Major League Baseball

Los Angeles Dodgers win Hector Olivera sweepstakes

Published Mar. 24, 2015 5:04 p.m. ET

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By Alex Campos

After not making many big moves for most of the offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed the second biggest Cuban prospect on the market in Hector Olivera. MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reported the six-year, $62.5 million deal with a $28 million signing bonus via Twitter.

That seems like a big commitment for a 29-year-old who already may be dealing with an arm injury, as reports came out a few weeks ago that Olivera may need to undergo Tommy John surgery. He’s not a pitcher, so the recovery time won’t be the typical year to year and a half that many associate with the surgery. However, that is a possible cause for concern.

After Yoan Moncada, Olivera was the premier Cuban on the market this offseason. Moncada is ten years younger, but comes with a harsh penalty that keeps the team from signing him from participating in the next signing period, which many believe is what turned the Dodgers off from him. Olivera doesn’t have nearly the upside, but this signing keeps the Dodgers in the mix for the next signing period, which also includes a few high-profile prospects.

The Dodgers beat out San Diego, Atlanta and Miami to sign the soon-to-be 30 year old Olivera.

If there’s one thing Olivera can do, it’s hit. In his 10 seasons playing for Santiago de Cuba, Olivera has a career slash line of .323/.407/.505. He hit double digit home runs in every year from 2007-2011. He played second base mostly in Cuba, but can reportedly also play first, third and the outfield.

The Dodgers infield looks to be pretty locked up in 2015, with Adrian Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick, Jimmy Rollins and Juan Uribe around the horn. However, Gonzalez is the only one under contract after this season and all four of them are older than 32. A slight fusion of youth should be coming next year, with the potential call-up of top prospect Corey Seager, who will probably remain a shortstop for the foreseeable future.

If Olivera is healthy and doesn’t require Tommy John, it will be interesting to see how the Dodgers eventually get him on the roster. The 25-man and 40-man rosters are already pretty full, and Olivera reportedly still doesn’t have a visa to come to the US. It would be shocking if he were on the Opening Day roster in two weeks, but Olivera should provide the Dodgers with another long-term option in the infield. The contract may be a little too long or worth a little too much, but the Dodgers can afford to take the risk with their financial situation.

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