Who Is Yenier Bello?

Mar 19, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; The mask of Miami Marlins catcher

is seen prior to a spring training game against against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Jose  Aberu’s recent 68 million dollar contract with the White Sox and the recent Yasiel Puig has spiked expectations for all Cuban prospects, which might give some hype to recent defector, catcher Yenier Bello, who will workout for teams on Nov. 5, according to Sportsnet.ca.

Bello, 28, defected this past summer and was cleared for free agency by the United States’ Office of Foreign Assets Control on October 1^st. Not much is known about Bello yet, but he appears to be a built catcher who’s primary asset is power and a strong arm behind the plate. He hit .300/.346/.550 three years ago for Cuban Series Nacional, while ranking eighth in the league with 17 home runs. He threw out 57% of would be basetealers that year, which would have led the majors in every season since 2005, and he hit 13 home runs in his last full season in 2011.

The Phillies, Mariners, and Blue Jays, who all lack clear starting catchers for 2014 are expected to have attendance Tuesday. Don’t expect a massive bidding war, though; each of this teams is hoping that they will see a player who can compete for a starting spot, but Bello’s most likely future role is as a bench bat and backup catcher, a 350 plate appearance guy at best. Already 28 years old, he’s not a prospect with signficant room for improvement, so his contract will likely be capped at around one million.