Cleveland Sports Forum

Cuba vs. USA from the July 5

Suspended for 16 years, the USA-Cuba Series returns this summer. Between 1987 and 1996, Cubans have recorded 31 wins against 21 losses (.596) in 10 meetings.

USA and Cuba to renew CNT series

Five-game set in Cuba to take place July 5-9, 2012

HAVANA --

USA Baseball and the Cuban Baseball Federation (CBF) announced that their Collegiate National Team programs will resume an international friendship series for the first time since 1996. The U.S. will kick off the renewed series by traveling to Cuba for a five-game set in 2012, scheduled for July 5-9, and Cuba has agreed to bring its National Team to the United States in the summer of 2013.

The two international baseball powers made the announcement at a press conference at the legendary Latin American Stadium in downtown Havana. The Cuban delegation was represented by International Baseball Federation (IBAF) Vice President Antonio Castro and CBF President Higinio Velez. Paul Seiler, executive director/CEO and Eric Campbell, National Teams general manager, were on hand for USA Baseball. Seiler -- also a member of the IBAF Executive Committee -- and Velez signed a letter of intent immediately preceding the press conference outlining plans for the series.

"We are honored and humbled to represent USA Baseball as part of the renewed friendship series between the United States and Cuba," said Seiler. "Both countries share a rich history of baseball and competition, and we look forward to continuing this series for the foreseeable future."

"This is a dream come true," Castro said. "We have been thinking about this for a long time. It will be positive for the players and fans in Cuba, and we look forward to going to the United States next year."

While Cuba and the U.S. have long shared a competitive, international rivalry across all of its age groups and tournaments worldwide -- the countries are currently Nos. 1 and 2 in the IBAF world rankings, respectively -- they have not competed consistently in a home-and-away series at the collegiate level in 16 years. In 1996, Cuba won a five-game series against the United States, 3-2, as part of a tour played in Minor League ballparks across four southern U.S. states. USA Baseball last sent a collegiate team to Cuba as part of the series in 1993, where it won one of three games in Sancti Spiritus.

"I could not be more excited for our players and for our collegiate program as a whole," said Campbell. "This series will be one of the highlights of our schedule each summer."

"These games are of great importance to our federation," Velez said. "It is going to contribute to the development of players in our country, and it will be an opportunity for the athletes and audience to view the development of baseball in Cuba and the United States."

All five games would tentatively be played in Latin American Stadium, and game times have not yet been determined. Following the series, the U.S. and Cuba will travel to the Netherlands for Honkbal Week in Haarlem, set for July 13-22.

USA Baseball records show that the U.S. and Cuba's National Teams (U.S. professional teams did not begin competition until 1999) competed consistently each year from 1987-1996, with various friendship games played as early as the late 1970s. The series is among those with the richest history for USA Baseball, with its collegiate All-Star games against Japan serving as the longest-running friendship series, having just completed its 38th installment in 2011.

The 2012 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team will be led by Tennessee skipper Dave Serrano. Players will be invited over the course of the college baseball season, and the final 22-man roster will be announced on a rolling basis on USABaseball.com as players accept invitations. The team will first gather in Cary, N.C., for training on June 23.

Haarlem baseball week

Cuba lost the title in 2010 against the Netherlands. Cuba will compete with the teams from Japan, the U.S., Puerto Rico, China Taipei and the host country, Holland.

Welcome to the Dominican Prospect League

Baseball's international signing period, which begins July 2, is one of the most important dates on the calendar in Latin America. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) has restricted all teams to a $2.9 million dollar budget internationally in 2012; teams who have been aggressively signing players in the past, stretching their budgets and signing unlimited prospects throughout the International space now have to evaluate their appointed budget. This year's signing class is as solid as ever but by circumstance it has made the signing period more strategic than ever.

MLB teams have a feel for names on their target list throughout Latin America. Gustavo Cabrera rated #1 over all by MLB.com and Perfect Game for his athleticism, plus speed, raw plus power and plus defensive skills leads the July 2nd charge along with Amurys Minier, Wandell Rijo, Richard Urena, Frandy Delarosa, Luis Barrera, Natanael Javier, Jose Pujols, Natanael Delgado, Julio Delacruz, Deivi Grullon and Ronny Carvajal.
Frandy Delarosa signs with the Cubs

This year’s International signing class is one of the more solid in recent time. Delarosa is considered one of the top bats in the Dominican Prospect League class, he has consistently shown his ability to take his tools to game play. He’s a line drive gap guy from both sides of the plate with more power from the left side. Frandy is a solid defender with smooth fielding actions, athletic ability and his overall projection ceiling is high. He was a 2012 DPL All-Star and selected to the DPL Elite Travel Team. The Cubs and Delarosa agree to a contract value of $700,000.00. He was developed by notable trainer Valentin Monero from Boca-Chica.

Congrats to the Chicago Cubs, Valentin Monero and the Delarosa family.

PG Grade: 9.5

Delarosa has outstanding middle infield skills and may have the quickest and softest hands of the group, but falls behind some others in the prospect department due to his lack of present run/throw tools. That isn’t to say that he won’t improve in those areas in the future, as he just turned 16-years old. But Delarosa ran a 7.33 60 without a clean stride and topped out at 79 mph throwing across the infield. He projects as a second baseman due to his arm strength but has a lightning quick double play turn due to his hands.

Delarosa’s hand speed shows at the plate as well, especially from the left side. He has a drifting load, not uncommon among the Dominican hitters, but keeps his hands back well and explodes them at the ball at the last minute. He lacks the strength to drive the ball consistently in game action, although he flashed pull power in batting practice, but squares the ball up well and will continue to improve as he gets stronger.
Deivi Grullon signs with the Phillies

Deivi Grullon, C, 5’11”, 195lb, R/R, 2/17/96, Bonao, Dominican Republic

Deivi was a 2012 DPL All-Star and was selected to the DPL Elite Travel Team. On the US tour this spring training he suffered a hairline ankle fracture on the DPL’s last day in Florida and wasn’t able to play in Arizona, which is unfortunate for both he and the scouts. The Phillies and Grullon reached an agreement for a contract value of $575,000.00

Grullon is considered one of the top catching prospects in Latin America this year. His body type resembles Carlos Ruiz-PHI, the resemblance goes further as his overall future potential is also a close comp. He has a classic catcher’s build, with a thick trunk and heavy thighs and above average present strength, but has surprising one spot lower half quickness behind the plate and is an exceptional blocker. Grullon’s raw arm strength is exceptional and grades out to be above average (65). He does have a hitch in his throwing release which keeps his pop times consistently around 1.85-1.95, but that is only a very minor concern. Offensively, Grullon has some length in his swing but has the strength to create raw bat speed and shows gap power. Most impressively, he showed a very good ability to make adjustments to his swing within an at-bat and was one of the few DPL hitters with a two-strike approach. That kind of aptitude bodes well for his future development.

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies and the Grullon family!
Nathanael Javier signs with the SF Giants

The SF Giants score a BIG bat and a lot of projection in Nathanael Javier. Nathanael was instructed and developed by notable trainer Basilio Vizcaino. He was a DPL All-Star in 2012 and selected to the DPL Elite Travel Team. In May Javier was named MVP of the DPL*PG International Series All-Tournament Game, he had quality AB’s going 3 for 3 with a double and 2 RBI carrying the blue team to victory. Javier and the Giants agree to a contract value of $500,000.00. Congratulations to the SF Giants, Basilo Vizcaino and the Javier Family.

3B NATHANAEL JAVIER
6-3/185, R/R, 10/10/95, Santo Domingo, DR
Trainer: Basilio Vizcaino
PG Grade: 10

While Javier didn’t have the flash of some of the other top Dominican prospects, he might end up being the best all around player aside from Cabrera or Rijo eventually. While his 6-foot-3, 185-pound square shouldered, squared jawed look fits the young prospect prototype, Javier has a look about him that says, “I get this.”He has a very mature gait and rhythm to his demeanor and actions on and off the field and really carries himself like a ball player.

Having tools helps, too. Javier has easy, low maintenance hitting mechanics, with a smooth right handed swing with plus bat speed. He’s the type who one can project to hit for both high average and big power in the future. He’s a prototype third baseman in his build and in his defensive tools as well. Javier runs a 7.10 60 and threw 87 mph across the infield with an easy, clean release and sound footwork. Unless he really gets big and slows down, he should have no trouble staying at the position for the next two decades.

It’s somewhat of an uncomfortable comparison to make, as Josh Vitters hasn’t had huge success in the minor leagues since being the third pick in the 2007 draft (although he did hit .283-14-81 in AA as a 21 year old, which is certainly not bad), but Javier has a lot of the same tools, the same actions and the same profile that Vitters did as a 17-year old.
The SF Giants lock in Gustavo Cabrera

Cabrera was a 2012 DPL All Star and selected to the DPL Elite Travel Team. He was recognized for having the best raw tools in the international market this year. The Giants secure an agreement with Cabrera for $1,300,000.00

Perfect Game scouting report

Cabrera is the player that all the scouts want to see and is going to perhaps be the prospect who will lose the most by the new international signing rules. In the previous unlimited free market system he was likely a $4-to-$5 million dollar player. With the $2.9 million limit per team, he’ll be looking at something more in the neighborhood of $1.5 million.

Cabrera has a tightly wound athletic body reminiscent of Justin Upton. In fact, Cabrera’s tools at the same age are very reminiscent of Upton’s. He ran the 60 in 6.34 seconds in Arizona and has an explosive first step that enables him to steal bases at will (he had 5 steals in one game in Florida) and the aggressiveness and instincts to use his speed. He throws 90-plus mph from the outfield with a very quick release and his speed will give him well above average range at any outfield position.

Cabrera’s hitting mechanics from the right side are still on the raw side, with an early drift to his front side in games and some back side collapse on his swing, but he has electric bat speed and as much home run power as any player on the DPL roster. Any scout who saw his batting practice in Dunedin will remember the line drive he hit off the Blue Jays minor league building in left centerfield.

Interestingly, scouts following Cabrera may have been left a bit frustrated by his game at-bats, as he walked in a majority of his plate appearances in both Florida and Arizona. That’s obviously not a negative, but he walked in 5 of the 7 plate appearances that PG scouts saw him in Arizona, plus drawing 2 walks and a HPB in the DPL/Red Sox game in Florida.

One PG scout remarked after seeing Cabrera for four days, “I haven’t been to Japan (or anywhere else) but I suspect that this is the best 16-year old baseball player on the planet.”
Amaurys Minier signs with the Minnesota Twins

When looking for a power bat throughout the 2012 July 2nd class Minier is definitely a player that should be considered at the top of the list. The Twins continue to be aggressive in Latin America as they secure another quality bat with plus power from both sides of the plate. Amaurys was a 2012 DPL All-Star and winner of the Home run derby, he was also selected to the DPL Elite Travel Team. Minier agreed with the Twins for a contract value of $1,400,000.00. Congratulations to the Minnesota Twins, Jaime Ramos and the Minier family.

IF AMAURYS MINIER- PERFECT GAME REPORT
Trainer: Jaime Ramos
6-2/200, S/R, 1/30/96, San Cristobal, DR
PG Grade: 10

Minier is a very difficult player to scout and get a firm feel for, much like OF Jose Pujols (below). He is playing out of position in the middle of the field on the ill-advised requirement of his trainer in the Dominican, as he has a third base build with a thick lower half and 7.12 speed. He does have good lateral mobility, soft hands and 90 mph arm strength across the infield, and he would be best served by playing third base full-time right now and letting scouts see him at his future position.

Minier is a legitimate switch-hitter who has the same type of bat speed and power from both sides of the plate, a real rarity in any 16-year old switch-hitter, but even more so for a player with plus/plus power potential. His left handed swing is more polished right now and he takes most of his BP swings left handed, but it is easy to see that with more frequent repetitions from the right side there would be little difference in his relative ability. Minier will get pull happy at times and his best swings are when he’s driving the ball to the alleys and not opening up his front side early. In addition, the alleys get much closer when he’s swinging than they do for most hitters.

The issue with Minier is how well he sees the ball at the plate. He doesn’t track the ball well and is pretty helpless on offspeed stuff at present. He’s even a severe keyhole hitter during batting practice. It’s something that has to be addressed at some point. But on raw tools, Minier is as high a ceiling prospect as you will find and will probably be paid accordingly.
The New York Yankees ink Yancarlos Baez

Yancarlos Baez, SS , 6’2”, 165lb, S/R, 9/21/95, San Cristobal, Dominican Republic

Baez is the most projectable of the Dominican infielders and has a higher ceiling defensively than any of them. He’s a wiry athletic body type, he’s long and rangy at 6-foot-2, 165-pounds. He was developed by Academia Josue Mateo in San Cristobal, DR, which is one of the more notable programs in the region.

Baez runs a 6.7 60-yard dash and should get faster as he gains some body strength, you can really see his speed and athletic ability on defense. He has an exceptional ability to accelerate through balls hit in front of him to cut off bad hops and shorten the distance on his throws. He is sometimes too quick on his release and can look a bit frenetic at times, but when he stays back and shows his arm strength it shows plus potential with a present 87 mph gun reading.

Baez is a switch-hitter who has similar swing mechanics and bat speed from both sides, with a bit of an edge on the right side at present. He currently lacks the upper body strength to drive the ball consistently but should continue to improve as he gets stronger.

Baez was selected to the 2012 DPL All-Star Game and DPL Elite Travel Team. The New York Yankees and Baez agreed to a contract value of $650,000.00. Congrats to the New York Yankees, Academia Josue Mateo and the Baez Family
The Phillies and Jose Pujols agree to a Power pact

Jose Pujols had the most impressive raw power in the Dominican Prospect League. He’s been showing jaw dropping HR’s since he was 15 years old. In 2011 Pujols won the DPL Power-Showcase Home Run derby as an underclassmen, belting balls further than the 2011 senior class players the likes of Ronald Guzman, Franmil Reyes and Hersin Martinez. This year Pujols was selected to the 2012 DPL All-Star Game and took part in the DPL Elite Travel Team. During the spring training tour he continued to wow spectators in attendance with his impressive BP sessions, hitting one ball out of the RedSox spring training stadium (Jetblue Park) through dead center field. The Phillies took notice of his power, athletic build, and projection as they continued to follow him throughout the rest of the DPL season. Pujols and the Phillies agreed to a contract value of $600,000.00 ($540,000.00 cash plus $60,000 in college scholarship).

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies, Pedro Nivar, and the Pujols family.

OF JOSE PUJOLS- PERFECT GAME REPORT
6-4/185, R/R, 9/29/95, Santo Domingo, DR
Trainer: Pedro “Nube” Nivar
PG Grade: 10

Pujols is one of the more difficult players to scout in the DPL group and there is a significant difference of opinion on him among scouts. On the plus side, Pujols has a big and very projectable athletic build and should end up in the 6-foot-5, 225-pound type range. He runs the 60 in 6.88 seconds and has right field type arm strength with improvement in his throwing fundamentals and footwork.

On the plus/plus side, Pujols has the type of raw power you rarely see in a teenager. He hits balls in BP to the middle of the field that are routinely 400-plus feet making it scary to think about his power when he matures physically (Giancarlo Stanton is a name that has been mentioned). While some hitters have bat speed, Pujols has bat acceleration. He gets it moving the quickest right in the middle of the hitting zone. On the negative side, Pujols has a somewhat unconventional swing that has surprisingly little extension for a power hitter and isn’t on plane with the ball long through the zone. Game contact is a definite issue right now and could be for some time.

Looks like the Tribe's front office may have been asleep at the wheel again. I can't believe they couldn't or wouldn't sign any of these kids.

No secret! I was wishing and hoping the Tribe would have signed the Giants Gustavo Cabrera.

In the previous unlimited free market system he was likely a $4-to-$5 million dollar player. With the $2.9 million limit per team, he’ll be looking at something more in the neighborhood of $1.5 million. 1.5 million was just worth a look see in my opinion. And he's an OUTFIELDER! I'm guessing the scouting department feels like we already have enough top rated outfield prospects in the system. No need for the likes of Cespedes, Soler, Puig, or Cabrera I guess ?!?!?

Jose Pujols would have been my second choice. Would have been nice to sign both.

MLB teams have a feel for names on their target list throughout Latin America. Gustavo Cabrera rated #1 over all by MLB.com and Perfect Game for his athleticism, plus speed, raw plus power and plus defensive skills leads the July 2nd charge along with Amurys Minier, Wandell Rijo, Richard Urena, Frandy Delarosa, Luis Barrera, Natanael Javier, Jose Pujols, Natanael Delgado, Julio Delacruz, Deivi Grullon and Ronny Carvajal are off the board.

July 2, 2012

Collegiate National Team sets roster

22-man squad to travel to Cuba, the Netherlands

CARY, N.C. --

With trips to Cuba and the Netherlands on the horizon, the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team finalized its 22-man roster on Monday.

The 2012 version of Team USA is currently 4-0 with wins over the Fayetteville Swampdogs, Wilmington Sharks and Morehead City Marlins of the Coastal Plain League and Catawba Stars of the Virginia Collegiate League.

The Red, White and Blue will participate in the final two games of the Prospect Classic on Monday and Tuesday before beginning the international portion of its schedule.

Adam Plutko (UCLA) will start Monday's Prospect Classic contest at the National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., and Carlos Rodon (North Carolina State) will get the nod on Tuesday at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Guided by Tennessee head coach Dave Serrano, the Collegiate National Team will travel to Havana where it will play five games against Cuba at Latin American Stadium, July 5-9.

The first four games against Cuba are tentatively scheduled to start at 8 p.m. before a 5 p.m. first pitch for the final game. The international friendship series will mark the first between the two baseball powers since 1996.

From there, the U.S. will conclude its summer tour by traveling to the Netherlands for Honkbal Week in Haarlem, July 13-22. In addition to Team USA, Cuba, Japan, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico and Chinese Taipei will also participate in the tournament.

Serrano will serve as the manager of Team USA and will be assisted by George Horton (Oregon), Jason Gill (Loyola Marymount) and Andy Stankiewicz (Grand Canyon).

The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team roster is as follows:


David Berg, Fr., RHP, UCLA
Kris Bryant, So., IF, San Diego
Dan Child, So., RHP, Oregon State
Michael Conforto, Fr., IF/OF, Oregon State
Austin Cousino, Fr., OF, Kentucky
Jonathon Crawford, So., RHP, Florida
Kyle Farmer, So., IF, Georgia
Johnny Field, So., IF/OF, Arizona
Adam Frazier, So., IF, Mississippi State
Marco Gonzales, So., LHP/IF, Gonzaga
Brett Hambright, Sr., C, Oregon
Jordan Hankins, So., IF, Austin Peay
Michael Lorenzen, So., OF, Cal State Fullerton
D.J. Peterson, So., IF, New Mexico
Colton Plaia, Jr., C, Loyola Marymount
Adam Plutko, So., RHP, UCLA
Jake Reed, Fr., RHP, Oregon
Carlos Rodon, Fr., LHP/IF, North Carolina State
Ryne Stanek, So., RHP, Arkansas
Trea Turner, Fr., IF, North Carolina State
Bobby Wahl, So., RHP, Mississippi
Trevor Williams, So., RHP, Arizona State

Deals made quickly as international signings begin

Outfielder Cabrera, No. 1-ranked talent, agrees to terms with Giants on first day

By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com | 07/02/12 7:12 PM ET

Today is July 2 and that means the international signing period is under way.

Several members of MLB.com's Top 20 International Prospects have come off the board, according to sources, and more could be on the way.

Outfielder Gustavo Cabrera, the No. 1-ranked international prospect, has agreed to terms on a $1.3 million deal with the Giants, and many of his teammates from the Dominican Prospect League, as well as other teens on the international market, have already started their paths to the big leagues.

"It's a great day for the kids. Our focus has always been the kids and the teams, and today is a great day for both," said DPL co-founder Ulises Cabrera. "Organizations are really excited about the talent they are getting, and the kids are excited to start their careers. There are some potential big leaguers and guys that can really play baseball."

The Yankees agreed to terms with a trio of international teens on Monday, including two ranked in the upper half of MLB.com's Top 20 list. Dominican shortstop Luis Torrens (No. 6) reached a $1.3 million deal, while Venezuelan outfielder Alexander Palma (No. 7) came to terms for $800,000. The Yankees also reached a deal with Dominican switch-hitting shortstop Yancarlos Baez for $650,000.

"I'm so happy," Palma said. "This is very emotional. The only thing to do now is to go forward and keep working hard to get to the Major Leagues."

Venezuelan right-hander Jose Mujica (No. 8) agreed on a contract for $1 million with the Rays.

Both Mujica and Palma are trained by former Major Leaguer Carlos Guillen at his academy in Venezuela.

"In some ways, you can say the mission is complete, but there is still a lot of work to do," Guillen said. "But this is a really joyous day. The players are starting their careers and new chapters in their lives. They've worked really hard to get here, and hopefully they will make it to big leagues one day. We are very happy to be where we are today."

Switch-hitting Dominican infielder Amaurys Minier (No. 4) came to terms on a $1.4 million deal with the Twins, and left-handed-hitting middle infielder Richard Urena (No. 9) is closing in on a deal with the Blue Jays for $725,000.

In addition to inking No. 1-ranked Cabrera, the Giants also agreed to a $500,000 deal with Dominican third baseman Nathanael Javier, who is ranked No. 11.

Shortstop Frandy De La Rosa (No. 10) is close to a $700,000 deal with the Cubs, and third baseman Julio De La Cruz (No. 15) is nearing a $600,000 deal with the Pirates.

The Phillies came to terms with a pair of Dominicans: Outfielder Jose Pujols (No. 16) will get a $600,000 deal that includes a $60,000 scholarship if he chooses to go to school; and catcher Deivi Grullon (No. 17) has a deal worth $575,000.

The signings have not been confirmed by the clubs.

The status of outfielder Jairo Beras, ranked No. 3, remains in question as Major League Baseball reviews the prospect's documents to determine his age before it will approve a $4.5 million deal with the Rangers. Texas general manager Jon Daniels said the club will not be very active as a result. The Rangers spent their entire budget on Beras, treating him as the top prospect on the market, Daniels said.

Additionally, the Cardinals announced the signing of outfielder Luis Bandes, catcher Joshua Lopez and shortstop Edmundo Sosa. The Dodgers signed pitchers Lenix Osuna, Victor Gonzalez and William Soto and catcher Julian Leon.

In accordance with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the international system now operates with money pools and penalties for teams that exceed its pools. For the 2012-13 signing period, every team will be able to spend $2.9 million without penalty. Starting in 2013-14, the pools will be based on each team's winning percentage in the prior season, with pools ranging from approximately $1.7 million to $4.8 million.
Jesse Sanchez is a national reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @JesseSanchezMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

And then you have the Indians

Cuba Announces Tournament team for 2012-13 international season

by Ray Otero

Julio 02, 2012

The director, señor Higinio Vélez Carrión revealed on Monday his plans for the Cuban International baseball season coming in 2013 that includes the Series del Caribe y Third edition of the World baseball Classic in March of the same year.

The president of the Cuban Federation announced a comprehensive screening from a total of 77 players to be considered. Now the Cuban team will take part in the World Baseball Classic next year.

36 players will form part of the Cuban team who will face the two closest international commitments for Cuba, the top national amateur team against the U.S. - in Havana from July 5-9 - and Haarlem baseball week, 13-22 of the same month in Haarlem, Holland.

It was announced that both teams will be managed by Victor Mesa of Villa Clara Cuba , who raised to the highest levels the club of Matanzas Cuba in the last campaign, and who with this designation becomes the leading candidate from Cuba to manage the national team expected to participate in the 2013 World Baseball Classic over the manager from Avila, Roger Machado.

Under the orders of Mesa the following players have been announced :

Receptores (4):

Yenier Bello (Sancti Spíritus), Frank Camilo Morejón (Industriales), Yulexis La Rosa (Villa Clara) y Ariel Pestano (Villa Clara).

Jugadores de Cuadro (10):

José Dariel Abreu (Cienfuegos), Joan Carlos Pedroso (Las Tunas), Juan Carlos Torriente (Industriales), Dayán García (Artemisa), Yulieski Gourriel (Sancti Spíritus), Rudy Reyes (Industriales), Erisbel Arruebarruena (Cienfuegos), Aledmis Díaz (Villa Clara), Alexander Guerrero (Las Tunas) y Roberto Carlos Ramírez (Metropolitanos).

Jardineros (6):

Alfredo Despaigne (Granma), Frederich Cepeda (Sancti Spíritus) (A), Rusney Castillo (Ciego de Avila), Guillermo Heredia (Matanzas) (A), Alexei Bell (Santiago de Cuba) y William Luis (Camagüey).

Lanzadores (16):

Yadier Pedroso (Artemisa), Odrisamer Despaigne (Industriales), Dalier Hinojosa (Guantánamo), Freddy Asiel Álvarez (Villa Clara), Ismél Jiménez (Sancti Spíritus), Vladimir García (Ciego de Avila), Norberto González (Cienfuegos) (LZ), Miguel Lahera (Artemisa), Pablo Millán Fernández (Holguín), Yoelkis Cruz (Las Tunas), Darién Núñez (Las Tunas) (LZ), Alexander Rodríguez (Guantánamo), Leandro Martínez (Granma) (LZ), Antonio Romero (Industriales), Joel Suárez (Matanzas) y Vicyohandri Odelín (Camagüey).

Manager:

Víctor Mesa (Matanzas).

Trainer:

Víctor Figueroa (Matanzas)

Asistentes:

Primitivo Díaz (Pinar del Río) y Ángel Castillo (Ciego de Avila).

Pitching Coaches:

Raicel Sánchez (Pinar del Río) y Juan de Dios Peña (Sancti Spíritus).

Chief Technician:

Jorge Fuentes.

In this diverse group only a total of 24 players will make the trip to Holland while possibly as much will play against the United States in Havana on Thursday.

The Pinar del Rio Jorge Fuentes continues as Chief Technical Officer of the Cubans.

Higinio Velez said Yordanis Alarcón catcher was announced as a member of the preselected group of players but has an injured shoulder. Velez also said that the Santiago's Hector Olivera continues his recovery and could be ready by the end of year, besides mentioning that three players outfielder Carlos Tabares from the Industrial, catcher Lorenzo Quintana and left-handed pitcher Julio Alfredo Martínez, the last two from Pinar del Rio, could come into consideration before the WBC.

Finally one of the most contentious issues was answered in the affirmative and it is the inclusion of Cuba in the upcoming 2013 Caribbean Series in February in Hermosillo, Mexico. To this Velez responded that Cuba asked to be included as a guest at this edition of 2013, ratifying the high cost of re-entry into the Baseball Federation of the Caribbean.

Velez, with this response, must now wait for the decision of the organizers regarding the inclusion of Cuba as a guest and not in the traditional event of the coming year. (?!?!?!?)

Three players who have caused great surprise by their inclusion among the 36 men of Cuba for the events of this summer, left to right the Havana shortstop Roberto Carlos Ramirez, LHP Darien Nunez and outfielder Luis Campillo William from Camaguey.

Many of the top prospects have defected but many remain behind. That list of 36 is impressive.

Badler also adds that the Indians have signed Dominican shortstop Grofy Cruz for a bonus of $400K. Cruz is expected to shift to third base soon, and is praised by Badler for his strong arm and raw power.

Int'l Signings: Barrera, Cruz, Esteves, Gomez, Dodgers
By Zach Links [July 2 at 10:13pm CST]
The 2012 international free agent signing period opened today and plenty of signings will be coming in as teams look to spend within their $2.9MM allotment. We'll be keeping track of all of the day's major agreements under $1MM right here..

The Athletics are finalizing an agreement with Luis Barrera that would pay the Dominican outfielder $450K, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. Sanchez's colleague Jonathan Mayo ranked Barrera as the No. 13 prospect in this year's class.
Badler also adds that the Indians have signed Dominican shortstop Grofy Cruz for a bonus of $400K. Cruz is expected to shift to third base soon, and is praised by Badler for his strong arm and raw power.
Dominican third baseman Kelvin Esteves signed with the Braves for a $300K bonus, Badler writes. Badler praises Esteves' bat speed and raw power from the right side.
The Dodgers also signed Dominican shortstop Cristian Gomez to an undisclosed bonus, writes Badler. Gomez was widely expected to receive a low six-figure bonus.
The Dodgers issued a press release to announce four international signings: right-handers Lenix Osuna and William Soto, left-hander Victor Gonzalez, as well as catcher Julian Leon. Osuna is the son of former Dodgers righty Antonio Osuna. Soto hails from Venezuela while the other three were all signed out of Mexico. Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweets that the club spent about $1MM total on the four players.
The Mets, who earlier today signed shortstop Amed Rosario to a $1.75MM bonus, also signed Venezuelan shortstop Miguel Patino and Dominican second baseman Franklin Correa, tweets ESPN's Adam Rubin. Rubin also notes that Rosario's bonus is the highest the Mets have ever given to an international free agent. That honor had previously gone to Fernando Martinez ($1.3MM).

joez wrote:And then you have the Indians

Indians Stray From Consensus, Sign Hector Caro For $1.1 Million

Posted Jul. 3, 2012 12:02 pm by Ben Badler
Filed under: International, News
The Indians have signed Dominican corner outfielder Hector Caro for $1.1 million.

Cleveland appears to have strayed significantly from the industry consensus in its evaluation of Caro, a player several teams did not consider to be one of the top prospects in Latin America and was not ranked among the Top 20 international prospects for July 2. While Caro's bonus is surprising based on his scouting reports from several organizations, sources had told Baseball America before July 2 that the Indians were expected to give him a seven-figure bonus.

Caro, a 16-year-old righthanded hitter, has a projectable 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame and has flashed raw power in batting practice, but his swing will need improvement and he's had trouble hitting in games. His speed and arm strength will likely limit him to left field. Caro trained with Ivan Noboa, who last year pulled off a $4.95 million bonus for Nomar Mazara with the Rangers in