As reported by Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, the Red Sox are in negotiations with Cuban starting pitcher Yuniesky Maya. If the Sox are successful in signing Maya, it will likely be a minor league deal in hopes that he can contribute at the major league level in a few years. The 28-year old righty is widely regarded as one of the best pitchers coming out of Cuba and could provide the Red Sox with some minor league depth.
Maya has played at a high level for several years, being a member of the Cuban national team from 2005-09. Shortly before defecting to America, Maya was considered the best right-handed pitcher in Cuba. During the 2009 World Baseball Classic, Maya was selected to pitch the deciding game against Japan, and only allowed 1 run, on a solo home run. Maya ended up receiving the loss, because the Cuban offense was shutout by the strong Japanese pitching.
There is plenty of upside on Maya, as he finished the 2008-09 season in Cuba with a 13-4 record, a 2.22 era and 119 K’s in 146 innings. At age 28, Maya should have several strong years left in him, allowing the Sox to have depth in Pawtucket. According to Jorge Aranague of ESPN.com, Maya throws 88-92 mph with a fastball, two-seamer, slider, curveball, and changeup.
I love the fact the Theo and the front office are aggressively going after pitchers who have a high potential for success. The risk of bringing in guys like Maya is limited, especially with a minor league deal. No one knows how his stuff and attitude will translate in the majors, but if he has the chance to work with the excellent Red Sox development staff, Maya could be a contributor in a few years.
By bringing in low risk, high reward guys, the Sox are placing themselves in a strong position over the next few seasons. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Red Sox go after a few more pitchers over the next few weeks in an effort to continue building upon their strong pitching depth. Check back for updates leading into Spring Training.
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