Sources revealed to the Cuban Baseball Digest that Lázaro Blanco (Aragua)and Miguel Romero (La Guaira) will start on opening day in the LVBP. Both right-handers pitched in the league last season, Romero for La Guaira and Blanco for Caracas.
Romero started last winter with the Tomateros de Culiacán and finished with La Guaira. The hurler from Guantánamo, Cuba finished the season with a 3-3 record and a 4.58 earned run average, although he missed the Round Robin and Final series he posted a 2-0 record and a 2.53 ERA in the Serie del Caribe. Without a doubt Romero was a key starter for the Tiburones in Miami during the Caribbean Series and figures to be a key if they are to repeat as LVBP champions.
In Blanco’s case the righty also started the season in the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico with the Venados de Mazatlán, but closed the season with the Leones del Caracas in the LVBP. The Cuban hurler posted a 2.70 earned run average in his only two starts with the felines to close the season. Blanco has the ability and the experience to make an impact in the Venezuelan circuit.
What Cuban Baseball Digest and Pelota Cubana has been saying for the last two months came to fruition, Ariel Miranda is a León del Escogido. The left-hander was originally announced by the Tiburones de La Guaira, but was unable to join the team for migratory and personal reasons. Miranda pitched in Venezuela with the Tiburones and the Dominican Republic with the Águilas Cibaeñas. In the LIDOM the pitcher has a 3.06 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 17 ⅔ innings pitched.
Sources tell us that Carlos Juan Viera will report to the Tigres de Aragua sometime during the following week. The right-hander has seen plenty of winter league action in the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico with Los Mochis and Monterrey. The pitcher is returning to the Tigres, a team he pitched for briefly in 2018. Over four seasons in the Caribbean circuits he is 6-11 with a 4.03 earned run average.
Cubans in the Winter Leagues:
LIDOM:
Henry Urrutia IF-DH (Gigantes)
Andy Rodríguez RHP (Águilas)
Vladimir Gutierrez RHP (Águilas)
Yadiel Hernández OF (Águilas)
Yoán López RHP (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)
Ernesto Martínez OF (Estrellas)
Jimmy Yacabonis RHP (Toros)*
Raúl Valdés LHP (Toros)
Elían Leyva RHP (Escogido)
Ariel Miranda LHP (Escogido)
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)*
Adeiny Hechavarría IF (Carolina)
Rafael Sánchez RHP (Santurce)
Lázaro Estrada RHP (Santurce)
Bryan Chi RHP (Santurce)
Félix Pérez DH-OF (Santurce)
Yanquiel Fernandez OF (Ponce)
Yoanys Quiala RHP (Ponce)
Aledmys Díaz IF (San Juan)
Josimar Cousin RHP (Mayagüez)
Carlos Espinosa RHP (Mayagüez )
LVBP:
Leonys Martín OF (La Guaira)
Miguel Romero RHP (La Guaira)
Erlys Casanova RHP (La Guaira)
Yurisbel Gracial 3B-OF (La Guaira)
Yasiel Puig OF (La Guaira)
Pedro Echemendia RHP (La Guaira)
Yunesky Maya RHP (Aragua)
Yoanner Negrín RHP (Aragua)
Lázaro Blanco RHP (Aragua)
Carlos Juan Viera RHP (Aragua)
Onelki García LHP (Magallanes)
Yoel Yanqui 1B (Magallanes)
Peter O’Brien OF (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)
Yordan Nodal (Chinandega)
*Cuban-American