Nationals Agree To Sign Yadiel Hernandez

The Nationals have agreed to sign 29-year-old Cuban outfielder Yadiel Hernandez, pending a physical, according to multiple sources. Hernandez is exempt from the international bonus pools, though he will sign a minor league contract with a $200,000 bonus. Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald first reported the agreement.

Hernandez, a lefty who is 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, ranked as the No. 16 player last year in Baseball America’s rankings of the top players still in Cuba, though he’s essentially lost two major league seasons since then. During his final season (2014-15) in Cuba’s top league, Serie Nacional, Hernandez batted .369/.509/.535 with 77 walks, 47 strikeouts and seven home runs in 369 plate appearances. He ranked second in the league in batting average, OBP and walks, fifth in slugging and tied for third in doubles (20).

Hernandez doesn’t have one standout tool that grades out as plus, but he has shown a keen eye at the plate with the ability to control the strike zone. His offensive value comes more from his on-base skills than his power, with a short, simple swing that stays in the hitting zone and the ability to use the whole field. He doesn’t have typical power for a corner outfielder and could end up with 10-14 home runs. A below-average runner with an average arm, Hernandez won a gold glove in Cuba during the 2013-14 season and should be an average defender in either left or right field.

Given his age, Hernandez would likely go either to Triple-A or have a chance to earn a spot on the major league club next spring, though it’s been a while since he has seen competitive game action. Hernandez left Cuba in June 2015 when he was in North Carolina traveling with the Cuban national team for a warm-up series prior to the Pan American Games. His last game in Serie Nacional was in April 2015, so while Hernandez has been training and workout out for clubs, it’s been a year and a half since he was playing in a regular game environment.