#OnDeck: Cuban prospect Yoan Moncada remains jewel of international signing pool

A 19-year-old, five-tool prospect who can play almost any position and is touted by almost every international scout who sees him would improve most teams. Which is probably why when Yoan Moncada held a showcase in Guatemala this past November, the Phillies and every other major-league team sent at least one representative, with some sending as many as six.

What would necessitate a franchise sending a sextet of eyeballs to scout a teenager? Maybe because Moncada has the raw power, plus speed, sharp reflexes, ambidexterity at the plate and natural talent that some have said puts him on a level higher than other Cuban prospects who have been drooled over in the last few years. Maybe because of his seasonal slash lines during his playing days in Cuba: .434/.543/.648 in 152 PA in 2012 (when he was 16); 283/.414/.348 in 172 PA from 2012-13 in the Serie Nacional (when he was 17); .273/.365/.406 in 195 PA in 2014 (when he was 18). His numbers aren't declining, he's just playing at higher and higher levels of competition at a young age, and holding his own.

Maybe it's because he's considered better than Yasmany Tomas (a prospect the Phillies were once considered the frontrunners to sign, but who signed with Arizona) with a higher ceiling than Rusney Castillo, and the best under-20 star to emerge from Cuba since Jorge Soler. In many cases, he's played alongside his comparisons, beating Castillo in a foot race at a Cuban All-Star game as a 17-year-old.

It's really no wonder that Moncada has become the latest baseball Chosen One, with even casually interested GMs raising an eyebrow and analysts labeling him as a possible franchise player. This sort of hype has the treasured Moncada taking the offseason into all too familiar territory: Yankees vs. Red Sox.

Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs put the two former AL East titans at the top of the list of clubs interested in acquiring Moncada, and they would have been all set to obliterate their international signing pools until a third party entered the mix. Sadly, instead of a weird, new team, it's just the Dodgers, making this a troika of three rich squads that a lot of people hate.

Well, fine. Until we start seeing that "MYSTERY TEAM" banner stealthily rise over these rumors, we're stuck with these three, and will probably have to watch Moncada put on red, blue, or pinstripes after he receives his OFAC licensing from the league.

The Dodgers have infield depth at the Major League level that grows shallow the further into the system you go. Alex Guerrero, Darwin Barney, Juan Uribe, Justin Turner, Enrique Hernandez, Howie Kendrick, and Adrian Gonzalez are all listed on the Dodgers' 40-man roster, and all of them play infield positions that aren't shortstop, the one IF/OF position Moncada isn't projected play. As far as L.A.'s top prospects, whom you'd assume Moncada would join, there is a pitcher-heavy slant sprinkled with outfielders, but led by shortstop Corey Seager. Some infielders exist lower in the top 20, but Moncada may be one of the most valuable young options the Dodgers could nab, especially if you imagine him alongside Seager, filling the middle (or left side) of the infield for a generation.

The Dodgers' sudden interest may be spurred by their divisional rival, the Diamondbacks, who signed a different Cuban prospect, Yoan Lopez (who had been a Dodgers target as well), to a record-breaking $8.25 million deal (record-breaking for international prospects, not for baseball in general). This interest in the international realm is unsurprising of L.A. of late, as they signed Cubans Alex Guerrero and Erisbel Arruebarrena for a total of $57 million in the last year and a half.

Just about any team should be able to afford to pay Moncada the $30-40 million/five-six years he is projected to get - even as he heads to the minors because he is still a teenager. However, the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees possess payrolls deep enough to swallow the additional 100% international spending tax Moncada will cost that will make his projected price tag closer to $60-80 million.

In the end, hope remains alive in a lot of places where teams have low international bonus pools (Giants, Nationals, Angels, Tigers) which would allow them to bring in Moncada. Or, teams like the Cubs or Rangers who have already spent money in their 2014-15 signing pools could convince Moncada not to sign until July 2, when Moncada's deal would come out of their 2015-16 pool. Then there's teams like the Braves, who sent two of their top scouts to Guatemala to see Moncada and for whom he seems a great fit, or the Rays, who are already maxed out as far as their 2014-15 bonus pool and won't face any worse penalty for signing Moncada.

So, this could wind up anybody's game, regardless of which teams we're hearing about. Which is good, given the amount of rationalizing, fantasizing, and hinting that is going on out there. Perhaps the best thing to do is to just stay cool.