10 teams showing interest in Yoan Moncada; Mets not among them

UPDATE, 5:15 PM: According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets have done due diligence on Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada but the club doesn’t “view him as a realistic option given their budget.”

Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada has been declared a free agent but is not yet eligible to sign. That is not impacting the interest in the 19-year-old.

According to Jesse Sanchez, Moncada has begun private workouts with interested teams, having already worked out for the Brewers, Giants, Padres, Rangers, Red Sox, and Yankees in Florida.

Other teams who are showing strong interest in Moncada but who have reportedly not yet had him in for a private workout are the Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies, and Rays.

While there are questions as to whether Moncada will be able to stick at shortstop, he’s viewed by most scouts as one of the best players to come out of Cuba in decades.

Any team that signs Moncada will be subject to a 100 percent tax for going over their international signing pool. Meaning, if a team signs Moncada for $30 million, the actual cost will be $60 million.

Here’s a scouting report on Moncada from Fangraphs:

"Moncada is 19 and packs a lot of tools into his 6’1/210 frame. He’s a plus-plus runner with above average raw power from both sides of the plate and the tools/skills to stick in the infield, possibly at shortstop. Moncada is the quick-twitch type with big bat speed that clubs covet and his track record of hitting at big tournaments and in Cuba’s professional leagues is excellent considering his age."

Moncada was declared a free agent in November and is still waiting for clearance from the Office of Foreign Assets Control, which would make him eligible to sign with any club.

Thoughts:

It was written in this space in November that the Mets should be all-in on Moncada if and when he’s declared a free agent. Unfortunately for Mets fans and the overall health of the franchise, it appears that won’t be the case.

Moncada is the exact type of player the Mets should be going after: he’s young, fast, has incredible raw power, and is viewed as a can’t-miss prospect who can play the infield or outfield. He won’t cost a draft pick, and he won’t cost players. He’ll just cost money.

The problem, is that the Mets have admitted that they don’t have the money to make a serious run at Moncada.

It isn’t just the behemoths of the sport who are showing strong interest in Moncada. Along with the Dodgers, Yankees, and Red Sox are the Rays, Brewers, and Padres.

Frankly, it’s getting to the point where the Mets’ inability to even feign interest in these types of talents is an embarrassment.