Red Sox agree to terms with Yoan Moncada

The Red Sox have signed Cuban free agent Yoan Moncada for a bonus that is reportedly worth $31.5 million. Due to the 100 percent tax Boston will pay for going over their international spending limit, the actual total will be $63 million.

The Red Sox beat out teams such as the Yankees and Padres for Moncada’s services.

Moncada, 19, is expected to need a year or two in the minor leagues, and is pegged by scouts as a player who will likely wind up at third base, second base, or one of the corner outfield spots.

Moncada is viewed by scouts as a player with superstar potential – a mix of speed, power, maturity, and defensive ability – who might have been the first overall pick had he been available in the amateur draft.

A few weeks ago, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson outlined why the Mets wouldn’t be going after Moncada.

Thoughts:

The Red Sox signing Moncada shouldn’t come as a surprise. They’re a large market team that’s flush with cash, and they secured Moncada even though there’s no clear spot for him in the near future at the big league level.

Boston has Pablo Sandoval at third base, Xander Bogaerts at shortstop, Dustin Pedroia at second base, Mike Napoli at first base, David Ortiz at DH, and a glut of outfielders including Mookie Betts, Rusney Castillo, and Hanley Ramirez.

A few weeks ago, while explaining why the Mets wouldn’t be going after Moncada, Sandy Alderson closed by saying the following:

"The bottom line is that our farm system now is one of the best in baseball…one of these days maybe we will be in on a guy like Moncada, but my guess is you’re gonna find that the teams that are in on him don’t have a Rosario at the bottom end of their system and are doing it because of a real hole that they have as opposed to kind of dealing from strength."

With the Red Sox having signed Moncada, Alderson’s claim above – that a team with a genuine need would sign Moncada – has been proven wrong.

However, it’s hard to blame this on Alderson since there’s probably no chance the Mets would’ve been either willing or able to pay the $63 million or more it would’ve taken to sign Moncada.