No secret here TFIR. I watched him play about a dozen or so games in Cuba before he defected. I also watched him throughout the playoffs. I can't believe we didn't at least make an offer to him when he was a free agent. Three million/yr for nine years was a contract right up the front office's alley. Can't see how you can get any cheaper than that. Soler's ceiling is very high. I would be shocked if the Cubs trade him.

Maybe I'm wrong, but is Dannys Baez the one and only Cuban player for the Tribe?

I think we have one in the minor leagues.

Cleveland Indians Top 20 prospects for 2016


17) Yandy Diaz, 3B, Grade C+: Age 24, Cuban defector, hit .309/.403/.402 with 78 walks, 70 strikeouts in 495 at-bats between Double-A and Triple-A. Excellent strike zone judgment and I think he can get to some power eventually. Favorite sleeper of many who watch the system closely.

Found some additional information on Yandy Diaz:

Cleveland Indians third base prospect Yandy Diaz has officially been promoted to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. The 24-year-old Cuban defector has been in the Indians minor league organization since last year and he has made his way from High-A ball to one step away from the Majors in that short time.

Yandy has not been thought of as a true "prospect" since his signing (he did not make MLB Pipeline’s Top 20 list for the Tribe), but he has played well enough to be a true contender as the team's third baseman of the future. He leads the Indians farm system in hits with 150 and he is second in OBP with .412. On top of that, he plays great defense.

The season is winding down for minor league teams, with the Columbus Clippers season officially ending on September 7. However, unlike the Akron RubberDucks, the Clippers have clinched a playoff spot, and Yandy with his golden bat will be available to help them go for their first International League championship since 2011. More importantly, this promotion will give the Diaz a chance to face some better competition and give the Indians a better look at the third baseman before next season rolls around.

[ I like these Cubans. They are experienced coming from their professional league while accumulating all of that extra experience during International competitions. They don't normally spend a lot of time in the minor leagues when the come here. A little tweeking and they are, for the most part, ready for major league competition. I did not know that he was only here for one year and is almost ready for his first major league experience. ]

Guess he hasn't impressed anybody yet(except for maybe JoeZ) because they went out and signed a fat, 37 year old that hits 250.

We've had some other Cuban pitchers who didn't amount to much in and around AA level. I think we had a pitcher at a Class A level last season but couldn't find him on a review of the rosters.

Here's the guy I was looking for:

Leandro Linares 6-3 205 RHP. Debuted in Arizona league in 2004 at age 20. nice solid ERA of 7.66 and WHIP 1.74
That earned him promotion to Mahoning Valley. ERA fell to 6.56 although the WHIP was a bit high at 1.909.

Expect lots more great things from Linares.

Tribe-Reds on MLB TV at 4PM eastern time today!!!

Thanks for heads up, Lou!

Where's Uribe?

Is he in AZ ?

Still stuck in the DR ?

Being held in Guantanamo riding a pink bike?

• Veteran third baseman Juan Uribe served as the designated hitter in a "B" game on Monday morning against the Reds on the eve of his planned Cactus League debut, going 1-for-4 with a sun-assisted single. Francona said that Uribe is slated to be the designated hitter against the Mariners in Tuesday's home game "if everything goes OK" with Monday's game.

Twins and Orioles in Sarasota today:

Change the background and it looks really familiar. Looking good JR