Cheslor Cuthbert and Ramón Torres developed in Kansas City branches, were considered by Baseball America among the top 20 prospects for that organization in 2016 and saw major league action with the Royals for the next two years.
In the next season of the Mexican Baseball League, the infield players from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic will be together again, in the cave, where they will have the mission of filling the gaps left on the left side of the infield by Alex Liddi and Jorge Flores. , important pieces in the bicampeonato of the South Zone of the Lions.
The Yucatecan organization announced yesterday that Cuthbert, who became the tenth most prominent prospect in Kansas City, before competing for six seasons in the Big Top, will be one of its foreign reinforcements, taking the place of Italian Alex Liddi. The beasts pointed out that the stellar third baseman requested special permission from the club to take a hiatus in his career this 2022.
Cuthbert played in the majors until 2020 to add just over 300 games; He is listed as a skilled third baseman as well as a contact hitter. He affectionately called Island Boy For the baseball community, he comes to the cave after spending 2021 with the Triple A branches of the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets, in which he hit 67 hits, including 16 home runs, which helped him produce 47 runs. He hit .222. The Selvans hope their new third baseman will have an impact similar to that of another former Nicaraguan big leaguer in Yucatán, Everth Cabrera, the shortstop who gave a boost to the kings of the jungle to win the Zaachila Cup in 2018.
In the book Baseball America Prospect Handbook 2016 It is noted that Cuthbert made it to the Major Leagues at age 22. “His tools are solid, but he impressed the Royals couches with his steadfastness.” The 29-year-old third and first baseman – Torres is 28 – was promoted by Kansas City in part because he fit in with the team’s philosophy of consistently putting the ball in play. “Cheslor fights (every turn), puts the ball in play and must have the ability to constantly reach base,” the post stated.
The first Corn Island native to reach the Big Top will seek to make a welcome impression with the Jungle from day one, as he did with the Royals when he hit a single in each of the doubleheader games that marked his debut in the best baseball in the world in 2015.
The losses of Flores and Liddi are sensitive, especially that of the Italian, whose production with the bat in the playoffs was key to getting two tickets to the King’s Series.
But Cuthbert has what to adequately cover the “hot corner.” Like Torres, he is an effective defender with agility and a precise arm.
Cuthbert could hit sixth in a lineup with versatility and skill.
With the acquisition of former Kansas City royal Cheslor Cuthbert, the Lions’ lineup at this point would look like this: Norberto Obeso (JI); Ramón Torres (SS); Luis Juárez (BD); Fernando Pérez (1B); Yadir Drake (JD); Cuthbert (3B); José Juan Aguilar (JC); Sebastián Valle (C); Walter Ibarra or Marco Jaime (2B). The initial could be covered by a reinforcement.
Pérez, Drake, Aguilar and Jaime began the day yesterday playing the semifinals of the Mexican Pacific League. All four have excelled in the LMP postseason. At round robin of the Dominican Republic, Torres is immovable as a shortstop for Águilas Cibaeñas and has hit first, second and ninth. It has looked good with the majagua.
The new faces in the cave so far are Alex Tovalín (P), Torres (IF), Henderson Álvarez (P) and Cuthbert (IF). Alvarez has been spotty with Magellan in Venezuela, but yesterday in the postseason he threw a one-hitter and a two-act strikeout.
There are already three foreigners and the other four could be Yoanner Negrín, Jake Thompson, Josh Lueke and Enrique Burgos.
On the other hand, the Major Leagues and the players’ union are scheduled to meet tomorrow, Thursday, in the first contact between the parties since the negotiations were broken on December 1. With spring training set to begin in five weeks, MLB plans to submit a new proposal to the union, according to several people with knowledge of the negotiations.
Edition: Ana Ordaz
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