Pete Alonso to Vie for Third Title at This Year’s MLB All-Star Home Run Derby

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Pete Alonso is gunnin’ for a triple crown…

The 28-year-old part-Spanish American professional baseball player and New York Mets first baseman will participate in the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby on July 10 in Seattle, as he looks to win the title for the third time.

“I’m stoked,” Alonso said after hitting his 25th homer Sunday night in New York’s 8-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants. “It’s a really fun event. The field is extremely talented and I think this is going to be a derby that a lot of people are going to remember for a long time.”

Alonso was selected to his third MLB All-Star team earlier in the day, and New York’s lone representative on the National League squad will take part in the derby for the fourth time.

He joins a field so far that also includes Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena, Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez.

Alonso won the competition in 2019 and 2021. Ken Griffey Jr. (1998-99) and Yoenis Céspedes (2013-14) are the only other back-to-back champions in the history of the event, which began in 1985.

The 2020 edition was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his rookie season, Alonso edged Guerrero 23-22 in the final round with just seconds to spare to claim a $1 million prize.

Two years later, Alonso hit 74 homers at Coors Field in Colorado and won the derby by edging Trey Mancini in the finals.

Last year at Dodger Stadium, Alonso topped Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. in the first round before losing 31-23 to Rodríguez in the semifinals.

Alonso is hitting .221 with 25 homers and 58 RBIs in 76 games this season. He missed 10 games with a bruised left wrist but made a speedy return from the injury.

“I thought that the derby wasn’t necessarily the biggest priority when I was coming back from the wrist,” Alonso said. “It was trying to come back and be as productive as I can for my team. If I’m able to play a game, I’m definitely going to be able to take batting practice. So for me the biggest concern was getting back to the team. The derby for me is a happy bonus.”

Yoan Moncada to Represent Cuba at Upcoming World Baseball Classic

Posted on January 26, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Yoan Moncada is going native…

Cubans signed with Major League Baseball organizations or other foreign clubs, including the 27-year-old Cuban professional baseball third baseman for the Chicago White Sox, will for the first time join local stars on the national team that’ll play in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, according to officials.

The Cuban Baseball Federation long defended the idea of amateurism and punished those who left the island to seek their fortunes in professional baseball.

But that changed when a program on state television announced the roster of 30 players for Cuba’s national team that will play in the international tournament that begins March 8 in Taiwan.

In addition to Moncada and his teammate Luis Robert, plus three players from Triple-A rosters: infielder Andy Ibanez of Detroit Tigers affiliate Toledo Mud Hens, right-hander Miguel Romero of the Oakland Athletics’ Las Vegas Aviators and right-hander Ronald Bolanos of the Kansas City Royals‘ Omaha Storm Chasers.

Also on the team will be outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who played for the New York Mets but has not been in the majors since 2018.

Two Cubans who play in Japan were picked, outfielder Yurisbel Gracial of the Pacific League‘s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and catcher Ariel Martinez of the Central League‘s Chunichi Dragons.

To arrange participation of the MLB players, Cuba had to get special permission from the U.S., since Washington maintains sanctions on Cuba. Under the agreement, those players are barred from coming to Cuba to work with the team.

Baseball is the national sport in Cuba but economic difficulties, the philosophy of restricting the movement of athletes and the temptations of professional contracts abroad have decimated the game on the island.

José Abreu Agrees to Three-Year Contract with Houston Astros

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

José Abreu is celebrating an Astros-nominical deal…

The 35-year-old Cuban professional baseball player, who plays first base, and the Houston Astros have agreed to a three-year contract, according to ESPN.

Abreu will add another run-producing bat to the World Series champions’ lineup that’s already filled with them.

Abreu, who turns 36 in January, won the American League MVP award in 2020 and is second in baseball with 863 RBIs since his first season in the major leagues, 2014. He hit .304/.378/.446 this year with the Chicago White Sox, for whom he had played all nine of his big league seasons after defecting from Cuba.

Following a dreadful first five weeks, Abreu was one of the best hitters in baseball over the final three-quarters of the season, batting .335/.405/.479, though his 15 home runs over the entire year were a career low.

He joins an Astros lineup with fellow Cuban Yordan Álvarez, Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman and World Series MVP Jeremy Peña.

Abreu will replace Yuli Gurriel, a longtime rival in the Cuban National Series.

Abreu and Gurriel, along with Yoenis Cespedes, were widely regarded as the best players of their generation from Cuba, both high-contact hitters — though Abreu’s power was the separator.

The White Sox extended him for three years and $50 million after 2019, when he led the AL with 123 RBIs. Over his nine seasons, Abreu hit .292/.354/.506 with 243 home runs and an adjusted OPS 34% better than league average.

He’s the second signing for this winter for the Astros, who reupped reliever Rafael Montero on a three-year, $34.5 million contract. The Astros’ projected payroll is currently in the $175 million range — they’ve exceeded $187 million each of the previous five seasons — and they still hope to sign ace Justin Verlander, who could command upward of $40 million a year.

Oscar Colás Intends to Sign with an MLB Team

Posted on January 4, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Colás could be playing Major League Baseball soon…

The 21-year-old Cuban outfielder/pitcher, hailed as one of the best baseball talents to emerge from Cuba in recent years, has left the island and intends to sign a contract with a major league team, sources familiar with his plans tell ESPN.

Colás spent most of the last three years in Japan, playing in the minor leagues for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He made his Japanese Leaguedebut in 2019 and homered in his first at-bat after hitting .300/.353/.511 as a 20-year-old in the highest level of the minors.

At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, Colás projects as a power-hitting left-handed outfielder, and could be a lefty pitcher as well. Scouts who have seen Colás in recent years question his ability to become a full-time, two-way player but said his fastball, which runs up to 95 mph, is of high enough quality to allow him to try to play both ways.

The biggest question among teams who found out Friday of Colás’ defection: When does he plan to sign? Much of the money from teams’ hard-capped bonus pools in the 2019-20 international signing period has been spent, according to sources. If Colás wants the multi-million dollar bonus his talent warrants, he might have to wait until July 2, when the new international signing period begins and teams’ bonus pools are refreshed, according to sources.

Colás is not the only top-end talent available from Cuba. Right-hander Norge Carlos Vera, the 19-year-old son of longtime Cuban pitcher Norge Luis Vera, is expected to sign in July. And Yoelkis Cespedes, the 22-year-old brother of New York Metsoutfielder Yoenis Cespedes, defected in June and could sign anytime.

Cespedes Hits Three Homers in New York Mets-Philadelphia Phillies Game

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a three-ja vu for Yoenis Cespedes…

The 31-year-old Cuban professional baseball player for the New York Mets, nicknamed La Potencia, showed his potency at the place by hitting has three home runs in five innings against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Cespedes fell down on a wild swing on the first pitch he saw, then hit a three-run homer to straightaway center field off Clay Buchholz in the first inning. He connected to deep left in the fourth off reliever Adam Morgan and drove another one way out to left in the fifth against Morgan.

Cespedes hit three homers once before, against the Colorado Rockies, on August 21, 2015.

He entered Tuesday’s contest with one homer in the first seven games of this new season.

Quintana Named to American League All-Star Team

Posted on July 11, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a special first for Jose Quintana…

The 27-year-old Colombian professional baseball player, a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, has replaced the Cleveland Indians‘ Danny Salazar on the American League All-Star roster.

A first-time All-Star, Quintana is 7-8 with a 3.21 ERA, sixth in the AL at the start of Sunday. He joins teammate Chris Sale on the AL roster.

Kansas City‘s Wade Davis, Boston‘s Craig Kimbrel and Toronto‘s Marco Estrada also were dropped from the AL pitching staff because of injuries, and Cleveland’s Corey Kluber and Toronto’s Aaron Sanchez were added.

In the National League, Los Angeles‘ Clayton Kershaw and New York‘s Noah Syndergaard got hurt and won’t pitch, along with Stephen Strasburg, who just came off the disabled list, and San Francisco‘s Madison Bumgarner, who starts Sunday. New York’s Bartolo Colon, San Diego‘s Drew Pomeranz and Washington‘s Max Scherzer were added.

In the infield, Aledmys Diaz replaced St. Louis teammate Matt Carpente. In the outfield, Cincinnati’s Jay Bruce and Pittsburgh‘s Starling Marte replaced the Mets’ Yoenis Cespedes and Chicago‘s Dexter Fowler.

Miami‘s Marcell Ozuna and Colorado‘s Carlos Gonzalez entered the starting lineup in place of Cespedes and Fowler.

Top Cuban Prospect Armenteros Agrees to Deal with Oakland Athletics

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Lazaro Armenteros is headed to the West Coast…

The Oakland Athletics landed the 17-year-old baseball phenom, a versatile outfielder and top Cuban prospect, after he agreed to terms with the team on Saturday.

Armenteros receives a $3 million signing bonus from Oakland, which originally signed Cuban Yoenis Cespedes before the 2012 season.

The A’s also agreed to terms with four Dominican players — third baseman George Bell, shortstops Marcos Brito and Yerdel Vargas, and center fielder Kevin Richards. Each of the new acquisitions will report to the club’s Dominican training facility and later to Arizona for instructional league this fall.

A’s assistant general manager and scouting chief Dan Feinstein took the lead on acquiring Armenteros, nicknamed Lazarito. The A’s have been watching him seriously for two years.

“It’s exciting. The scouts and Dan really did a great job with this,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Quite the find getting Lazarito. … I did see a picture where he looks pretty cut up physically.”

Armenteros, a right-handed hitter with speed and a body Feinstein likened to that of “a young Frank Thomas,” batted .462 for Cuba in the 15-and-under World Cup in Mexico two years ago. He hit .416 with a league-leading six home runs in Cuba’s 15-and-under league.

“To say we are excited to add this level of talent to our minor league system would be an understatement,” Feinstein said. “Our International scouts work tirelessly throughout the year, and it’s great to see those efforts rewarded.”

Gonzalez Receiving Interest from Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals & San Francisco Giants

Posted on December 14, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

The future looks bright for Carlos Gonzalez…

The 30-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball player, an outfielder for the Colorado Rockies, is reportedly getting interest from the Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants, according to ESPN.

Gonzalez started the season on a slow start in 2015, hitting .219 with four home runs through May, but belted 27 home runs in the second half and finished with a .271/.325/.540 batting line with 40 home runs. After an injury-plagued 2014, that strong second half rebuilt his trade value, and now the Rockies are listening to offers.

With two years left on his contract at $17 million in 2016 and $20 million in 2017, Gonzalez could be an attractive, shorter-term outfield option for those teams wary of giving $100 million-plus to Justin Upton or Yoenis Cespedes or betting an Alex Gordon to remain productive into his mid-30s.

Gonzalez would be an obvious fit for all three teams that have shown interest: The Nationals are currently counting on Jayson Werth, coming off a .685 OPS season, and Michael Taylor, who posted a .640 OPS as a rookie; the Cardinals just lost Jason Heyward and could use a power bat, and they could put Gonzalez in right field and play Stephen Piscotty at first base; the Giants are looking for a left fielder.

Gonzalez’s value is also very difficult to peg. He played just 180 games in 2013 and 2014 combined, and everyone is going to point to his home/road splits: Over the past three seasons, he has a .952 OPS at Coors Field, .780 on the road. If teams are going to discount Gonzalez because of that, are the Rockies better off just hanging on to him? There’s also the possibility that those splits are overblown, that if Gonzalez is traded then what I call the “Coors Effect” will go away and the splits will normalize. The bigger concern may be that Gonzalez hasn’t hit lefties well in recent seasons, including 2015, when he had a .530 OPS against them.

Still, he’s a 30-homer bat if he stays healthy and a capable defender in a corner outfield position. If I’m one of those teams above, I like the idea of trading prospects for Gonzalez rather than spending big money on one of the free agents.

Morales Hits Three Home Runs Against the Detroit Tigers to Set New Royals Record

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It’s one, two, three slams for Kendrys Morales…

The 31-year-old Cuban professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter, who signed a lucrative, two-year deal with the Kansas City Royals last offseason, enjoyed what might have been the best offensive game of his Major League Baseball career, hitting three home runs in his team’s 10-3 win Sunday over the Detroit Tigers.

Morales also hit a triple and set a team record with 15 total bases.

“We expected him to have a great year,” said Royals manager Ned Yost.

Morales homered in the third, fourth and eighth innings, becoming the first Kansas City player to go deep three times in a game since Danny Tartabull against Oakland on July 6, 1991.

Morales ended up scoring five times on the day, but he was on deck when Eric Hosmer flied out and ended the top of the ninth.

The Royals won the American League pennant last year, but they finished last in the majors in home runs. They’ve shown more pop in 2015, thanks in part to Morales, who took over the team lead in homers Sunday with 21. Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez have 20 each.

“It’s not about competition, it’s just about putting up good ABs and everybody doing their part,” Morales said through a translator.

Morales became the second player with 15 total bases in a game this season. Yoenis Cespedes of the New York Mets did it at Colorado on Aug. 21.

George Brett held the previous Royals record of 14 total bases. He did it in a 16-inning game in 1979.

Cespedes Seeking Long-Term Contract with New York Mets

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It appears Yoenis Cespedes is looking for a long-term commitment…

A recent waiver will allow the New York Mets to negotiate with the 29-year-old Cuban professional baseball player and free-agent-to-be throughout the offseason.

It nonetheless will require a long-term commitment to re-sign him.

Cespedes will be seeking a contract of at least six years this winter, according to ESPN Deportes.

“My only hope is to stay healthy,” Cespedes said. “I’m not thinking about a contract, but I do know that I will be looking for a contract that is six years or more, has to be six years or more. We’ll see what happens.”

Asked if he thinks he will remain in New York, Cespedes said, “At the moment I’m not thinking about any of that … I’d say 50-50. We’ll see after the season ends.”

Cespedes, an outfielder, is hitting .289 with 17 homers and 42 RBIs in 44 games since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers on July 31 for minor league right-handers Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa. That performance has propelled Cespedes into the conversation for National League MVP.

Cespedes thought he was ineligible for the award after hearing many suggest he should not be considered because he has been with the Mets for only the final two months of the season. Told he actually is eligible, Cespedes nonetheless said a player who has been in the NL the entire season should receive the award.

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