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Breaking News: Yankees Lose Yoan Moncada Sweepstakes To Red Sox

By Ricky Keeler

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The Yoan Moncada sweepstakes is finally over, but the Cuban infielder has not decided to sign with the New York Yankees. Instead, he is choosing to join New York’s rivals, the Boston Red Sox. According to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, Moncada signs for a deal that is around $30 million:

Last Thursday, Baseball America ranked Moncada as the number ten prospect in baseball before he has even played a minor league game in the United States and will now be the top prospect in Boston’s organization, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America:

This one has to hurt the Yankees for a couple of reasons. For one, New York had worked out the 19-year old infielder three times, including a workout last Thursday that took place in front of Hank Steinbrenner. The second reason is the Red Sox continue to win the international free agent market. Last season, Boston got another prominent Cuban free agent in outfielder Rusney Castillo on a seven-year, $72.5 million contract.

As for Moncada, he will make the most money of any international amateur in MLB history, if he passes his physical. He is a player that can play a variety of positions in the infield such as second base, third base, and shortstop. He was able to emerge onto the scene by hitting .277 in two seasons for the Cienfuegos team in Cuba’s Serie Nacional.

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Like the Yankees, the Boston Red Sox have already used the bonus pool money that is allowed for a team to sign international free agents between July 2 and June 15 of this year. Boston will have to pay a 100% tax on the dollar amount that they sign Moncada to. Plus, the Red Sox will not be allowed to sign a player for $300,000 or more over the next two international free agent signing periods.

Moncada will not be a player that starts in the big leagues right away as most experts have said he would likely begin his career in high-A ball. Currently, Boston has their infield all set  with Xander Bogaerts at shortstop, Dustin Pedroia at second base, and Pablo Sandoval, who signed a five-year, $95 million deal this winter to play third base.

The Yankees also amassed their international spending limits, so it remains to be seen how much Brian Cashman and the Yankees front office offered Moncada. The Cuban infielder had his choice of plenty of teams such as the Dodgers, Giants, Padres, and Tigers among others.

New York has Robert Refsnyder and Jose Pirela to play second base in the future and a young shortstop prospect in Jorge Mateo that will likely begin the season at the rookie level in Pulaski. It will be interesting to see whether or not Moncada pans out in the big leagues such as players like Jose Abreu, Yasiel Puig, and Yoenis Cespedes have. That being said, as of right now, New York losing out in back-to-back years to Ben Cherington and company on some of the top international free agents has to sting a little bit, doesn’t it?

Update: 10:17 AM ET: Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted that the Yankees offer to Moncada was reportedly $25 million, but they were willing to go a little bit higher. That being said, it is still short of the Red Sox final offer, which was $31.5 million, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports and MLB Network:

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