With the elimination of the Águilas Cibaeñas and Toros del Este from the LIDOM tournament various Cuban players let it be known that they would be available for the re-entry draft for the teams that have qualified for the Dominican Round Robin. Yadiel Hernández, Raúl Valdés and Yunesky Maya are the players available for tomorrow’s 5PM draft.
With the regular season ending today Hernández is hitting .299 with 20 runs batted in and is also slashing .341/.406/.747. The slugger could be a good edition to the four teams (Licey,Escogido, Estrellas, Gigantes) that are in the postseason. The lefthanded hitting native of Matanzas, Cuba could arguably be the top hitter available in the draft.
The legendary Raúl Valdés is also available to help the four teams still alive in the Round Robin. Valdés has not only been the pitcher of the year in the circuit, but has also won more than 55 games during his time in the LIDOM. The veteran left-hander would definitely be a stabilizing presence for any pitching staff that adds him.
Yunesky Maya is a cult figure in Santiago with the Águilas Cibaeñas. Although the right-hander has pitched sparingly this season he is a big-game pitcher and has won the top pitcher in the league twice. Maya will start today for the Águilas to get in form and possibly pitch for a squad that drafts him or for another club in the Caribbean if he is not selected.
