Hector Olivera

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #2 prospect in 2016
  Dodgers international scouting department. The Braves were among the five primary suitors for Olivera before the Dodgers outbid the field and finalized a six-year, $62.5 million deal with the Cuban defector in May 2015 that included a $28 million signing bonus. Los Angeles received 69 at-bats at three minor league stops in 2015 while Olivera battled a hamstring injury before trading him to the Braves for lefthander Alex Wood, prospect Jose Peraza and three veteran pitchers. (Atlanta also acquired prospect righthander Zack Bird and a 2016 supplemental first-round pick from the Marlins in the three-team transaction.) A 10-year veteran of Cuba's Serie Nacional, Olivera was one of his country's premier players during his early and mid-20s and a veteran of Cuba's national team. A blood clot in his left biceps sidelined Olivera for the entire 2012-13 campaign. He served primarily as a DH in 2013-14 before he defected in September 2014. An MRI conducted by the Dodgers revealed a small tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. Olivera has a smooth, quick, righthanded stroke with strong hands that tend to barrel pitches more often than not. He continues to show above-average bat speed and an advanced approach at the plate that generates an excellent walk-to-strikeout ratio. Olivera uses the entire field and drives the ball the opposite way with authority. Most scouts envision him hitting 15-20 home runs annually in the big leagues. A plus runner in his prime, he has lost a step since then but shows solid instincts on the basepaths. He possesses soft hands, good range and a solid arm at third base, with above-average accuracy on his throws. The Braves, however, tried him in left field in the Puerto Rican League as they anticipate a possible position switch. The future is now for Olivera, who will be 31 in 2016. 2013 Santiago de Cuba CNS .316 73 228 44 72 11 2 7 38 38 25 0 0 .412 .474

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #55 prospect in 2016

• December, 2015 Scouting Report
  Dodgers international scouting department. The Braves were among the five primary suitors for Olivera before the Dodgers outbid the field and finalized a six-year, $62.5 million deal with the Cuban defector in May 2015 that included a $28 million signing bonus. Los Angeles received 69 at-bats at three minor league stops in 2015 while Olivera battled a hamstring injury before trading him to the Braves for lefthander Alex Wood, prospect Jose Peraza and three veteran pitchers. (Atlanta also acquired prospect righthander Zack Bird and a 2016 supplemental first-round pick from the Marlins in the three-team transaction.) A 10-year veteran of Cuba's Serie Nacional, Olivera was one of his country's premier players during his early and mid-20s and a veteran of Cuba's national team. A blood clot in his left biceps sidelined Olivera for the entire 2012-13 campaign. He served primarily as a DH in 2013-14 before he defected in September 2014. An MRI conducted by the Dodgers revealed a small tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. Olivera has a smooth, quick, righthanded stroke with strong hands that tend to barrel pitches more often than not. He continues to show above-average bat speed and an advanced approach at the plate that generates an excellent walk-to-strikeout ratio. Olivera uses the entire field and drives the ball the opposite way with authority. Most scouts envision him hitting 15-20 home runs annually in the big leagues. A plus runner in his prime, he has lost a step since then but shows solid instincts on the basepaths. He possesses soft hands, good range and a solid arm at third base, with above-average accuracy on his throws. The Braves, however, tried him in left field in the Puerto Rican League as they anticipate a possible position switch. The future is now for Olivera, who will be 31 in 2016. 2013 Santiago de Cuba CNS .316 73 228 44 72 11 2 7 38 38 25 0 0 .412 .474
• November, 2015 Scouting Report
  Olivera was a star on the Cuban national team with appearances in the 2008 Olympics, 2009 World Baseball Classic and 2010 Intercontinental Cup, where he won the MVP award. During his early-to-mid 20s from 2008-2012, Olivera was one of the best players in Cuba's Serie Nacional, but a medical condition reported in the Cuban press as thrombosis in his left biceps sidelined Olivera for the entire 2012-13 season in Cuba and kept him out of international tournaments during that time. He returned for the 2013-14 season and was still one of the top performers in Serie Nacional, then defected in September. While scouts haven't seen Olivera recently, at his peak he impressed scouts with his athleticism and well-rounded skill set. He has a loose, quick swing and a good hitting approach, consistently walking more than he struck out in Cuba. Scouts are split on his raw power, but he has a chance to hit 20 home runs. He was a plus runner in his prime with a solid arm capable of handling second or third base, though in 2013-14 he spent just 23 games of the 90-game season at second base, with the rest at DH. Given Olivera's medical history and lack of recent looks from scouts, there's a lot of uncertainty around him, but at 30 he should go straight into a major league lineup, with a chance to be an impact player if he's the same guy he was a few years ago.