Miami Marlins: The Cuban market has been a mixed bag for the fish

The Miami Marlins have not shied away from dipping into the Cuban market. To that end, their success rate with these players has been unpredictable.

The Miami Marlins have dabbled from time to time in the Cuban market via trade, free agency or the draft with mixed results.

The Fish have passed-up on the likes of Yoenis Céspedes, José Abreu, and Aroldis Chapman to name a few, all of whom were impact players and could have brought the faithful of a dense Cuban population to the park in Little Havana.

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In the following article I’m going to grade  some notable acquisitions of Cuban ballplayers by Miami in the last ten years:

Jose Fernandez: Fernández hands down was the most prized Cuban acquisitions by Miami in the last ten years or possibly ever via the 14th pick in 2011 draft.

The native of Villa Clara was the 2013 Rookie of the year when he posted a record of 12-6, 2.19 ERA and struck out 187 batters. He also had a WAR of 4.2 to lead the ball club that season.

The righty was also only the third pitcher to be selected to an all-star game before the age of 21. The only other two being Dwight Gooden and Bob Feller.

Before his untimely death, Fernández had a record of 38-17, 2.58 and 558 strikeouts in only four seasons in the big leagues to go along with two all-star selections.

Grade: A+

Adeiny Hechavarria: The shortstop who is a native of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba was a key piece in the Jose Reyes trade with Toronto in 2012. Although he was a .255 hitter in his time there, he also gave the Miami Marlins some of the best defense at short since the days of Alex González.

In his time with the fish, he always had a fielding percentage in the .970’s and only averaged 10 errors per season. “Hech” as he is known by the fans of South Florida also always had a penchant for the spectacular play.

Since his departure in 2017, the shortstop position has been in shambles for the team. The JT Riddle experiment didn’t work and Miguel Rojas looks to be a stopgap until Jazz Chisolm is ready to take the reins at the position.

Grade: C+

Odrisamer Despaigne: The Havana native was claimed off waivers from the Orioles in 2016 and was decent in his three years with the team.

Used mostly as a long reliever and spot starter due to his versatility Despaigne had an ERA of 4.52 won three games and even saved one during his stint in Little Havana.

Although he might have been a little misused during his stop in South Florida, he was a valuable asset to Miami in his time here.

Grade: C

Víctor Víctor Mesa: The prized signing for Miami in the 2018 international free agency period has disappointed so far. He has always been known for his defensive prowess, which hasn’t diminished, but his hitting has been inconsistent at best.

Although he won a gold glove in the minors last year he only hit .235 in between A+ and AA. He looked a lot better at the plate during the Arizona Fall League season, but regressed in Spring Training and was optioned to minor league camp.

The once top prospect of the Fish has been in a free fall on the organization’s prospect chart since the middle of last year and has leveled out at 26th on the team’s most recent prospect ranking.

Though the jury is still out on Mesa, this year will be an important one in his development and maybe even on how he’s viewed by the ball club in the near future. With all the hype that the outfielder arrived in Miami with and what was paid for him this signing has been a bordering being characterized as a bust.

Grade: D-

Víctor Mesa Jr: What was first thought to be a below the radar signing has turned into a pleasant surprise. The younger of the Mesa brothers had a good first year in pro ball.

Mesa Jr started the year at an extended spring training and finished the year as the Gulf Coast Marlins player of the year.

Equipped with a sweet lefthanded the outfielder has packed on a few pounds of muscle this off-season and looks to start the year at Short-A ball.

For a prospect, he wasn’t in the top 30 prospects of the team he has moved up to 21 in the latest rankings eclipsing his more heralded brother.

If this diamond in the rough continues to develop Miami might have an exciting player for years to come.

Grade: B+