Cuban right-hander Yaisel Sierra has reportedly found a new home in the NL West.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported Sierra and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a six-year deal. Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reported the deal is in the $30-$33 million range.
Major League Baseball declared Sierra a free agent on Dec. 28, allowing him to sign with any team of his choosing. He’s going to generate additional intrigue from teams because his age (25) and experience in Cuban professional leagues exempt him from MLB’s international spending rules.
According to Sanchez, Sierra dazzled in an exhibition last October and has the stuff and potential to pitch in the big leagues next season:
Most scouts believe Sierra can help a Major League team next season. He could command a contract comparable to the seven-year, $27 million deal the Reds awarded Cuban starting pitcher Raisel Iglesias last summer and the four-year, $32 million deal starter Jose Contreras signed with the Yankees in 2002.
Ben Badler of Baseball America (per Mike Axisa of CBS Sports) noted that Sierra throws a “lively fastball that sat 91-94 mph in Cuba and touched 96.” He also noted the young fireballer mixes in a slider that is above average at its best and a changeup but does knock him for “poor command and pitchability.”
Sierra’s Cuba National Series stats aren’t impressive, with Baseball-Reference.com showing he had a 6.10 ERA with 55 strikeouts and 31 walks in 62 innings for Holguin in 2014.
Even with those numbers, Sierra’s combination of a power arm and inexpensive price tag compared to the average free-agent pitcher will make him an intriguing option for the Dodgers.
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