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I've never seen the Giants' academy in the Dominican Republic, but it must be pretty swanky. Cushy chairs, free sodas, all sorts off. I'm guessing this because another Cuban player is holding his showcase there. Following in the footsteps of Yasmany Tomas, we have infielder Hector Olivera, the next Cuban player the Giants probably won't sign. He indeed worked out at the Giants' academy, and the Giants had a bevy of scouty types there:
The Giants had a big crowd on their home turf, including assistant GM John Barr, vice president of pro scouting Jeremy Shelley, special assistant Felipe Alou, senior scouting advisor Ed Creech and international crosschecker Joe Salermo.
I want this guy. I don't know if he's good or not, but I want him. Let's see if there's a consensus in the scouting community about him.
"I don't know."
Okay. Still want him. Did you know in the last 10 years, the season immediately following a Cuban player's debut in the minor leagues, the Giants have won the World Series? You might not think about Daniel Carbonell was responsible, but how do you know for sure? Seems worth another shot once the Giants run out of players to bring back.
The Giants finished in the top three for Jose Abreu, Rusney Castillo, and Tomas, and they're supposedly enamored of Yoan Moncada. Bay Area Sports Guy asked Larry Baer about the perception that Giants ownership is pushing for a Cuban player, and was told ...
It's not really true, ownership level. We're all kind of in it together. I talk to Brian a lot, I talk to Bobby, Dick Tidrow, our group. I don't think there's a push one way or the other, really. It's certainly not an ownership mandate, so it's not really true.
Okay. Still want him. I still want this ...
/checks index card
Hector Olivero
/checks index card again
Hector Olivera. I want this Hector Olivera, even though he's blocked in the majors by ...
/checks index card to see what position Olivera plays
/index card is illegible because of my uncomfortably sweaty palms
He's probably an infielder. Let's see ... yes, he played second base in Cuba and worked out at third base for the scouts, too. Amazin Avenue had a nice profile on him, and I'll just shoplift the stats they dug up:
| YEAR | AGE | G | AB | AVG | OBP | SLG | HR | BB | K | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-2010 (49th SNdB) | 25 | 89 | 345 | .322 | .415 | .565 | 14 | 56 | 29 | 0/1 |
| 2010-2011 (50th SNdB) | 26 | 86 | 346 | .318 | .390 | .535 | 16 | 37 | 21 | 2/0 |
| 2011-2012 (51st SNdB) | 27 | 60 | 264 | .341 | .462 | .626 | 17 | 44 | 22 | 0/1 |
| 2012-2013(52nd SNdB) | 28 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| 2013-2014 (53rd SNdB) | 29 | 73 | 228 | .316 | .412 | .474 | 7 | 38 | 25 | 0/0 |
Love that patience. Here's a video of him hitting a opposite-field dinger against a South African pitcher (recorded on a Speak & Spell):
And here he is making a nifty play:
The expectation is that Olivera's red tape gets cleared up by Opening Day, which would mean the Giants could have some high-profile insurance for Casey McGehee regression or Joe Panik sophomore slumping.
I want him. Because we've been through this before, we know that the Giants aren't going to get him. Still, it's January 26. Close your eyes and dream a trolling dream in which the Giants are ridiculed for their quiet offseason, then sign a Cuban who turns out to be the best player on the market, and they win the 2016 World Series with his help. You laugh, but we were all similarly underwhelmed by the Giants' offseason back in 2011, enough to make fun of the Giants when they signed Gregor Blanco.
The next Cuban player who holds a workout for scouts: I want him, too. And the guy next to him. Also, the other guy. Excite me with an unknown Cuban player. Not Daniel Carbonell, dang it. We've seen his stats. He's not as exotic and mysterious now. Give us a new hope, give us ... Hector Olivero.
Olivera. Give us Hector Olivera and call it an offseason (after the Moncada signing).