Twins reportedly sign top prospect who is the 'best hitter' in Cuba
Not a bad lottery ticket to buy.
Two months after signing a pair of top international prospects, the Minnseota Twins are back at it adding to talent to the farm system.
In December the Twins signed Eduardo Beltre, who is the No. 39 overall prospect, and Daiber De Los Santos, who is No. 8 in the latest Pipeline ranking. Neither are expected to have any sort of meaningful impact for the foreseeable future, but grabbing prospects like them is never a bad gamble to take.
On Thursday the team kept that ball rolling.
Minnesota Twins reportedly sign top Cuban prospect Yandro Hernandez
According MLB reporter Francys Romero, the Twins have reportedly reached an agreemtn to sign 18-year old prospect Yandro Hernandez. He's a switch-hitting outfielder who has been ranked among the best hitters in Cuba, which feels exactly like a classic Twins investment.
"Cuban OF and switch hitter Yandro Hernández is in agreement with the Minnesota Twins, per sources," Romero reported. "Deal will be official when he receives free agency in a few days. I ranked him as the best hitter for average in the U-18 class 2023 in Cuba."
Assuming there aren't any hiccups that derail the deal, the Twins will have yet another potential power hitting outfield prospect to the mix -- albeit further down the road. Hernandez is only 18-years-old, but it's notable that Minnesota paid $800,000 to land him, which is more than the team has spent recently on international players.
He's still extremely raw, but Hernandez has displayed tools to develop into a slugger if he's able to work his way through the farm system over the next few years.
Cuban OF Yandro Hernandez (18) continues to generate interest in the Dominican Republic.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) February 9, 2024
About 10-12 MLB teams truly interested in the switch hitter, per sources.
Hernandez demonstrating that he can consistently beat above 95 mph, fluid swing that projects power and… pic.twitter.com/FjbIwe9qBS
Success with international prospects hasn't been plentiful for the Twins, but when they striek gold it tends to be notable. Tony Oliva is the shining example, but Minnesota has also managed to scoop up guys like Grant Balfour and Miguel Sano out of the international pool.
The pricey bonus the Twins paid, in addition to the fact that so many teams were interested in adding Hernandez, makes this feel like a lowkey win for Minnesota. It's not exactly the splashy move that fans have been hoping the team will make this winter, nor is it as flashy as drafting Walker Jenkins, but it's a move that could end up paying off in the future.
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