Dayàn Viciedo Now On U.S. Soil?

I have a completely unsubstantiated report that Cuban mega-prospect Dayàn Viciedo has defected to the United States.

Third baseman for Villa Clara, Viciedo is only eighteen years old. Baseball America called him one of Cuba’s “brightest young talents.” The same article goes on to say that, while still raw, he has “tremendous power,” good makeup, and a strong arm.

Viciedo’s meteoric rise to the Cuban national team (he debuted at fifteen) was singular even by Cuba’s standards. According to Peter Bjarkman, most prospects debut around eighteen. "It's not unprecedented,” he said, “but it's pretty unusual.”

There’s some nice background on Viciedo here.

Hopefully we can learn a little more over the next few days.

MLB New Import Tracker (Apr 28-May 11, 2008)

I’m having major problems getting Google and Go Daddy to play nice together. Sorry for the delay…

Kosuke Fukudome, RF—#1—Chicago Cubs
Birthplace: Kagoshima, Japan
Kosuke Fukudome graced the cover of Sports Illustrated’s May 5 issue. The article is more or less a fluff piece, but it does provide a glimpse into the culture of Fukudome-mania that has afflicted Chicago’s North Side. A pull-out from Baseball Prospectus’ John Sheehan talks about the Cubs’ new-found batting eye, which was also discussed here a few weeks ago. Also, apparently Cubs scout Gary Hughes coveted Fukudome as early as the 2004 Olympics, when he noticed the “gap-toothed rightfielder” playing for the Japanese team. Hughes has kept a baseball card of Fukudome on his desk ever since, flying to Japan each year and coming home each time more and more convinced that Fukudome could “do it all.” Largely on the basis of Hughes’ man-crush, the Cubs bid on the Dragons’ star as soon as he hit free agency.

But want I really want to mention here is this: I was at Wrigley yesterday, taking in a blustery 6-4 Cubs victory. Fukudome may have had the key at-bat of the game. With the score tied at four going into the bottom of the eighth, Aramis Ramirez singled and stole second. With Fukudome at the plate, the friends I was with wondered if he would bunt. It seemed an obvious bunt situation, on the one hand, but on the other hand…do you have your fifth batter bunt? You betcha: Fukudome placed perhaps the most perfect bunt I have ever witnessed, down the third base line. The bunt was so perfect I don’t think it even drew a throw—base hit. It was a work of art, this bunt; it was a Japanese Zen garden. According to FanGraphs.com, this at-bat had a leverage index of 2.02 and a WPA of .107—territory often reserved for extra-base hits or pivotal outs late in the game. Fukudome then scored the second run on Darryle Ward’s subsequent double. But that bunt…

Listening to a few exuberant Cubs fans on the way out of the park yesterday, one of them going on about how Fukudome is the most dangerous hitter in the National League. “The most…dangerous…hitter…in the National League.” I wouldn’t go that far—but knowing he can drop a bunt on your ass at any second is certainly going to make defenses think twice about how they play him. (Lou Piniella is also, in my opinion, a managerial genius.)

Quick shout out to Fukudometee.com, where you can purchase those “Fukudome is my homie” T-shirts.


Kazuo Fukumori, RP—#14—Texas Rangers
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Demoted to AAA-Oklahoma.


Masahide Kobayashi, RP—#30—Cleveland Indians
Birthplace: Yamanashi, Japan
With closer-for-now Rafael Betancourt blowing two saves last week, and closer de factor Joe Borowski on the DL, could Masa Kobayashi be closer-in-waiting?

Betancourt and Kobayashi have appeared in almost the same number of innings. Kobayashi has the better WHIP, but Betancourt strikes out more batters and coaxes more groundballs, two things I really like my closers to do. Despite some speculation from fantasy players, I believe Betancourt would really have to implode to give up the closer seat.

First, Raffy had an incredible 2007, a season in which his stats were certainly closer-worthy. Second, he has the experience, and no first-year import has ever been put into the position of closing out games a month into his first season. Third, at least one of Betancourt's blown saves can be attributed to attrocious defense...and the save opportunities have really been far and few between. It's not that Kobayashi can't close—the numbers say he could close for a ton of teams—it just doesn't look likely for this year.

2009? 2010? Well that may be a different matter.

Meanwhile, Kobayashi vultured his second win of the season on Thursday, coming in to pitch the top of the tenth in relief of Betancourt (who had allowed the Seattle Mariners to tie the game). Kobayashi promptly gave up a home run to Richie Sexson, but the Tribe came back to win the game in the bottom half of the inning...granting Masa the win. An un-earned win, but a win nontheless.

Hiroki Kuroda, RP—#18 —Los Angeles Dodgers
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
The “close but no no-hit cigar” award goes to Hiroki Kuroda who held the Houston Astros hitless for six innings on Sunday only to see his gem broken up in the seventh by a Hunter Pence single. Not only did he lose his no-hit bid—the Dodgers lost the game after the bullpen absolutely imploded and gave up eight runs in the final three frames. That’s rough.

Kuroda threw 54 of his 98 pitches for strikes and allowed five groundballs against ten flies. Six innings, five strikeouts, one walk, one hit: a solid performance. Hunter Pence said later,

“He had three quality pitches that he didn’t leave over the plate very often. He was keeping it on the corners and getting us to swing at bad ones with his deception. I was just looking to get a pitch over the plate and try to get the barrel on it.”

And yet there seems to be some concern brewing that things are going to get a little rough for Kuroda his second time through the league. At least that’s the opinion of ESPN analyst Tristan Cockraft, who says the splits indicate batters catch onto Kuroda the second and third time through the batting order.

Still, the bullpen has cost Kuroda the win three times already; he hasn’t won in his last seven starts—since his major league debut. The LA Times reports Kuroda changed the grip on his slider, which he used to strike out Miguel Tejada in the sixth. According to Bill James Online, Kuroda throws his slider 17% of the time, second only to his fastball. If he can get that slider working in concert, he should at least maintain his current level of performance. And the wins, of course, will inevitably follow.


Alexei Ramirez, OF/MIF—#10—Chicago White Sox
Birthplace: Pinar del Rio, Cuba
Alexei Ramirez missed the Toronto series because of visa problems; he’s sat out most other games because he’s currently 3 for his last 24 and hitting .125 on the year. Defensively he’s been solid (he has yet to make an error), but until the White Sox figure out a way to move or ignore Juan Uribe, there’s no place for Ramirez to play.

You can take a virtual tour of Alexei Ramirez’ home town, Pinar del Rio, here.


Yasuhiko Yabuta, RP—#27—Kansas City Royals
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
This from the Kansas City Star:

Yasuhiko Yabuta's hold on a bullpen job appears in jeopardy as lefty John Bale moves closer to returning from the disabled list. Royals manager Trey Hillman shows no inclination to disrupt his rotation, which suggests Bale will return to duty as a reliever. If so, someone in the bullpen has to go. That points to Yabuta, who has yielded 12 runs, 19 hits and nine walks in 13 innings over nine appearances. The other possibility is Joel Peralta, who has options, but Hillman left little doubt as to his preference.

Yabuta threw two scoreless innings on May 9, lowering his ERA to 7.31. But his 12/9 K/BB and his four homeruns allowed in fifteen innings all say his time with the big league club may be limited. ***Stats culled from MLB.com