Yoslan Herrera

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #25 prospect in 2008
  The Pirates gave Herrera a three-year, $1.92 million major league contract that included a $750,000 bonus after the 2006 season, their first foray into the Cuban market since Fidel Castro rose to power more than four decades earlier. Herrera defected because he was left off Cuba's 2004 Olympic team because of injury. Though he had performed well with the powerful Cuban national team, Herrera didn't show that same kind of ability in his pro debut last season. His fastball sat at 84-86 mph, six mph slower than his heyday in Cuba, and his curveball and splitter lacked sharpness. He also lost confidence in his fastball and kept throwing his curve early in the count instead of trying to establish his heater. The Pirates attributed Herrera's poor season to having not pitched competitively since defecting in 2004, then getting caught up in political red tape in Dominican Republic while awaiting a work visa. Herrera is already 26 and needs to move fast. Unless he shows marked improvement in spring training, he's likely headed back to Double-A to start this season.
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #5 prospect in 2007
  Herrera defected from Cuba after being left off the Olympic roster in 2004 because of injury. He impressed Pittsburgh general manager Dave Littlefield during a workout last August in the Dominican Republic, and signed a three-year, $1.92 million major league contract (including a $750,000 bonus) in December. Loathe to participate in the international market in recent years because of soaring costs, the Pirates hadn't signed a Cuban since the 1950s. Herrera has a good feel for pitching with an above-average curveball and a splitter that drops off the table. He has good mound presence and was a disciple of Jose Contreras when both pitched for Pinar del Rio in Cuba. His fastball has fringy velocity, sitting at 88 mph and touching 92, though some scouts project Herrera to work in the low 90s once he gets established in the United States. He'll have to adapt to a new culture, a challenge that has undone several Cuban defectors in the past. Herrera will have a chance to compete for a job in Pittsburgh's rotation this spring, though he may need some minor league seasoning after not pitching competitively for nearly three years. He projects as a possible No. 3 starter.