Below is how I imagine regular surfers of the web and MLB fans around the map feel about non-stop Yoan Moncada buzz, articles, trolling and any other forum through which bloggers, commenters and even legitimate journalists can stake their claim to an articulated opinion on the 19-year old Cuban import (apologies for the lack of artistic integrity):
Jordan Wevers © 2015
Fans of the Red Sox still have sky high interest levels, because they outbid every other team (but primarily the Yankees) who were in the running to sign Moncada. Boston sports fans, like any other, also like to gloat and make ridiculous statements even though most have limited comprehension or knowledge about grading an MLB prospect and their given skill set.
The Padres fans are still intrigued somewhat because they made an honest effort to acquire Moncada’s services. The fan base is still happy, though now mostly apathetic toward not getting Moncada because by comparison to a lot of other MLB clubs, they have still had an amazing offseason when it comes to acquiring talent.
Southside Showdown
Rays fans are still scouring the depths of the world wide web looking for Moncada material because they wanted him, but had no chance of competing financially with their more financially endowed AL East division rivals, the Red Sox and Yankees. As a result, Tampa Bay fans are digging for credible support to have reforms put in place when it comes to signing International Free Agents (IFAs) because A) their franchise needs a spark to help sustain professional baseball in Tampa Bay and B) with the capitalistic approach taken toward signing IFAs, they will never get their hands on a high profile name. Baseball is America’s Pastime. It helped build the USA and capitalism into the western institutions they are today. It’s only fitting that the pursuance of IFAs, like any other free agency system, also be capitalistic in nature.
Yankees fans are simply disgruntled that they lost out on Moncada to their loathsome rivals. So their interest in him is presently around nil — at least it will be until if/when the time comes that Moncada is feasting on Yankees pitching regularly. But also, the Evil Empire is disinterested because they have to swallow their pride and accept they lost out on a process of monetary fortitude and compensation. Fans can thank management for that, as the club has $113.125 million tied up in 2015 payroll alone to the likes of Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez, Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran and Chase Headley. The six of them combined for a total WAR of 4.1 in 2014 and will have an average age of 34-years on Opening Day.
As for all other 26 teams and their fans, there is still some intrigue because of the hype and scouting report on the kid, but it is dwindling. Or should be. Moncada has barely stepped foot on American turf, never mind swung a bat or fielded a ground ball on it. Aside from the facts plays baseball and is suspiciously muscular in photos for a man yet to turn 20, very little is actually known about this guy to people on the periphery, as Wikipedia will inform us. University professors dislike Wikipedia and refuse to give it credit as being a reliable source, but most prof’s egos are as inflated as Rich Eisen’s was after running a sub-six second and personal best 5.98 40-yard dash at the 2014 NFL combine (hand timed).
Perhaps what is most annoying about all the Moncada buzz out there is that every baseball writer on the planet figures to be posting incessantly about him in an effort to increase page views and provide an opinion. This is my first of any such production, but I’m okay with be labelled a hypocrite for the time being.
With the internet, social media and endless forms of mass media and communication outlets offered to sports fans around the globe, never before has it been possible to make an individual bigger than the game itself, even before the populous bears witness to said athlete performing in the flesh.
When I think of the buzz surrounding Moncada, Bryce Harper comes to mind. Mike Trout has proven for three seasons that his rookie season buzz is justified. Even still, when he was drafted, the buzz did not come close to surpassing that of Harper’s. Even Yasiel Puig, to a lesser extent, has justified his recent buzz. He is only 24 and failed to experience a sophomore slump by slashing .296/.382/.480. His power numbers dropped some, but his WAR jumped from 4.9 in 2013 to 5.4 in 2014.
Harper played in his age 19 season and impressed. He premiered in April of 2012, one full season after signing a contract with the Washington Nationals in 2010. Since that time, he has played in only 73 percent of Nationals regular season games, averaging a .272-70-18-50-10 line. Good, but not out-of-this-world incredible, as buzz five years ago would have suggested him to be.
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In 1967, center fielder Cesar Cedeno was signed as an IFA by the Houston Astros. He played in 94 percent of his club’s games and averaged a .300-91-19-78-44 line over his age 20 to 22 seasons from 1971-73. The 1970 year was his rookie season, also aged 19 at the time, just like Harper. Call that season a learning curve for both ball players. If we take Harper’s last two seasons results plus his Steamer projections for 2015, his three year line over the same age increments as Cedeno becomes .274-63-19-56-9. The native of the Dominican Republic (who turned 64 on Wednesay, by the way) did not play in the days of the blogosphere and tweets, thus hype surrounding Cedeno did not exist. It didn’t have to, and he may just have benefited from it as a result.
Super Bowl quarterback Trent Dilfer once said something along the lines of “the most important factor about being a professional athlete is making yourself available.” Cedeno was available — so too have been Trout and Puig. Harper has not been. Whether Moncada will make himself available on a regular basis to contribute remains to be seen. But for what we know now about him — speculation, rumors and hearsay — determines nothing. Scouting reports are an inexact science. Remember first overall pick, shortstop Matt Bush? The Padres do, because he ruined their draft. More importantly, one thing their scouting reports did not factor in was a little thing called life.
The Yoan Moncada articles and posts will continue to flood the internet in the coming months, I’m sure of it. If 15 years from now he turns out to be anything reminiscent of Cal Ripken, Derek Jeter, or Cedeno (4x All-Star, 2000 career hits) for that matter, then I will eat my words.
Until then, I leave you with two simple words: “buyers remorse.” An all too common theme or phrase in the inflation-driven arena of professional sports contracts. Will Moncada squash that term, or come to define it? No on truly knows. But let’s all just wait until he actually records an at-bat on American soil before jumping to uneducated conclusions and theories. Allow Yoan Moncada’s bat and glove write its own story.