Cuban infielder Hector Olivera has not yet been cleared by Major League Baseball to sign a contract, but that hasn't stopped a number of clubs from showing interest in the 29-year-old. Where will he land once he's eligible to sign?
According to baseball insider Peter Gammons, five teams are willing to spend over $70 million on the Cuban veteran. This was reported shortly after Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com noted Olivera was looking for a five-to-six year contract that pays him similarly to fellow Cubans Yasmany Tomas ($68.5 million) and Rusney Castillo ($72.5 million).
On Tuesday it was reported the Los Angeles Dodgers were believed to be the frontrunners for Olivera, but we are seeing with Yoan Moncada that teams involved in such a progress change as time goes on. Olivera is expected to make an instant impact in the MLB after being one of the top players in Cuba since 2006, however, he has only played in 73 games over the past two years because of injuries as well as a rare blood disorder, which kept him out for all of the 2012-2013 season.
Despite that, the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics had a "notable presence" at Olivera's showcase last week, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. The Los Angeles Angels also jumped into the mix, but based on payroll situations, infield needs and reports of interest, it appears as if the Dodgers and Giants are the frontrunners for Olivera. While it's still very possible he lands elsewhere, there are a lot of arguments against the other clubs involved.
The Padres have already reached a record payroll of $93 million this offseason and have Jed Gyorko at second base and Will Middlebrooks at third, which are the two positions Olivera is likely to play in the MLB. The A's have little room in the infield as well as their payroll to fit the veteran, and same goes for the Angels, who recently signed Cuban infielder Roberto Baldoquin for $8 million and said they were seeking a cost-controlled third baseman for when David Freese departs via free agency after 2015.
So that leaves us with the Dodgers and Giants. Los Angeles will have vacancies at second base, shortstop and third base after this season, so investing in Olivera makes sense, especially if they want to use 2015 to help him get acclimated to major league play. As for the Giants, their infield is seriously lacking offense and power with Brandon Belt, Joe Panik, Brandon Crawford and Casey McGehee. Additionally, McGehee will be a free agent after the season, which leaves a vacancy at third base. They also have some room in the payroll for 2015 and have a number of contracts coming off the books in 2016.
We'll see what happens once Olivera is cleared to sign. But keep an eye out for the Dodgers and Giants.
