Blue Jays in on Cuban flame thrower?

The Blue Jays have been linked to the soon to be exported hard throwing Cuban Yadier Alvarez.  According to CBS Jon Heyman, the Jays have jumped into the fire for the highly hyped right hander.  There will be plenty of competition for the 19 year old righty though.  As of the moment the Jays competition to land the 19 year old phenom would be the Dodgers, Nationals, Diamondback, Rockies, Padres, Cardinals, Twins, A’s, and Rangers.  They have all been linked to Alvarez at one time.  The Dodgers have been at the for front thus far and are expected to dump a rather large sum of money into Alvarez’s pocket. 

Toronto Blue Jays

The Jays have looked into the previous Cuban stars but have yet to make a splash in the market.  As the Blue Jays look to keep pace with the idea of a home grown MLB pitching staff this could be a logical move.  He certainly fits the mold of a power pitcher the Jays usually seek.  Standing at 6 foot 3 just under 200 pounds could be an imposing figure on the mound.  Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports that he has a fastball that touches 98 MPH with solid secondary pitches.  He goes on to say that he has a plus slider with and above average change up.  That is an impressive scouting report for such a young player.

Alvarez falls under the intentional signing guidelines which could make him available soon according to CBS Sports insider Jon Heyman.  Due to service time Alvarez petitioned MLB to allow him to hit the market in the next signing period which would start on July 2nd.  It is expected that Alvarez will get a similar contract to Yoan Moncada.  Moncada received a 31.5 million dollar deal from the Boston Red Sox this spring.  Alvarez is said to be the Moncada of Cuban pitchers.  That being said should point to the huge pay day some team will have to provide for his services.

Alvarez maybe a young unpolished player but has the potential to be something special.  He will be expected to start in the minor leagues to gain experience which would help him reach the polished potential of a front end starter.  It is expected he would reach the majors in a few years.  Most likely his age 21 season after he adjusts and refines his craft.

This could benefit the Blue Jays by keeping the talent pool in our minor league system at a high level.  Now that top prospects Daniel Norris and Aaron Sanchez have made their Major League debuts this move could provide a continuous string of high end pitching talent.  We have the talents of Jeff Hoffman, Sean Reid-Foley, and other coming in the next couple years.  Placing a hard throwing right hander like Alvarez in our system will keep a dominate level of pitching in the system to feed the Jays Major League staff for years to come.  The question at the moment is will the Jays spend the cash?

Next: Jays Player of the Week - Someone Beat Out Donaldson

More from Jays Journal

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King