Viciedo, born in March 1989, is listed at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, but reports are that he was bigger than that last year at the World Junior Championship in Mexico. Viciedo has excellent power and hitting ability, however, with one scout comparing him to Giants prospect Angel Villalona. He slugged over .500 two of the last three seasons in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, its top-level league, hitting 14 homers in 2005-2006—as a 16-year-old—in his best season.

“His body could go the same route as Livan Hernandez, and when I saw him in Mexico, he wasn’t very good at third base anymore,” one international scouting director said. “But he can really hit; in fact, I think he’s probably a better hitter than Villalona.”

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=1141

Interesting. As I remember it, Jamie Torres pulled this stunt where he had Viciedo in the US on the eligibility date for the 2008 draft but didn’t publicize it at all so no one knew he was here. Unsurprisingly, he went undrafted then Torres pulls back the curtain and claimed the kid was a free agent. There was some controversy about whether that was kosher but I guess MLB and the Union agreed that Torres was right. This could get interesting.

Naturally, I am completely in love with a player I have never seen and who may well end up looking like Cecil Fielder before he’s old enough to drink. Come on Kenny – leverage your Cuban connections and good relationship with Torres to bring the kid in. If he fails, all we’ve lost is Jerry’s money and I think we can all agree that is a sacrifice we are willing to make.

and don’t reprint entire articles…

around here when you don’t have anything to add to the discussion, if you can’t muster 75 words on a subject, we use the FanShot feature.

though i do love the ‘you don’t walk off the island.’

I am a big fan of power hitting islanders.