Yankees Rumors: Yankees Out On Hector Olivera?

I guess it wasn’t enough to lose out on Yoan Moncada yesterday. Apparently the Yankees are out on a Cuban player who isn’t cleared yet, but is the most major league ready. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, when Hector Olivera gets clearance from MLB to sign, the Yankees won’t be involved.

Yankees, who lost the Yoan Moncada bidding, are not in the mix on Hector Olivera.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 23, 2015

Olivera could get quite a contract. So it stands to reason that the Yankees may not get in the bidding. How much you ask? Let’s ask Peter Gammons.

OK, so it's five teams over $70M on Hector Olivera. But I still wish the Brothers Gourriel could play in The States
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) February 17, 2015

Considering the Yankees didn’t want to go that far on Moncada, who is much younger than Olivera, it stands to reason that they won’t spend the money on Olivera.

Olivera can play second and third. At this point, the Yankees have four players on the current roster that could play there. Plus Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela waiting in the wings in the minors.

If Alex Rodriguez wasn’t around, or had to retire, could the Yankees go in for Olivera? Perhaps. He’d fill a need for a right-handed bat, but he doesn’t have much of a spot to fit in for the Yankees this season.

Will they turn their sites on fellow Cuban Andy Ibanez? That remains to be seen.

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