NEWSLETTER
This is a fun signing to note for the Cubs: they picked up a pitching prospect out of Spain: 18-year-old righty Frank Hernandez.
No, that isn’t very common, as Arizona Phil notes Hernandez is the Cubs’ first ever signing out of Spain. There, Hernandez played on the Spanish 18-and-under international team, where he pitched and played in the outfield. As you can imagine, in order to get signed by a stateside organization, he must’ve been the standout star on that club.
Finding information about a prospect out of Spain – again, such a rarity – would be tough enough if it weren’t for the coincidence that there is a stateside prospect of the same name graduating from a Massachusetts high school this year.
There are no current big leaguers who were born in, and came up playing baseball, in Spain, where football and basketball reign supreme. I am having a hard time even finding current minor leaguers who are from Spain, though I figure there have to be at least some. In any case, like I said, given the rarity of the signing, you have to figure this young man really stood out to Cubs’ scouts, who probably saw him playing in international games against more highly-scouted international pools.
I can’t even properly tell you whether Hernandez will open up his Cubs career as a two-way guy, or if the organization is committing to him one way or another just yet (Phil indicates he’s listed on the Dominican Summer League roster as a pitcher, but his signing was that of a “two-way” player, so we’ll find out when we find out). That’s how off the radar this is. See? I told you up front: it’s just a fun note. Cubs scouting operations, spanning the globe. They signed Robel Garcia out of Italy, after all …
UPDATE: Stan is the man and found a little something:
He’s of Cuban roots and his father was a catcher for the Havana Metropolitans. His older brother plays in the Royals system. Hit .387 in 18u worlds. https://t.co/GIXUzVE3uG
— Stan (@Crewsett) February 3, 2020
