By Hannah Eastwood

The Boston Red Sox have won the right to sign 19 year old Cuban infielder, Yoan Moncada, one of the most coveted prospects in baseball.  Moncada will reportedly receive a $31.5 million signing bonus.  Due to the fact that the Red Sox exceeded their allowance for international bonus money, the Sox will also have to pay a 100% tax. Meaning the team will shell out $31.5 million to Moncada and an additional $31.5 million to Major League Baseball, for a grand total of $63 million for a kid that, despite his hype, they have had limited exposure to.

Moncada left Cuba last year with permission from the Cuban government.  In November, Moncada held a workout in Guatemala where an estimated 100 MLB talent evaluators attended.  After much anticipation, Moncada officially became a free agent last week when MLB simplified its requirements for players coming from Cuba.  Cuban players no longer have to obtain a license from the United States government before becoming eligible to sign with big league teams.  The Red Sox were among numerous teams that scouted Moncada or invited him for private workouts.  Moncada visited the Red Sox for a private workout about two weeks ago, where the Sox tried him at second base, third base, and shortstop as well as hitting him some fly balls in the outfield.  Luis Tiant, a Red Sox hall of famer, was in attendance.  Tiant is also from Cuba and according to Moncada’s agent, David Hastings, the two shared breakfast prior to the workout.

“Tiant is a great ambassador for Boston,” said Hastings.

The New York Yankees also targeted Moncada and held multiple private workouts for him, including one last week.  Among the teams pursuing Moncada were the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs, Rangers, Padres, Giants, Tigers, Braves, Brewers, Rays, and Angels.  The Red Sox had been a favorite to sign Moncada for a while asMoncada isn’t the only player out of Cuba to sign with Boston in the past year.  In August, the Red Sox signed Cuban center fielder Rusney Castillo to a six year $72.5 million deal.

Given Moncada’s young age and lack of experience at the major league level, it is expected that the Red Sox will begin him in the minor leagues.  He will most likely start the season at the high A level; although, there is no saying how quickly he will move up to AA, if this is the case.

“This is a 19 year old we’re talking about.  I would think they would want to put him in with players his own age rather than with big leaguers right off the bat,” Hastings said.  “they probably want him to get acclimated with people his own age, but that’s not my call.”

Moncada checks in at 6 feet 205 pounds.  The switch hitter batted .277 in two seasons with Cienfuegos in Cuba’s Serie Nacional.  A National League executive told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com that Moncada is a, “younger Robinson Cano type with better speed and more positional versatility….. everything says this is a special kid.”

It remains unclear where the Red Sox will use Moncada.  With an overcrowded outfield and Dustin Pedroia, Pablo Sandoval, and Xander Bogaerts covering second base, third base, and shortstop respectively, there doesn’t seem to be much room for Moncada.  As of now, the most likely scenario seems to be that David Ortiz, who turns 40 in November, will eventually move on and the Red Sox will shift Sandoval to the role of designated hitter and use Moncada at third base, his natural position.