Descended from baseball royalty in Cuba, the Mesa Brothers, Victor Victor Mesa and Victor Mesa Jr., are out to make a name for themselves in the majors.
Victor Mesa is baseball royalty in Cuba. One of the best players that the island nation produced, he spent 19 years as a player in the Cuban National Series, before moving on to a coaching position. Mesa has served as the manager on Cuba’s entry into the World Baseball Classic as well, giving baseball fans outside of the island nation a chance to know who the former great was.
Understandably, given his stature, his sons have been heavily scrutinized as well, becoming coveted prospects. Now, they are on their way towards pursuing a major league career, as the Mesa Brothers have left Cuba in order to chase after those major league aspirations.
BREAKING: Outfielders Victor Victor Mesa, 21, and Victor Mesa Jr., 16, the sons of legendary Cuban manager Victor Mesa, have left Cuba to chase their big league dreams and pursue a contract with an MLB team. The pair are represented by Magnus Sports.
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) May 11, 2018
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Scouting reports are a bit sketchy as it pertains to the Mesa brothers, particularly Victor Mesa Jr. The 16 year old switch hitting outfielder is considered to have a solid future with the bat and a good arm, but also has plenty of time to develop into a player of the same caliber of his brother.
Victor Victor Mesa, however, has a more extensive scouting report. While his scouting report is still incomplete, scouts were able to see him during the World Baseball Classic in 2017. He was considered one of the top international prospects in the game, an elite defensive center fielder with a great arm and speed. He had been in the top Cuban league since he turned 16, posting a lifetime .275/.334/.378 batting line with 74 steals. Mesa is not likely to be anything close to a power threat, with only 70 extra base hits and ten homers in his 1166 plate appearances in Cuba.
This defection marks the second major loss for Cuba in the past two years. Yuli Gurriel and Lourdes Gurriel, also part of baseball royalty in Cuba, departed the island nation in 2016. Both players received contracts worthy of their stature in Cuba, with the elder Gurriel earning a five year, $47.5 million contract with the Astros, and the younger Gurriel getting a seven year deal worth $22 million.
Neither of the Mesa brothers are going to receive that type of contract. Under the new restrictions, both will be signed to a minor league contract, with a reduced signing bonus. Of course, both players need to establish residency and be declared free agents, a process that could lead to the next signing period.
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The Mesa Brothers have made their move to pursue their dream of playing in the majors. Their defection from Cuba is the first step to making that dream a reality.