One of the puzzling things I’ve found in digging into Cuban exiles is just who gets coverage. Jose Abreu has received plenty of attention, of course. But so has Yozzen Cuesta. Cuesta defected from a tournament in Canada last August, and has been mentioned as a promising defector in dozens of articles since. (Even on Deadspin!) The biggest mystery for me was why Cuesta was even with the national team. He’s 25 years old and was only a part-time first baseman with Ciego de Avila. Not once did he even garner 100 PA’s in a Cuban season. Ernesto Molinet, on the other hand, has been one of the better hitters in Cuba since 2008. He’s being scouted by multiple teams, and has the potential to impact a big league roster this season. Good luck finding anything in English on Molinet.
Irait Chirino has been covered even less than Ernesto Molinet. Chirino sent shockwaves through Cuban baseball when he asked off of Industriales’ roster before the start of the current season. He emigrated to Brazil, and… that’s the extent of my knowledge. I don’t know who, if anyone, is scouting him. I have no idea where he is in the process of being cleared to play in the US, or if he is even attempting it.
Irait Chirino Arroyo is a lefty-hitting outfielder who started out with Metropolitanos in 2004-05, and was transferred to Industriales in 2009-10. He is 29, and has mostly played corner spots for the last two years. He served as the team’s regular center fielder for several years prior to that. While not as productive with the bat as Molinet, Chirino would seem a decent bet to at least help a team in need of some outfield depth. Irait also has a twin brother (Iraklis) still playing for Industriales.
Irait Chirino Stats
| Age | Tm | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | SB | CS | R | RBI | HBP | BB | SO | SB% | lgSB% | |
| 2005 | 20 | MET | 280 | 242 | 66 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 37 | 21 | 4 | 31 | 59 | 0.33 | 0.48 |
| 2006 | 21 | MET | 240 | 204 | 53 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 23 | 4 | 27 | 47 | 0.67 | 0.51 |
| 2007 | 22 | MET | 171 | 140 | 32 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 20 | 15 | 2 | 25 | 27 | 0.17 | 0.53 |
| 2008 | 23 | MET | 346 | 271 | 85 | 16 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 50 | 41 | 8 | 56 | 55 | 0.42 | 0.52 |
| 2009 | 24 | MET | 411 | 341 | 120 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 66 | 57 | 5 | 59 | 64 | 0.67 | 0.54 |
| 2010 | 25 | IND | 330 | 258 | 75 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 41 | 28 | 2 | 61 | 42 | 0.30 | 0.50 |
| 2011 | 26 | IND | 381 | 299 | 92 | 18 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 72 | 45 | 13 | 62 | 43 | 0.36 | 0.52 |
| 2012 | 27 | IND | 417 | 353 | 115 | 25 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 67 | 50 | 4 | 54 | 49 | 0.38 | 0.53 |
| 2013 | 28 | IND | 208 | 181 | 56 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 37 | 24 | 0 | 24 | 20 | 0.38 | 0.53 |
| 2013.5 | 28 | IND | 85 | 68 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 12 | 1 | 14 | 9 | 0.00 | 0.56 |
| Totals | 2589 | 2115 | 651 | 121 | 28 | 43 | 30 | 48 | 392 | 295 | 39 | 382 | 356 | 0.38 | 0.51 |
| Age | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | ISO | OPS+ | BB% | K% | |
| 2005 | 20 | 280 | 0.273 | 0.365 | 0.401 | 0.128 | 102 | 2 | 8 |
| 2006 | 21 | 240 | 0.260 | 0.354 | 0.363 | 0.103 | 81 | 2 | 8 |
| 2007 | 22 | 171 | 0.229 | 0.351 | 0.307 | 0.079 | 80 | 5 | 4 |
| 2008 | 23 | 346 | 0.314 | 0.441 | 0.480 | 0.166 | 128 | 6 | 4 |
| 2009 | 24 | 411 | 0.352 | 0.448 | 0.516 | 0.164 | 132 | 4 | 3 |
| 2010 | 25 | 330 | 0.291 | 0.427 | 0.411 | 0.120 | 105 | 9 | 1 |
| 2011 | 26 | 381 | 0.308 | 0.443 | 0.492 | 0.184 | 126 | 7 | 0 |
| 2012 | 27 | 417 | 0.326 | 0.416 | 0.482 | 0.156 | 133 | 4 | 0 |
| 2013 | 28 | 208 | 0.309 | 0.385 | 0.448 | 0.138 | 133 | 3 | -2 |
| 2013.5 | 28 | 85 | 0.338 | 0.447 | 0.441 | 0.103 | 142 | 7 | -1 |
| Totals | 2589 | 0.308 | 0.418 | 0.452 | 0.145 | 99 | 4.2 | 0.4 |
As I have done with pitchers, I’m now showing BB% and K% as the difference between the player’s numbers and the league average. Positive values are good for walks; negative values are good for strikeouts.
Irait Chirino Comps
| Yr | Age | PA | OPS+ | AVG | OBP | SLG | ISO | BB% | K% | |
| Irait Chirino | 11-13 | 26-28 | 1091 | 131 | 0.317 | 0.422 | 0.475 | 0.158 | 4.7 | -0.5 |
| Ernesto Molinet | 10-13 | 26-29 | 1085 | 147 | 0.320 | 0.458 | 0.518 | 0.197 | 9.3 | -1.1 |
| Jose Abreu | 11-13 | 24-26 | 1014 | 245 | 0.393 | 0.537 | 0.802 | 0.409 | 9.0 | -0.7 |
| Yenier Bello | 10-12 | 25-27 | 1012 | 96 | 0.284 | 0.336 | 0.458 | 0.174 | -4.2 | -2.9 |
| Alex Guerrero | 10-12 | 23-25 | 1033 | 153 | 0.316 | 0.406 | 0.586 | 0.270 | 1.3 | -0.5 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 05-07 | 23-25 | 1177 | 147 | 0.287 | 0.419 | 0.526 | 0.238 | 1.6 | -4.6 |
| Yoenis Cespedes | 09-11 | 23-25 | 1194 | 151 | 0.334 | 0.420 | 0.629 | 0.295 | 1.4 | -1.4 |
Video
I’m not going to argue that Irait is the missing piece for a Tigers World Series Championship. His Cuban numbers don’t show great power, and the speed seems to be lacking. There are a handful of players whose Cuban stats scream “future Indy-Leaguer” consistently showing up in pixels, though, while Chirino has received no attention whatsoever.
For more Cuban defector profiles, go here.
Comments
Myles wrote:
He doesn’t have mono, does he?
EdwinQuote Reply
@ Edwin:
No. Just too many towel drills.
JonKneeVQuote Reply
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/03/11/ron-washington-paid-a-fine-from-mlb-with-20000-pennies/
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospectQuote Reply
Looks like Johnson’s injury is just hamstring tightness.
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospectQuote Reply
Donte (W)Hitner —-> CLE
CHI: Would have been a good SS option.
SF: The current SS is Craig Dahl. S just became the biggest need.
Like You CareQuote Reply
DeMarcus Ware ———> FA
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospectQuote Reply
@ Berselius, Cubs #12 prospect:
Cubs won’t be outbid.
dmick89, Sweatpants GuruQuote Reply
Lamarr Houston —-> CHI
Antoine Bethea —> SF
Like You CareQuote Reply
Like You Care wrote:
Hmm… they could have kept (W)Hitner for the same price. Not so sure about that one.
Like You Care wrote:
Like him at 4-3 DE and 5-tech. Another “scheme diverse” player.
Like You CareQuote Reply
Badler confirms that Galindo was a <$100k guy.
GWQuote Reply
Like You CareQuote Reply
Like You CareQuote Reply
OAK put him at DE, but he was a 3T at Texas. I liked him as a one gapper in a 3-man front going into the draft.
Like You CareQuote Reply
Let’s sign every 3T from Texas
MylesQuote Reply
[img]http://fogsfogarty.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/tumblr_inline_mzzm40rhhv1ql5vlz.gif[/img]
Like You CareQuote Reply
@ Myles:
To be fair, Henry Melton was recruited to play RB.
But if that’s what you want, how about drafting Texas-RB-recruit-turned-3T Chris Whaley?
Like You CareQuote Reply
(dying laughing) and the initial contract numbers are nearly the same for each. Hopefully the cap hit for Bethea is much lower and he’s Craig Dahl’s replacement rather than Whitner’s (i.e. all in on Clinton-Dix or Pryor in the draft).
Like You CareQuote Reply
Blaine Gabbert —-> SF
6th rounder —> JAX
[img]http://static4.fjcdn.com/thumbnails/comments/Well..+umm….+But….+Yeah+_d42111e0108b72a48618f38287993f5c.gif[/img]
Like You CareQuote Reply
Like You Care wrote:
Harbaugh recruited him at Stanford.
Like You CareQuote Reply
@ Like You Care:
But…he’s just so bad.
EdwinQuote Reply
Reports say Cuban officials were Irait.
Just plain BVSQuote Reply
@ Just plain BVS:
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospectQuote Reply
Here’s a worthy cause. (dying laughing). https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/declare-major-league-baseball-opening-day-national-holiday/3XNmgfBb
It’s got 1000s more signatures than the “End daylight savings time” petitions do.
Just plain BVSQuote Reply
Jonathan Martin —–> SF
Like You CareQuote Reply
Ervin Santana is a Brave.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Blaine Gabbert (dying laughing).You guys have to take on his stupid salary then right?
JonKneeVQuote Reply
Rice Cube wrote:
Italia est paeninsula.
Seventh Grade LatinQuote Reply
@ JonKneeV:
At least one outlet reported yesterday that Gabbert cost $2 million this season and then will be a UFA. So at the moment, he’ll be twice as expensive as Kaepernick.
I suppose Harbaugh thinks he can “fix” Gabbert. If he matches his best season (2012), he’d be more than good enough as a backup. If he improves on that season, he’s well worth a 6th.
What’s interesting to me is that the team traded for the QB Harbaugh recruited at Stanford and the OT that played for Harbaugh at Stanford on the first day of the league year. Is the team giving him the additional input on the roster Harbaugh was supposedly clamoring for?
Like You CareQuote Reply
DEN sure looks pissed off about losing to SEA. Signing Ward and Talib was big for them, and now they’re the favorites to land Ware.
Like You CareQuote Reply
NO adding Byrd was big time.
TB adding Michael Johnson was big too.
NFC South will be much tougher this season.
Like You CareQuote Reply
@ Like You Care:
Kansas City seems to be taking a sit back and watch approach this year so far. Hopefully that bodes well for them. Yesterday was hard to watch.
mikeakaleroyQuote Reply
@ mikeakaleroy:
That’s usually the way to go. Free agency is fun, but it rarely works out like you think it will.
KC lost some pretty good OL and they could still use another WR, but they can address their needs through the draft (deep in WR).
Like You CareQuote Reply
FS?
Like You CareQuote Reply
@ mikeakaleroy:
Not surprisingly the same goes for GB. The only signing they’ve made was one of their own guys (Shields)
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospectQuote Reply
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/03/11/mark-prior-transitions-to-the-front-office/
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospectQuote Reply
@ Berselius, Cubs #12 prospect:
I would never ask him to toss me a stapler in the office. Chances are good, he’d launch it at 90mph, but tear something in doing so.
mikeakaleroyQuote Reply
@ Berselius, Cubs #12 prospect:
They overpaid for Shields, imo, but they’re still on track. They should use FA for depth and the guys they should target are still out there.
Like You CareQuote Reply
@ Like You Care:
I’ll feel worse about the overpay if Casey Heyward manages to stay on the field next year.
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospectQuote Reply
New shit
http://obstructedview.net/facepalm/ov-daily-facepalm-3-12-14.html
Berselius, Cubs #12 prospectQuote Reply
@ Berselius, Cubs #12 prospect:
What’s really depressing to me is that I feel like SF’s best chance to win a Super Bowl is gone. I hate to use “should’ve,” but they should have wiped the floor with BAL two years ago. They were in a position to go to the Super Bowl in 2011 and 2013 too, and blew it.
Now…the rest of the NFC is catching up. SEA’s roster will be at least as good as last year’s. ARI is on the rise. NO and GB were transitioning offensively last season, but they’ll hit the ground running this year. Both will be better defensively too. If CAR gets a WR or two, they’ll be even better. PHI and CHI will add talent on defense and the offenses will improve after a year.
Like You CareQuote Reply