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Cubs Sign Gerardo Concepcion
By Mark Polishuk [February 2, 2012 at 5:58pm CST]
The Cubs have signed Cuban left-hander Gerardo Concepcion to a contract, reports Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald (via Twitter).
Concepcion, 18, established residency in Mexico in mid-January and was declared a free agent last week. Several teams were interested in the young southpaw, including the Blue Jays, Giants, Phillies, Rangers, Red Sox, Royals, White Sox and Yankees. Torres recently said Concepcion had received as many as 10 contract offers.
BA's scouting report on him:
Gerardo Concepcion, lhp
Concepcion, 19, was the rookie of the year in Cuba in 2010-11, when he posted a 3.36 ERA in 101 2/3 innings pitching for the Industriales. While his ERA ranked 11th in the league, he averaged just 4.7 strikeouts per nine innings with 53 strikeouts and 43 walks, though he was facing much older competition in Cuba. He defected last June in the Netherlands at the World Port Tournament, though he didn't pitch there.
Concepcion is a slender 6-foot-2 with long arms, sloped shoulders and an athletic, wiry build that could have some projection remaining. He has advanced feel for pitching for his age and has shown the ability to pitch with his fastball to both sides of the plate, though he doesn't have the stuff to miss many bats. At times his fastball ranges from 88-92 mph, though some scouts have said they've seen him dip to 86-90 mph at times.
Concepcion has had success in Cuba by being able to change speeds to keep hitters off balance. Some scouts like Concepcion's mid-70s curveball, which shows good depth at times, but others say it gets loopy. He throws slightly across his body, which provides him with a little deception, but it's a concern for some scouts who think his mechanics hamper his ability to get to the front side of his delivery and show consistency with his breaking ball. Concepcion also throws a changeup (some scouts have called it a splitter), though like many young pitchers it's still a work in progress.
While some scouts view Concepcion's upside as a No. 5 starter, others see a bit more, though with his present stuff it's hard to project more than a back-end starter for now. Concepcion, who became a free agent earlier this month, would likely begin his career at one of the Class A levels.
By Mark Polishuk [February 2, 2012 at 5:58pm CST]
The Cubs have signed Cuban left-hander Gerardo Concepcion to a contract, reports Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald (via Twitter).
Concepcion, 18, established residency in Mexico in mid-January and was declared a free agent last week. Several teams were interested in the young southpaw, including the Blue Jays, Giants, Phillies, Rangers, Red Sox, Royals, White Sox and Yankees. Torres recently said Concepcion had received as many as 10 contract offers.
BA's scouting report on him:
Gerardo Concepcion, lhp
Concepcion, 19, was the rookie of the year in Cuba in 2010-11, when he posted a 3.36 ERA in 101 2/3 innings pitching for the Industriales. While his ERA ranked 11th in the league, he averaged just 4.7 strikeouts per nine innings with 53 strikeouts and 43 walks, though he was facing much older competition in Cuba. He defected last June in the Netherlands at the World Port Tournament, though he didn't pitch there.
Concepcion is a slender 6-foot-2 with long arms, sloped shoulders and an athletic, wiry build that could have some projection remaining. He has advanced feel for pitching for his age and has shown the ability to pitch with his fastball to both sides of the plate, though he doesn't have the stuff to miss many bats. At times his fastball ranges from 88-92 mph, though some scouts have said they've seen him dip to 86-90 mph at times.
Concepcion has had success in Cuba by being able to change speeds to keep hitters off balance. Some scouts like Concepcion's mid-70s curveball, which shows good depth at times, but others say it gets loopy. He throws slightly across his body, which provides him with a little deception, but it's a concern for some scouts who think his mechanics hamper his ability to get to the front side of his delivery and show consistency with his breaking ball. Concepcion also throws a changeup (some scouts have called it a splitter), though like many young pitchers it's still a work in progress.
While some scouts view Concepcion's upside as a No. 5 starter, others see a bit more, though with his present stuff it's hard to project more than a back-end starter for now. Concepcion, who became a free agent earlier this month, would likely begin his career at one of the Class A levels.
