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 selected by Licey and Raúl Valdés were the only two players that were taken at today’s 5PM draft.
With the regular season ending yesterday Hernández is hitting .302 with 20 runs batted in and is also slashing .341/.406/.747. The slugger could is a good edition to an already stacked Licey lineup that already includes Mel Rojas Jr, Jorge Alfaro, Miguel Andujar and Ramón Hernández. The lefthanded hitting native of Matanzas, Cuba was arguably be the top hitter available in the draft.
Left-hander @RaulValdes56 is selected by @EOBASEBALLCLUB in the re-entry draft, while outfielder Yadiel Hernández is selected by @TigresdelLicey.
#CubanBaseballDigest #LIDOM #RoundRobin pic.twitter.com/m0CUjUGZAv
— Cuban Baseball Digest (@CBaseballDigest) December 24, 2023
The legendary Raúl Valdés will take the mound for the Estrellas Orientales 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 the San Pedro de Macoris squad’s pitching staff.
With the additions of these two experienced veterans the Estrellas and Licey have definitely reinforced their rosters with not only talent but plenty of big-game experience. Expect big contributions from the two players for their perspectives ballclubs in what will be a heated LIDOM second tournament phase.