According to multiple reports, the Boston Red Sox have won the Yoan Moncada sweepstakes.
Jesse Sanchez broke the news Monday morning that the Red Sox agreed to terms with Cuban INF Yoan Moncada for a signing bonus in the range of $30 million. Several outlets reported after Sanchez that Moncada received a $31.5 million signing bonus from the Red Sox.
Yoan Moncada will end up costing the Red Sox $63 million due to Boston having to pay 100 percent (dollar-for-dollar) tax after spending more than 15 percent of its International signing bonus pool. Boston also cannot sign a pool-eligible player for more than $300,000 for the next two International signing periods. The Red Sox must pay the overage for this year in full on July 15.
According to Joel Sherman, the Yankees offered $25 million and were willing to go $27 million. Sherman added the Yankees made the same bid on Moncada as they did on Jorge Soler.
The Red Sox, according to Sherman, are trying to accumulate all of the “young, potential impact bats” as possible because like the Cubs, Ben Cherington sees the lack of offense in the game.
The Cubs were reportedly very aggressive in their pursuit of Yoan Moncada, but simply could not sign him. After overspending during the 2013-14 International signing period in which SS Gleyber Torres and OF Eloy Jimenez was signed, the Cubs cannot sign a player for more than $250,000 during the current signing period which ends on June 15.
According to Jeff Passan, the Cubs and Dodgers will be able to “operate in a market for the high end Cuban players without the Yankees and Red Sox.”
Multiple reports have suggested the Cubs plan on being very aggressive during the 2015-16 signing period that begins on July 2 and significantly exceed their bonus pool once again.
The Red Sox have not announced the signing Moncada and several of the team’s beat writers pointed to a deal being very close Monday morning, but not finalized because details of the contract were still being ironed out.
Not long after the Yoan Moncada signing leaked, the first question that popped up was does the addition of Moncada to Boston’s system free up talent for Ben Cherington to trade for Cole Hamels?