Red Sox Continue to Make Splash Signing Highly Touted Cuban IF Yoan Moncada

The Boston Red Sox continued their eye-catching offseason on Monday, agreeing to terms with coveted Cuban teenager Yoan Moncada after a lengthy bidding war.

Moncada, a 19-year-old infielder, will receive a reported $31.5 million signing bonus and will cost the Red Sox a total of $63 million, per Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. The Yankees, Padres and Dodgers, according to Edes, were among the other teams pursuing Moncada.

The move is the latest development in a busy Boston offseason following the team's unexpectedly abysmal 2014 season. In November, the team signed Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, two of the more enticing free agents on the market, to five-year agreements worth $90 million and $100 million, respectively. And in August, the Red Sox inked 27-year-old Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo to a seven-year deal worth $72.5 million.

In Cuba last year, Moncada hit .277 and played almost exclusively second base. Dustin Pedroia, however, is under contract with Boston through 2021, and the Red Sox are now in the enviable position of having too many deserving infielders to play at once.

The team boasts a slew of young talent (like 22-year-old shortstop Xander Bogaerts) but has no shortage of proven contributors (like Sandoval, Pedroia, and first baseman Mike Napoli). In that light, it appears likely that Moncada will eventually switch positions; in any event, according to Edes, the Cuban teenager will begin his Red Sox career with one of Boston's minor league affiliates.

Reaction to the Moncada signing was generally positive. Several sources compared Moncada to a younger Robinson Cano, noting the Cuban's switch-hitting ability, athleticism and versatility. There seems virtually no doubt that Moncada has superstar potential.

"He's [Moncada] got a lot of ability and projects to be a quality player," said New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, one of Moncada's unsuccessful suitors, via Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. "I don't think anybody disagrees with the ability."

The move was not without risk, however. Not only has Boston committed $63 million to an untested teenager, and not only does Boston have plenty of infield talent, but the Red Sox have a recent history of unsuccessful gambles.

In late 2006, remember, the team spent $51 million for the rights to negotiate with Japanese ace pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, whom the team eventually signed for a further $52 million. Matsuzaka was not a complete bust in Boston, but most would comfortably argue that he was not worth what he cost.

Boston has bet big on Moncada and Castillo.

Given its offseason spending spree, Boston appears likely to continue what has been a strange run of alternating success and failure. The team won a World Series title in 2013—its third championship in 10 years—but missed the playoffs in both 2012 and 2014. Today, however, the Boston lineup is deep, talented and experienced, and the Boston brass is clearly expecting the team to compete. Its projected Opening Day lineup figures to look something like this:

The Red Sox, despite their abysmal 2014 campaign, are in a good place. The lineup above is heavy on right-handed hitting but includes five players (Ortiz, Sandoval, Ramirez, Napoli and Castillo) with proven power hitting ability. Three players listed above (Bogaerts, Vazquez and Betts) are under the age of 24, and all nine boasted on-base percentages above .300 in their most recent seasons.

What's more, the Boston bench includes a further slew of young talent (OF Jackie Bradley Jr., utility man Brock Holt) and productive veterans (OF Shane Victorino, OF/1B Allen Craig). The Red Sox should be able to trot out a dangerous lineup at all times.

If Boston hopes to compete in 2015, it must address its glaring lack of starting pitchers. Right now, its top two starters project to be Rick Porcello and Clay Buchholz. That will strike fear into approximately zero opposing teams, particularly come playoff time. The Boston brass has done an impressive job of restocking what should be a top-tier lineup. But it will not be enough without better pitchers.

None of this, however, figures to involve Moncada. It is unclear whether or not the 19-year-old can immediately contribute at the major league level, and all signs suggest that he will spend significant time in the minors. But even if he doesn't play an inning at Fenway Park this year, the Red Sox should be thrilled to have him.

Boston, with Moncada, now has six players under the age of 24 with All-Star potential. Bradley Jr. is a defensive wizard, and his struggles at the plate should improve with experience. Bogaerts, Betts and Moncada appear likely to become above-average MLB players, and Boston also controls Blake Swihart and Garin Cecchini, two of the highest-rated prospects in baseball.

The important thing for Boston fans to remember is that the $63 million their team just spent on Moncada will likely not produce results for another two or three years. But they can rest easy knowing that their talent-laden team has a bright future.

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