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The Red Sox Signed Another Cuban Guy Who the Phillies Ostensibly Had Interest In
By Jim Adair
Published:
After missing the boat on Yasmany Tomas by not even making him an offer, and doing the same with Rusney Castillo, the Phillies have check-swung and missed on yet another Cuban defector: Yoan Moncada.
Though the players have come with varying levels of hype, Moncada had the “phenom” tag draped over him, and he will join Castillo as a member of the Boston Red Sox as they once again turn their roster over just in time to win another World Series in, like, three years.
Moncada comes with some baggage, however, as signing him would have seen the Phillies incur penalties for going over their “annual international bonus allotment.” But the Red Sox, ready to make deals and actually go for something, also surpassed their bonus allotment in signing Moncada and will just deal with it. Moncada’s contract is believed to be around $30 million, but it will cost the Red Sox $60 million, though they have some time to pay all of that.
It’s not like the goal here is collecting Cuban players (or maybe it is for the Red Sox). But, say, the Red Sox stockpiling Cubans shows that certain organizations — everyone but the Phillies, seemingly — are willing to take risks on youth and talent. While down at Citizens Bank Park, the strategy seems more wait and wait and wait and wait and see now it’s too late.
When he's not writing about sports here or ranting about them on Twitter, Jim is probably watching X-Files on Netflix or drinking a beer somewhere. Jim has nothing against hockey, it's just not his style. He once met Duce Staley at a Sixers game.