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Yoan Moncada hopes to sign in February

By Eric Stephen
bviolin1001 on YouTube

When the Dodgers hold their first full-squad workout of spring training on Thursday, Feb. 26, Cuban sensation Yoan Moncada might have decided on a team by then. The 19-year-old infielder is expected to decide on his MLB home by the end of the month, per multiple reports.

"I’m hoping, certainly, that by the end of next week, we’ll have a much clearer picture of where he will sign," Moncada's agent David Hastings told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday. "I’m kind of hoping we’re at the final end of the process. I hope I will be able to get Yoan into a team’s spring-training practice as soon as possible."

Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com laid out the interested parties, and a rough timetable:

The Cubs, Dodgers and D-backs are all expected to watch Moncada work out in Florida this week. The Padres conducted a private workout for him on Monday.

Teams were recently informed that Moncada intends to complete all private workouts by Feb. 23. The teenage infielder is expected to sign with a club in the days after his final workout.

In all, Moncada has worked out privately for the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Padres, Giants, Rangers, Rays, Tigers and Brewers, according to industry sources.

Jerry Crasnick at ESPN also spoke with Hastings, who also mentioned the Feb. 23 date, though as a date by which Moncada might make a decision. Hastings told Crasnick "about a dozen teams" are interested in Moncada, with several teams requesting a second, private peek:

"If a team is going to put this much money on the table, I can't imagine they can see the kid one time and say, 'He's worth millions of dollars,'" Hastings said. "So they might want to come back and take a look at a second little aspect [of his game]. Sometimes they bring different personnel. Somebody wasn't available for the first workout, so they want that person to see him and evaluate him as well.

"I don't have any more plans [for workouts] after next week. I'm looking at around the 23rd of this month to have all the input we need to make a decision on where he'll start -- and hopefully end -- his professional career."

Jim Callis of MLB.com compared Moncada's tools to other top prospects, but not before he tweeted out this beefcake shot:

Callis gave Moncada an overall grade of 65 on a 20-80 scouting scale, and called him a strong contender to be picked first overall if Moncada was eligible for the 2015 MLB Draft:

His overall 65 grade would place him among the top dozen prospects in baseball right now, and it's arguably a bit conservative, because teams haven't had the chance to evaluate him against much quality competition. Only the first three players on the Top 100 earned overall 70s: Buxton, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant and Correa.

Finally, Roberto Baly of Vin Scully is My Homeboy tweeted out some videos of Moncada from the 2013 18-and-under Baseball World Cup:

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