Mariners to Sign Cuban Outfielder Guillermo Heredia

The Mariners, in their desperate attempt to find bodies for the outfield, are reportedly close to signing Cuban center fielder Guillermo Heredia.

The Mariners needed outfield help this offseason. GM Jerry Dipoto brought in Leonys Martin and Nori Aoki to add some range to center field and adequate defense to right while also banking on on-base skills from Aoki. But Dipoto and the Mariners needed help after that. Boog Powell, brought in via a trade with Tampa Bay, figures to still be a year or so out from being a regular starter in the outfield. Seth Smith, a rare holdover in this outfield from last year, is likely to split time with Franklin Gutierrez, or take over for the of-injured defensive whiz. Manager Scott Servais will do his best to keep Nelson Cruz out of the outfield as much as possible, despite his inexplicably improved offensive numbers when he gets to play in the field.

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In comes Guillermo Heredia. Heredia defected from Cuba in January 2015. For five years, from 2009 to 2014, Heredia played for the Cuban team Matanzas. In those five years, he hit .285 with a .376 on-base percentage with 57 doubles, 15 triples, and 23 home runs. He also walked 141 times and struck out 143 times. Despite those good offensive numbers, Baseball America says that he still needs to improve his offense to catch on for good with an MLB club.

Where Heredia truly shines is with the glove. Scouts have lauded his ability to take the most direct routes to fly balls in the outfield, even at line drives hit directly over his head or at him, something most major leaguers have trouble with. He is also known to be very fast with an excellent first step and acceleration ability. He’s made some highlight-reel catches in the Cuban leagues and is also known to possess an above-average arm.

Next: The Mariners 2016 Lineup

Heredia didn’t play much for Matanzas in 2014 and spent almost all of 2015 establishing residency in Mexico. He’ll have to adjust to a full baseball schedule. But, he could be a valuable fourth outfielder for the Mariners, certainly a worthy player for Dipoto to take a flier on.