the question, provided that he continues demonstrating the athleticism necessary to play them. While his arm looks about average, his range and reaction time, and overall athleticism seem like plus attributes; the sum total of all of these aspects of his defense should allow the youngster to stick at either middle infield position, including possibly shortstop. Does He Make Sense For The Mets? The switch-hitting middle infielder just turned 19 a few months ago. Coupled with the fact that he has two years of professional experience playing in Cuba, Moncada is not eligible to become an unrestricted free agent when and if all of the legal entanglements barring him from playing in the United States are cleared. Rather, he is treated like any other international free agent prospect, meaning that teams can only sign him between July 2 and June 15, and must draw from their respective international bonus pools to do so. Would Moncada be worth some of those limited international bonus pool funds? Obviously. It would make sense for all other 29 teams to reach deep into their international bonus pools to sign Moncada as well. As a result, the young middle infielder could become somewhat expensive, insomuch as international prospects with semi-solid dollar caps can be expensive to billion-dollar enterprises. The timing of when the Cuban middle infielder hits the market could have a big impact on what team signs him. Though he has yet to begin the process (as far as we know), there exists the possibility that Moncada signs during the 2014-2015 signing period. The 2014-2015 signing period began on July 2, roughly two months ago. Since it began, teams have spent millions of dollars on international prospects. The Mets were allotted $2,697,888 and, as I write this, have signed six international prospects with sizable signing bonuses, for a total of $1,995,000: Kenny Hernandez ($1,000,000), Yoel Romero ($300,000), Edgardo Fermin ($250,000), Jhoander Chourio ($130,000), Daniel Guzman ($140,000), and Tulio Garcia ($175,000). That leaves them with roughly $700,000 left in their international bonus pool for the 2014-2015 signing period. In addition, Ben Badler has reported that the Mets remain front-runners to sign Mexican catcher Juan Uriarte, who would likely receive a sizable portion of that amount. Given timing constraints, and the fact that the youngster (and his agent) would benefit most from teams having their full international bonus pool allotments, it is unlikely that Moncada becomes available for the 2014-2015 signing period. Expect to see the Cuban "prodigy" during the 2015-2016 signing period. Whether or not we can expect to see him donning a Mets uniform is a different story. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/8/26/6055397/international-free-agent-profile-yoan-moncada/in/3285933

This is a cheaper more Loria-like option for Cuban-F/A signing by the Marlins http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/10/27/cuban-second-baseman-andy-ibanez-defects-to-sign-with-mlb-team/

Huge surprise, however well deserved

How good is Moncada? He has more upside than Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo, who just reached a $72.5 million deal with the Red Sox. He’s better than Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas, who’s in the Dominican Republic but is still likely several months away from free agency. If Moncada were eligible for the 2015 draft, he would be in the mix to be the No. 1 overall pick. Gourriel and Despaigne would be safer bets, but there’s no player in Cuba with Moncada’s combination of youth, tools and hitting ability. Moncada generated excitement in the scouting community in October 2010 at the COPABE Pan American 16U Championships in Mexico, then again in August 2011 when he dominated the 16U World Championship in Mexico, where he earned all-star honors at third base by hitting .417/.563/.667 in seven games. Back home in Cuba’s 16U national league that year, Moncada was the country’s top hitter, batting .500/.643/.918 in 158 plate appearances, leading the league in batting average, OBP, slugging, home runs (8) and walks (37) while going 15-for-15 in stolen bases. Moncada stepped up to the country’s 18U national league in 2012, where he again led the league in batting average, OBP and slugging by hitting .434/.543/.648 in 152 plate appearances with a league-best 20 steals in 24 tries. In 2012-13, Moncada made his Serie Nacional debut for Cienfuegos, where he was teammates with White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu and Dodgers shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena. Moncada performed well for a 17-year-old, hitting .283/.414/.348 in 172 plate appearances with 13 stolen bases in 18 attempts. Moncada also made his mark at the league’s all-star game, where Cuba holds certain skill competitions in addition to a home run derby. Among the events are races to first base and around the bases. At the 2012-13 all-star game, Moncada won both races, beating Castillo, a 70 runner on the 20-80 scale, and Guillermo Heredia, a 60 runner who started in center field in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. After the season ended, Moncada joined the Cuban national team in the Netherlands in July 2013 to play in the World Port Tournament, though he only received sporadic playing time there. He was still young enough to play in the 18U World Championship that year in September in Taiwan, where he led the Cuban team in all three slash categories by hitting .375/.483/.542 in 29 trips to the plate. This past season in Cuba, Moncada hit .273/.365/.406 in 195 plate appearances as an 18-year-old, spending most of his time at second base with occasional stints at shortstop and center field. If Moncada is in fact out of Cuba, he would be subject to the international bonus pools. To sign him, however, a team will have to break their pool significantly, which means timing would have a critical impact on where he ends up. If Moncada can receive an unblocking license from the U.S. government and be declared a free agent by MLB during the current signing period, which ends on June 15, the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays would have an edge. Those teams already are in the maximum penalty range for the 2014-15 signing period by going more than 15 percent over their bonus pools, which includes a 100 percent tax on their pool overage. The penalty also prohibits those clubs from signing any pool-eligible player for more than $300,000 during the next two signing periods, which means that if Moncada becomes free to sign after June 15, those three teams won’t be able to sign him. http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/yoan-moncada-cuban-baseball-star/

Yoan Moncada: the New Cuban Baseball Wonder Boy? Yoan Manuel Moncada Olivares is currently full of expectation, because in less than a week, he will wear the jersey of the Cienfuegos team, as rookie, in the 52nd Cuban Baseball Series. And no wonder, because this young player knows there are hundreds of eyes on him due to his distinguished career at youth level, which makes him one of the top prospects in the country. “Cienfuegos can expect the best of me this year despite being a rookie, I hope to have a good result from the work of my coaches and the support of my colleagues who have helped me, and I wish to give a good show to the people of Cuba,” this 17 years old youngster noted. Moncada was born in the neighborhood of Las Quinientas, municipality of Abreu, and made it to the Cuba team in the category 15 -16 years thanks to an excellent performance in the National Championship of 2011, in which he had a tremendous performance with 40 hits in 24 games, including eight homers. Moncada became famous in the 14th World Baseball Championship U-16 IBAF (AA), which was held in Lagos de Moreno, Mexico, where Cuba finished second and he became the only Cuban chosen for the all stars team of the tournament. He won the recognition for Best Third Base by his excellent figures, being the main slugger in the Cuban squad: Average 500, 10 hits in 20 at-bats, with two doubles and an equal number of triples, plus 0.800 slugging percentage and he committed just two errors in defense. A few days ago he had its pre-competitive test towards Cuba’s most important sport event while participating with Cienfuegos (The elephants) in the 20th Antillana de Acero Cup in which "I felt the best since this was my first competition in the Senior Class". He added "This is a good preparation for the National Series as our team thinks to be on top this year". Besides being a switch hitter, Yoan Moncada is able to play multiple positions in the infield, besides the 3 rd base, he also plays as shortstop and in second base. "I feel good in all three positions, I used to play as shortstop, there I felt better, but now that I’m playing in second base I also feel comfortable and I think I can also do well here". Cienfuegos´ boy will have opportunities to shine from now on. He has talent to spare. Time will tell if he has what it takes to reach stardom. His focus on training will have much to do with that. http://oncubamagazine.com/sports/yoan-moncada-new-cuban-baseball-wonder-boy/

If Jennings/Hill are serious in signing a Cuban F/A this is the ring they need to throw their hat in He is very much compared to Puig in power and speed and this Kid is only 19. From what I hear he is skilled-wised close to Hanley Ramirez in that he can be an everyday SS with great power and can steal 50 bases per year, he can however play 3rd base as well. There will be a huge bidding war for him. Now is the time for them to put Loria's money where their mouth is

Michael Hill expects to have Stanton sign an extension by the Winter Meetings

You say he can play all those positions, but the truth is he can't play any positions at all. He is an awful defender and despite his offensive numbers, ended up with only 1.0 fWAR. You think he is worse than Garrett Jones at 1st base defensively? Morse is not the greatest glove guy but he is 10 times the defender that Jones is and he can play 3rd base, he has the arm and the agility

AROD isn't a F/A but Michael Morse is...there is no reason for the Marlins not to offer him a contract

If I was in charge of the FO I would be looking at signing another Giant F/A, Michael Morse. He can play 1st & 3rd base and Outfield. He has significant power, as early as 3 seasons ago he hit 31 HRs. Above all he is a native S. Floridian. He would make a big addition to the Marlins and would not command a huge amount of money

Admin I have no hope on Panda he is asking a minimum of a 100 million contract to stay with the WS winning SF Giants...What would he ask to come to the Marlins? We have a better chance at affording AROD

BTW besides being a cheap asshole is there any reason for Loria not to sign a blank check over to him?

MVP is next!

Buy it while u can put it next to the H2R and the Miggy jerseys

Actually Solano was the only one left after someone yelled ..." La Migra!"

They actually went further than that...They offered them a discount coupon at La Carreta

Josh Beckett ...so many great wins...so many injuries What could have been!

WC I hear what you are saying...This is my point...Hech has quickness and speed but does not use it well, (BTW MOST SS ARE QUICKER AND FASTER IN THE MAJORS RIGHT NOW). He is not a very rangy SS, he is not a very smart or instinctive SS defensively. He is not one of the better hitting SS in the majors. I know he is showing improvement but he is still not good at all in comparison to 29 other SS in MLB. He is a lot closer in comparison to the worse SS in baseball then he is to the best SS in baseball. We all are well aware that Hech was the LVP (least valuable player) last year, in other words worse player in all of baseball This was based on WAR as much as I hate WAR I will use it now to clarify my point (Yeah I know I am a hypocrite, I feel bad about it too) This year Hech is not the worse rated SS when it comes to WAR, actually it was the future first-ballot Hall of Famer Derek Jeter BTW I used SS with Qualified at bats Hech came out 18th out of 22 SS this season, well we all knew he had improved. We know Hech is not better than Jeter, just show how horrible Jeter's season was this year. Hope he enjoys his retirement. The other SS War shows that Hech (0.6 WAR) outperformed are: Xander Bogaerts .5 Jean Segura .3 Yunel Escobar .2 ( Jeter -.3) The difference between Bogaets and Hech is really insignificant Would any GM trade Segura for Hech? NO! Segura is gifted defender like few others, his bat dragged him down quite a bit That leaves Yunel Escobar who the Marlins traded for and traded away giving Hech the job at SS, So Hech is better than Escobar and not much else Hech has gotten better yes but he just isn't better than anyone else...well almost anyone else, just everyone is better than him, significantly better

If you see the level of play of ML SS day in and day out you can see how far off Hech is to even being average. It would take a lot of hard work on his behalf to just get to the middle of the pack...He is such a meh player there aren't any skill that really jumps at you when you break him down...Well he does have a pretty good arm but still nothing really above average for today's SS. He hit .276 but with pretty hollow stats. It is what it is...

I have to agree with Erick..as much as I hate to say it, Erick may just hate that we agree as much as I do Hand really does not really have much trade value, although I really like what I see in him. Next year will be key for him. He can become a solid starter for us. Eovaldi will make an excellent 4th starter next season. I don't think his inconsistencies on the mound came from a lack of stuff or his fastball being too straight. It seemed to be because of lack of maturity. His problems were more inside his head, leading to loss of composure on the mound. He has shown he can often be overpowering. He may benefit from a yoga class in the off-season or making a pilgrimage to the Dalai Lama. He looks to have excellent stuff overall. I am positive he will be just fine. The problem next season will arrive when Heaney makes his way in the rotation. I would say Hand would be the odd man out but if he is pitching better than Eovaldi, then having 2 lefties in the rotation is nice also. I guess we have to just wait and see

I wouldn't extend Hech as of yet he has shown progress as a player but not sufficient to commit to him to any extensive period of time. He is definitely not the future at SS for this team...at least I hope he isn't. What is he in the bottom 3rd of the league? He has the job for next year but we need to keep looking to get better

We were shutout on only 3 hits ib the 1st game ...its kinda nice that we are in a triple tie for 2nd pace

I don't see Cishek being traded right now. I just don't see the need for the Marlins to develop another closer right now...His presence kind of give a young rotation confidence and that is really important to the Marlins

it is starting to look like the Marlins may just trade Dietrich, I guess that what happens to Marlins who make waves and then get injured... I don't know if Koehler may be on the trade market, but those 2 alone will be enough to get a high level prospect middle infielder...Just saying...