NEWSLETTER
Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez is currently the “next hot thing” from Cuba, and he is currently in the process of securing an unblocking license from the US government, which will allow him to sign with a Major League Baseball team. He has already been declared a free agent by MLB, so the government approval is all that awaits, and it is expected soon.
In the interim, Gonzalez is pitching in Mexico, and his latest start is happening right now. A huge number of scouts are in attendance, representing several teams, one of which is the Chicago Cubs, according to Jesse Sanchez.
We long ago learned of the Cubs’ interest in Gonzalez, but only recently has it started to sound like the 26-year-old righty is going to require an expensive investment. In fact, Danny Knobler hears that the rumor going around the scouting community is that Gonzalez may command as much as $60 million – a huge sum for an untested Cuban player (who, incidentally, is recovering from some kind of arm surgery). He’s reportedly looked good in his handful of showcases, and young, controllable talent like Gonzalez is getting harder and harder to come by. Teams understand that they’ll have to take some aggressive swings these days on relative unknowns. They won’t all be Cespedes or Puig or Darvish, but some might.
The Cubs are among several teams with serious interest, so it’s going to take a healthy offer to land Gonzalez. The Dodgers are one of the teams believed to be involved, and, given their resources, if they decide to go all out, I don’t think they can reasonably be outbid.
I fully expect that, whatever Gonzalez gets, it’s going to be a shocking amount. In that regard, I can’t decide if I hope the Cubs get him or not. I suppose I probably do.
