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September 19, 2007

Alexei Ramirez

From ESPN.com -

Baseball agent Jaime Torres told ESPN that Alexei Ramirez, who led the Cuban league in home runs this season as an infielder/outfielder for Pinar del Rio, has left Cuba and intends to file for residency in the Dominican Republic.

Torres, who also represents White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras, said Ramirez expects to apply to Major League Baseball for free agency.

Ramirez, who turns 26 on Sept. 22, played second base for Cuba at the Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro but is primarily a shortstop and centerfielder.

According to Torres, Ramirez has been in the Dominican Republic for less than two weeks and is already attracting attention from scouts. Ramirez's wife is a Dominican citizen who recently completed medical school in Cuba, Torres said, and her citizenship allowed Ramirez to enter the country legally and makes him eligible for Dominican citizenship. The couple has two children.

Ramirez, says the agent, is comparable to Contreras as far as being "major league-ready" immediately after leaving Cuba. "Right out of spring training, Ramirez will make a major league club," Torres said.

Torres said that he and Ramirez would address the media at a Thursday news conference in Santo Domingo.

If A-Rod opts out, I wonder if the Yankees would take a run at this guy to play third?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at September 19, 2007 01:56 PM

Comments

You know what Chris Rock said about girls in bars:

If a woman tells you she's 20....and looks 16? She's 12
If she tells you she's 26.... and looks 26? She's damn near 40!

I think the same applies to Cuban baseball players. I'm guessing that this guy isn't all that much younger than A-Rod, if at all.

Posted by: mehmattski [TypeKey Profile Page] at September 19, 2007 02:18 PM

Only if Pagliarulo recommends it's a good signing /jk

Posted by: RICH [TypeKey Profile Page] at September 19, 2007 03:01 PM