Nationals sign Cuban Defector Yuneski Maya

 

(Cuban RHP Yuneski Maya, seen here facing Japan in the 2009 WBC. AP Photo via Daylife.)

According to ESPN.com's Enrique Rojas, the Nationals celebrated Stephen Strasburg's 22nd birthday on Tuesday by signing 28 year old (pfffft!) Cuban RHP Yuneski Maya. Lazily copying and pasting directly from ESPN.com:

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The right-hander played for Team Cuba during both editions of the World Baseball Classic (2006 and 2009). ...

During six seasons in the Cuban National Series, Maya went 48-29 with a 2.51 ERA. His pitching arsenal includes a fastball, curveball, changeup and slider. (via ESPN.com, 7/20/2010)

Anonymous sources with no knowledge of the situation tell the Nationals Enquirer that Maya, supposedly 28 years old, is actually Livan Hernandez's father.

Apparently the guy doesn't throw very hard (88-92 MPH fastball, according to MetsBlog); meaning he'll fit right in around here with all the guys not named Strasburg and Zimmermann:

Last December, Jorge Arangure of ESPN.com quoted a scout who watched Maya as saying he threw in the 88–92 mph range, while sporting a fastball, two-seamer, a slider, curveball and a changeup. (via MetsBlog.com, 7/20/2010)

Here's a video clip of Maya facing Ichiro in the first inning of a 2009 WBC game (Cuba vs. Japan); he mixes in at least one 77 MPH curveball with some 90 MPH stuff, induces a groundout:

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Comments

[JDC]

With all the trade talk around recently, what if MASN traded Dibble for the guy commentating that video clip in spanish?

[DMan]

Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!!!