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SF Giants sign Cuban pitching prospect Ubert Mejías for $200,000 signing bonus

The SF Giants signed Cuban pitching prospect Ubert Mejías for a $200,000 signing bonus. Read what one source told GBI about the 21-year-old righty.
Marc Delucchi|
SF Giants sign Cuban pitching prospect Ubert Mejías for $200,000 signing bonus
SF Giants sign Cuban pitching prospect Ubert Mejías for $200,000 signing bonus

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants signed right-handed pitching prospect Ubert Mejías for a $200,000 signing bonus, according to a report by Francys Romero. Mejías was one of 11 players on the 23-and-under Cuban National team who defected to Mexico during a competition last year. Mejías is the third player in the group of defectors to sign with an MLB organization. Cuba's government does not allow players to sign with MLB teams as a reaction to the United States' embargo against the small island nation.

"He has enough movement in his pitches to profile as a late-rotation starter," one industry source familiar with Mejías told Giants Baseball Insider. The source noted the 21-year-old's experience in international tournaments and credited him for "advanced pitchability."

Mejías primarily relies on a three-pitch mix (fastball, slider, and changeup). His fastball has reached 95 mph but has primarily sat between 92-94 mph in recent showcases.

The Giants likely tracked Mejías' development following his defection and were presumably impressed by his work in a showcase for teams earlier this year. However, they may have already been interested in the young righty based on his performance on big stages.

Unlike most international free agents, who are rarely signed after their 19th birthday, Mejías has a prolonged track record against top competition. Alongside his experience with the Cuban national team, he also played for two seasons in the Cuban National Series (CNS), the highest level of baseball in Cuba.

Mejías appeared in 43 games, almost entirely as a reliever, from 2019-2021 with Santiago de Cuba in the CNS. Mejías recorded a 6.38 ERA in 67.2 innings pitched with 43 strikeouts and 38 walks. While those numbers are far from impressive, they came against much older competition. The average hitter in the CNS over that span was just over 30, roughly a decade older than Mejías at the time.

Mejías is not considered an elite prospect, which is likely why he did not receive a seven-figure bonus. With that said, his $200,000 bonus suggests the Giants view him as more than just a system player.

While comparing international free agents to domestic draft picks is rarely useful, Mejías' situation is unique. The Giants drafted right-handed pitcher Hayden Birdsong in the sixth round of this year's draft and signed him for a below-slot $187,500 bonus, a comparable investment for another 21-year-old right-handed pitcher.

The SF Giants are already expected to sign the best power-hitting prospect in next year's international free-agent class. Now, a few months before the 2022-23 international free-agent window opens, the Giants added Cuban right-handed pitcher Ubert Mejías for a $200,000 signing bonus.

Check out video of Mejías' exhibition for teams earlier this year below:

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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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