White Sox sign 19-y-o Cuban star IF/OF Dayan Viciedo

[TooLiveBrew]

Per CBS Sports:

 

 

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox have reached a tentative agreement with young Cuban star Dayan Viciedo.

The 19-year-old infielder/outfielder must pass a physical for the contract to be finalized, according to the player's agent, Jaime Torres.

"He has agreed to a deal and is flying to Chicago," Torres said Friday.

The contract was reported earlier by the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune.

The White Sox have been successful in signing Cuban players. Last offseason they landed infielder Alexei Ramirez, who eventually became their starting second baseman and batted .290 with 21 homers and 77 RBI. He finished runner-up in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting as Chicago won the AL Central.

Jose Contreras, the second-half ace of the 2005 team that went on to win the World Series, is recovering from a ruptured Achilles' tendon. He is 50-43 in parts of five seasons with the White Sox. Orlando Hernandez also was on the 2005 championship team.

"Alexei's performance with the White Sox -- he was given a great opportunity -- did open Dayan's eyes," Torres said. "And with Jose, that did play a role. ... But that's not the primary reason."

What really hooked Viciedo was being told he would get a chance to play his preferred position of third base, Torres said, adding that his client also liked the package that was put together with the White Sox.

Viciedo had 36 homers and 162 RBI with a .287 average over four years in Cuba's top league while playing 327 games.

The White Sox are not expected to re-sign third baseman Joe Crede, and Josh Fields is one of the candidates at that position after spending most of last season in the minors.

"Personally, I think he can," Torres said, when asked if Viciedo could go right to the majors. "I think I know the Cuban players and their talent."

 

 

 

I don't know anything about this kid, but I'm betting that the good folks at BF.net's forums will fill in some of the blanks

[JoeHova]

I've heard good things about this guy, but no specifics. The White Sox getting him had been rumored for awhile (a couple days, at least), though I hadn't realized he's only 19.

[TooLiveBrew]

Yeah, and a basic connecting-of-the-dots tells you he was playing in Cuba's top league by age 16. Wow.

[crewcrazy]

He's believed to be the best Cuban baseball player since Omar Linares, who according to the BR Bullpen "hit .368/~.491/.644 with 404 homers and 246 steals in the Series Nacionale in 20 years". I've also seen comparisons between Viciedo and Miguel Cabrera, both in hitting ability and, unfortunately, his feelings toward working out.

 

As always with Cuban players, I'm a bit skeptical that he's really 19, but there's still no doubting the dude can hit -- here's a pic of him from Cuba:

 

http://www.cubasi.cu/beisbolcubano/sitio-web/dayan-viciedo-villaclara2.jpg

 

I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that the White Sox were helped by the fact that they currently have Jose Contreras and Alexei Ramirez on their roster -- both former Cuban defectors and both share an agent with Viciedo. I don't know if anyone else was ever really in the running. It'll be interesting to see if this means the White Sox officially don't bring Joe Crede back, but I'll save that speculation for a rumors thread or something. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[sbrylski]

Love the jerseys, first of all. And I agree with crewcrazy that the Sox had a huge advantage in netting him.

 

I think Viciedo is going to be pretty good, but it should take him at least a year to improve and adjust. Cuban baseball is roughly equivalent to single A (AA at the very best), so his competition was not great.

 

From his picture, he looks pretty filled out already. I wonder how much room there is for power growth. He's not exactly a huge home run hitter as is, so he might have a lower power ceiling. Has anyone seen him compared to any current major leaguers? I'd guess someone like a switch hitting Melvin Mora if he pans out. Anyone want to back me on that?

[monty57]

Once again I read a story like this and ask the rhetorical question "Why are foreign-born players not included in the draft?" I'm sure some of the teams with high draft picks could use a guy like this.

[nate82]

Once again I read a story like this and ask the rhetorical question "Why are foreign-born players not included in the draft?" I'm sure some of the teams with high draft picks could use a guy like this.

Supposedly this is going to happen in the near future. During the next meetings between the owners and the players union this will be changed or at least that is what I read about a while back when they were talking about this. I can't remember the details or the article that I read it in though.

[snyttri]

On the Saturday White Sox show on 670AM the Sun-Times beat writer said he might make an impact over the course of the season despite being younger than Alexei Ramirez. He pointed out that Viciedo has been playing with full grown men for a long time and that in Cuba they play baseball full-time all year. They expect excellent defense at shortstop from Ramirez because it is his natural position and he was impressive at second base.

 

A Cuban White Sox Interactive poster compared him to the LAA Kendry Morales.

[sbrylski]

A Cuban White Sox Interactive poster compared him to the LAA Kendry Morales.

 

So he's going to have a .300 OBP?

 

Viciedo is Cuban and is hyped like Morales, but its silly to compare them at this point unless you believe he won't make a successful transition, because that is what defines Morales at this point in his career.