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Report: Angels Among 7 Teams Scouting Cuban Prospect

Originally posted on FanNation Halos Today
By J.P. Hoornstra | Last updated 2/6/24

Nine years ago, the Angels dipped into the trendy global hotbed for amateur baseball talent: Cuba.

It was the Winter of 2015, and Major League Baseball was buzzing about who might become the next Yasiel Puig or Yoenis Cespedes. The Angels believed that player was Roberto Baldoquin.

Baldoquin never made it past the Double-A level, and the Angels gave up on their $8 million investment in 2020. The signing bonus was a record for a Cuban amateur at the time; it did not even include the onerous overages the Angels were required to pay.

Flash forward to this week. The Angels were reportedly among seven teams recently scouting the next Cuban teenage star, 18-year-old outfielder Yandro Hernandez:

According to Romero, Hernandez was the batting average leader (.463) in the last Cuban U-18 National tournament.

Romero reports that Hernandez exited Cuba in January with the goal of signing his first professional contract in the U.S.:

A baseball hotbed for more than a century, Cuba's last great wave of defectors piqued the interest of MLB scouts at a fever pitch a decade ago.

One of those players, first baseman Jose Miguel Fernandez, eventually signed with the Angels as a minor league free agent prior in Jan. 2018 and got into 30 major league games later that season. He was designated for assignment after one year in the organization.

Hernandez is a long way from the big leagues, regardless of where he chooses to sign. Although the Angels have been aggressive in promoting their best prospects in recent years, Hernandez has yet to establish a baseline level of performance against high-level talent. It's safe to assume he would get a long look in the minor leagues if he's able to land a professional contract with any team.

If that team is the Angels, fans can only hope Hernandez doesn't need as long a look as Baldoquin.

This article first appeared on FanNation Halos Today and was syndicated with permission.

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