May 17, 2015 at 6:15 PM
Yoan Moncada to debut with Greenville on Monday
A little over two months since his signing was made official, the Greenville Drive have announced that Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada will make his 2015 debut with the club on Monday. Moncada signed with the Red Sox in March for a record $31.5 million signing bonus, and is a consensus top 20 prospect in all of baseball.
Many fans have grown impatient waiting for Moncada, currently the second-ranked prospect in the system according to SoxProspects.com, to join the Drive, but as ESPN.com's Gordon Edes noted in a tweet on Friday night, the 19-year-old suffered a slight shoulder strain sliding into second base during Extended Spring Training in Florida, which pushed the timeline back a bit.
SoxProspects.com Director of Scouting Ian Cundall got a chance to see Moncada in spring training, and he wrote over 1,000 words on what to expect from the system's second-ranked prospect when he debuts. The post also includes video of Moncada at bat and in the field. For more background on Moncada, listen to episode 70 of the SoxProspects.com Podcast, where Chris, Matt, and Ian talked with Baseball America's Ben Badler about Moncada's history and his record-setting $31.5 million bonus.
Moncada will join an exciting, crowded lineup that already includes infielders Rafael Devers, Michael Chavis, Javier Guerra, and Mauricio Dubon, as well as first baseman/outfielder Nick Longhi. Dubon may lose the most playing time, as Moncada is set to get the bulk of his game action at second base, where the young Honduran has received most of his starts. Moncada will also join fellow Cuban Carlos Mesa, who was reportedly signed at Moncada's request and is a close friend and mentor for the top prospect.
Many fans have grown impatient waiting for Moncada, currently the second-ranked prospect in the system according to SoxProspects.com, to join the Drive, but as ESPN.com's Gordon Edes noted in a tweet on Friday night, the 19-year-old suffered a slight shoulder strain sliding into second base during Extended Spring Training in Florida, which pushed the timeline back a bit.
SoxProspects.com Director of Scouting Ian Cundall got a chance to see Moncada in spring training, and he wrote over 1,000 words on what to expect from the system's second-ranked prospect when he debuts. The post also includes video of Moncada at bat and in the field. For more background on Moncada, listen to episode 70 of the SoxProspects.com Podcast, where Chris, Matt, and Ian talked with Baseball America's Ben Badler about Moncada's history and his record-setting $31.5 million bonus.
Photo Credit: Yoan Moncada by Kelly O'Connor