With the winter league season drawing near two more Cubans secured their teams for the upcoming Caribbean tournaments. Pitcher Carlos Espinosa (Mayagüez) and slugger Yoel Yanqui (Magallanes) will play in Puerto Rico (LBPRC) and Venezuela (LVBP) respectively.
Espinosa is a prospect in the Los Angeles farm system, spendng last season with Rocket City (A+) and Tri-City (AA) sporting a 4-3 record with a 3.90 ERA primarily as a reliever. The right-hander will be making his LBPRC debut in Mayagüez’s pitching corps with his countrymen Josimar Cousin and expect them both to be part of the bullpen. Expect the hurler to be a short reliever for the Indios.
Yanqui played this year in the Liga Mayor de Béisbol, which is Venezuela’s summer circuit. The power-hitting first baseman batted .388 with 11 longballs and 40 RBIs with the Marineros de Carabobo. The returns to Magallanes where he played in 2022-23. Last season with Cardenales de Lara in the same LVBP he hit .291 with a homer and nine runs batted in over 19 games with the Venezuelan Redbirds.
Cubans in the Winters Leagues for 2024:
LIDOM:
Henry Urrutia IF-DH (Gigantes)
Andy Rodríguez RHP (Águilas)
Vladimir Gutierrez RHP (Águilas)
Yadiel Hernández OF (Águilas)
JC Escarra C-IF (Águilas)*
Dairon Blanco OF (Estrellas)
Pedro León OF (Estrellas)
Julio Pablo Martínez OF (Estrellas)
Luis Avilés IF (Estrellas)
Jorge Martínez RHP (Estrellas)
Jimmy Yacabonis RHP (Toros)*
Raúl Valdés LHP (Toros)
Liga ARCO:
Yasmany Tomás IF (Los Mochis)
Ronald Bolaños RHP (Los Mochis)
Roel Santos OF (Los Mochis)
Victor Labrada OF (Guasave)
Yadir Drake IF-Of (Guasave)
Diosbel Arias IF (Culiacán)
Odrisamer Despaigne RHP (Ciudad Obregón)
LBPRC:
Greg Veliz RHP (Carolina)*
Rafael Sánchez RHP (Santurce)
Lázaro Estrada RHP (Santurce)
Bryan Chi RHP (Santurce)
Félix Pérez DH-OF (Santurce)
Yanquiel Fernandez OF (Ponce)
Pedro Echmendia RHP (Ponce)
Yoanys Quiala RHP (Ponce)
Aledmys Díaz IF (San Juan)
Josimar Cousin RHP (Mayagüez)
LVBP:
Leonys Martín OF (La Guaira)
Miguel Romero RHP (La Guaira)
Erlys Casanova RHP (La Guaira)
Ariel Miranda LHP (La Guaira)
Yurisbel Gracial 3B-OF (La Guaira)
Yasiel Puig OF (La Guaira)
Yunesky Maya RHP (Aragua)
Yoanner Negrín RHP (Aragua)
Lázaro Blanco RHP (Aragua)
Carlos Juan Viera RHP (Aragua)
Onelki García LHP (Magallanes)
Peter O’Brien OF (Magallanes)*
Yoel Yanqui DH/1B (Magallanes)
José Ramón Rodríguez RHP (Anzoátegui)
Richard Guasch RHP (Anzoátegui)
Julio Robaina LHP (Caracas)
LBPN:
Yuniesky García RHP (Rivas)
Lázaro Alonso 1B (Rivas)
Rusney Castillo OF (Rivas)
Alay Lago IF (Tren del Norte)
*Cuban-American