Tampa Bay Rays sign 16-year old Cuban pitcher Sandy Gaston. Who is he?
By Nick Reid
The Tampa Bay Rays made a big free agent splash by signing a 16-year old Cuban pitcher who touches 99mph. So, who exactly is Sandy Gaston?
On Thursday the Tampa Bay Rays announced they have officially signed Cuban pitching prospect Sandy Gaston to a minor league contract. The 16-year old has been one of the most highly coveted international prospects, and while the amount of years on the contract remains undisclosed, it is reported Gaston was given a remarkable $2.61 million signing bonus by the Rays.
Rays announce they have signed Cuban RHP Sandy Gaston. He'll turn 17 in December.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) November 1, 2018
According to source, Sandy Gaston's deal with the Rays is for $2.61 million.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) November 1, 2018
The Tampa Bay Rays and Gaston initially agreed to a deal Tuesday, but only finalized the deal today. Prior to signing with the Rays, Gaston was also receiving interest from the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles. Gaston met with the Tampa Bay media Thursday, introduced by the Rays’ international scouting director Carlos Rodriguez, who said of his latest free agent signing, “[Sandy] possesses the mental and physical characteristics to develop into an impactful Major League pitcher.”
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So who is Sandy Gaston? Born in Matanzas, Gaston is a 6’3″, 200-pound beast on the mound who already touches 99 miles per hour on his fastball and a well-developed slider to go along with it. That’s right, Gaston is the age of a high school junior with the dimensions of Christian Yelich and the velocity of Noah Syndergaard — no wonder he’s known as the “Baby Hurricane” (which is already one of the best nicknames in baseball).
Gaston was touted as the No. 24 international prospect according to Baseball America. In September he worked out in front of Major League scouts in Miami along with fellow hyped Cuban prospects, 22-year old Victor Victor Mesa and 17-year old Victor Mesa Jr. Those two both signed with the Miami Marlins last week and received $5.25 million and $1 million bonuses, respectively. And yes, Victor Victor and Victor are brothers.
Cubans Victor Victor Mesa, Victor Mesa Jr. & Sandy Gaston had a workout today. Here's a look at what scouts said and which #MLB teams have the most money to sign them: https://t.co/6iUu2zxFXS pic.twitter.com/jXRFRfC9xJ
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 6, 2018
The last several seasons Gaston has received interest by other Major League teams, and he’s previously expressed his desire to play for the Miami Marlins in honor of his idol Jose Fernandez. The Marlins actually made an offer to Gaston this summer, but the deal fell through because he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in July. I’m sure that turned off several teams, as one can imagine when a 16-year old player fails a drug test. However, the Rays have invested in Gaston because of his immense talent at such a young age and his relatively unlimited potential.
Next. Rays 2018 minors awards. dark
It will be interesting Gaston as he makes his way through the Tampa Bay Rays minor league system. I would guess he will make his organizational debut in Class A, and one can only imagine how fast he flies through the Rays’ system, which has been renowned for delivering talented homegrown pitching to the big league level — think of David Price, Chris Archer, and Blake Snell. This kid could be a star in the Majors someday.
P.S. here’s a clip of Sandy Gaston flaunting his stuff at MLB’s annual international showcase in February.