Tag Archives: Yasiel Puig

Arruebarrena Agrees to Five-Year Deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers

Posted on by
Reply

Erisbel Arruebarrena is being heralded as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ “shortstop of the future”…

The 23-year-old Cuban professional baseball star has signed a five-year-contract with the Dodgers.

Erisbel Arruebarrena

The deal will pay Arruebarrena $25 million, according to an ESPN source, which includes a reported $7.5 million signing bonus.

Arruebarrena remains in the Dominican Republic, trying to secure a visa to travel to Arizona to join the team’s spring training camp, and likely will begin the season in the minor leagues, but the Dodgers believe he’s full capable of being their shortstop of the future.

“We think he adds to our major-league club at some point this year, someone who can play shortstop at a high level,” Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said.

The Dodgers have begun discussions with shortstop Hanley Ramirez on a long-term contract extension, but Colletti said Ramirez is open to moving positions, likely to third base. Ramirez is a free agent at the end of the upcoming season.

The Dodgers hope Arruebarrena can improve his hitting with some time in the minor leagues. He batted .276 with 67 doubles, 27 home runs and 171 RBIs in 437 career games in the Cuban Serie Nacional. He was teammates with Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig.

“He brings another superb glove to our organization,” said the Dodgers’ top international scout, Bob Engle.

Uribe Signs New Two-Year Deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers

Posted on by
Reply

Juan Uribe will remain a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers…

The 34-year-old Dominican professional baseball infielder has signed a two-year contract with the team he joined in 2011.

Juan Uribe

“Juan was a major player in our success last season,” Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti was quoted as saying Tuesday in a team press release. “His play at third base, leadership in the clubhouse and clutch hitting helped the club immensely.”

Uribe had a .278 batting average, 12 home runs and 50 RBI in 132 games for the Dodgers in the 2013 season.

He also took on the role of mentor for Cuban rookie sensation Yasiel Puig, who had a limited command of English during his first big-league season.

Uribe has a career .253 batting average.

Also Tuesday, the Dodgers announced the signing of right-handed relievers Jamey Wright and Chris Perez and southpaw J.P. Howell.

The Dodgers reached the 2013 postseason after making a big surge up the standings in the summer months, but the team was eliminated by the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series.

 

Marlins’ Fernández Named the National League Rookie of the Year

Posted on by
Reply

José Fernández has capped off his remarkable first year in Major League Baseball with a massive honor…

The 21-year-old Cuban professional baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins has been named the National League Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA).

José Fernández

The phenom with an inspiring personal story and incredible talent received first-place votes on 26 of 30 ballots. He was second on four ballots, and he received a total of 142 points.

Fernández was a finalist along with Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig and Cardinals right-hander Shelby Miller.

Puig finished second, and he collected four first-place votes. The Rays’ Wil Myers won the American League Rookie of the Year Award.

“When they said my name, and said I had 26 votes, it was pretty nice,” said Fernández. “I’m really excited. I think the fans down in Miami are really happy about it. My family here is really excited too.”

Fernández beat long odds to even gain his freedom from Cuba. He reached the United States after several failed attempts, and after settling in Tampa, Fla., in 2008, the hard-throwing right-hander doggedly pursued his baseball dream. The Marlins made him the 14th overall selection in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.

Making the day even more memorable is Fernández was able to celebrate with his grandmother, Olga, whom he had not seen since he left Cuba five years ago.

Olga obtained a five-year visitation visa, and the Marlins set up a surprise visit for Fernandez to reunite with his grandmother on Sunday at Marlins Park.

When Fernández was informed he had won, he was flanked by his grandmother and mother, Maritza, during the announcement on MLB Network.

“I was kind of expecting to be the Rookie of the Year, or it to be close,” Fernández said. “Having my grandma here came out of nowhere. It’s completely out of nowhere. I’m trying to let it sink in, and I’m trying to spend time with her.”

Fernández is the fourth player in franchise history to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award, joining Dontrelle Willis (2003), Hanley Ramirez (2006) and Chris Coghlan (2009).

Fernández also joins Tony Oliva (1964) as the only Cuban-born Rookie of the Year.

Entering the season, MLB.com ranked Fernandez as the Marlins’ No. 1 prospect and the seventh overall prospect in the Majors.

In Fernandez’s 28 starts, the Marlins were 18-10. Fernandez paced all NL rookies in ERA (2.19), strikeouts (187), batting average against (.182) and WHIP (0.98). He also averaged 9.75 strikeouts per nine innings

As part of his remarkable 2013, Fernandez also threw an inning in the All-Star Game, and he didn’t disappoint. In a perfect sixth, Fernandez struck out Dustin Pedroia and Chris Davis while getting Miguel Cabrera on a soft pop fly to first.

The performance made Fernandez the third pitcher in the history of the All-Star Game to strike out two batters prior to turning 21 in his Midsummer Classic debut.

Nolasco Registers Win in His First Start with the Los Angeles Dodgers

Posted on by
Reply

Ricky Nolasco has made a major impression in his first game on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 30-year-old Latino-American baseball right-hander pitched seven strong innings in his debut with the Dodgers to lead his brand new team to a 6-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Ryan Nolasco

Nolasco, acquired by the Dodgers from the Miami Marlins this weekend in exchange for a trio of pitching prospects, allowed four hits, one earned run and struck out five Tuesday night at Chase Field in Phoenix.

He was credited with the win, improving his record this season to 6-8.

The Dodgers’ hitters, meanwhile, gave their new starter plenty of run support, with first baseman Adrian Gonzalez leading the way by driving in three runs to increase his RBI tally for the season to 57.

Nolasco also helped his own cause by singling in the game’s first run in the top of the second inning.

Rookie sensation Yasiel Puig had a hit and two walks, while shortstop Hanley Ramirez went 0-for-4 as his career-best 19-game hitting streak was snapped.

Diamondbacks third baseman Martin Prado singled in second baseman Aaron Hill in the bottom of the 7th inning for Arizona’s only run.

Relievers J.P. Howell and Ronald Belisario pitched the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, for the Dodgers.

The win improved the Dodgers’ record for the season to 44-45, which leaves them just 2.5 games behind the NL West division-leading Diamondbacks with the second half of the season just starting.

Puig to Play Ball for the Los Angeles Dodgers

Posted on by
Reply

It’s Lucky No. 7, of sorts, for Yasiel Puig…

The 21-year-old Cuban outfielder has reportedly reached agreement on a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to ESPNdeportesLosAngeles.com.

Yasiel Puig

Puig’s agreement is pending a physical exam, and would be the largest dollar figure accorded a Cuban defector, surpassing the four-year, $36 million deal Oakland Athletics outfielder Yoenis Céspedes received in February.

“Puig’s contract with the Dodgers should be completed by Friday. The young man could play in the major leagues this year, maybe in time to help with the race for the playoffs or the World Series,” said the source, who added that the agreement includes some clauses that could permit Puig to become a free agent after his fourth year.

Under the new rules that regulate the hiring of Cuban ballplayers, upon receiving permanent residency — known as FM2 in Mexico — Puig will not need to be unblocked by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the agency of the U.S. Department of the Treasury that enforces the sanctions of the United States’ embargo against Cuba.

Puig batted .330 with 17 home runs, 47 RBIs and 78 runs scored in 327 at-bats with the Cienfuegos Elefantes in the 2010-11 Cuban National Series. He averaged .370 in 46 at-bats in the playoffs.

Puig, once considered the fastest player in Cuban baseball, was left off the Cienfuegos team for the 2011-12 season after having been caught on several occasions trying to escape the country. He finally succeeded in defecting last month and established residency in Mexico.