Two Cubans will be showcasing their talents in the Frontier League this season, they are infielder Yassel Pino and outfielder JC Negret. The league which will commence its season on May 8th of this year is starting to sign its free agent to fill rosters for every franchise in the independent league.
Pino returns to the Frontier League, but this time with the Down East Bird Dawgs in their inaugural season in the independent circuit. Last season the ex-Reds farmhand hit .197 in 61 at-bats with Aigles de Trois-Rivières. This winter the slugger hit .259 with four longs and 24 runs batted in with the Toros de Sincelejo of the Liga Colombiana de Béisbol Profesional.
In 59 games last season with the Dorados de Chihuahua Negret hit .270 (185-50), with 20 runs scored, four homers, 27 RBIs and a .708 OPS. In the Puerto Rico this winter he did not look good at all with the Leones de Ponce. In 18 at-bats he hit only .056, with one RBI and one stolen base, but only drew two walks and fanned 11 times with the storied LBPRC franchise.
Cubans signed in the Independent Leagues:
American Association:
Yusniel Díaz OF (Lincoln)
Franny Cobos RHP (Lincoln)
Rogelio Quesada RHP (Fargo-Moorhead)
Frontier League:
Heisell Baro LHP (New England)*
Yassel Pino IF (Down East)
Juan Carlos Negret OF (Trois-Rivières)
Atlantic League:
No Cubans on rosters
Intercounty League of Canada:
Yadian Martínez RHP (Kitchener)
Yankiel Mauri RHP (Kitchener)
Yosvani Peñalver OF (Kitchener)
Yordan Manduley IF (Kitchener)
Yunior Ibarra C (Kitchener)
Andy Vargas RHP (Kitchener)