http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/hector-olivera-leaves-cuba/
明年開季就要31歲的古巴二壘砲
他似乎有左上臂二頭肌血栓的病頭，所以2012-2013球季完全沒出賽紀錄
回來後的2013-14賽季打出.316/.412/.474 7HR成績，二壘守備則是減少，
有部份是擔任指定打擊。在他正常健康的狀態，Olivera曾在2011-12球季
打出.341/.462/.626 17HR成績，當時他長打指數名列古巴聯盟第三，排
在前面的是Jose Abreu與 Alfredo Despaigne。
Second baseman Hector Olivera, one of the top players in Cuba, has defected
to pursue a contract with a major league team, Baseball America has learned.
Olivera, 29, ranked as the No. 6 player still in Cuba by Baseball America
last month, although that evaluation comes with a huge level of uncertainty
given Olivera’s recent health history. Olivera had been a star on the Cuban
national team, including at the 2009 World Baseball Classic, where he ranked
behind only Aroldis Chapman, Yoenis Cespedes and third baseman Yulieski
Gourriel as the top Cuban prospects at the event. The next year, Olivera won
the MVP award at the Intercontinental Cup.
However, Olivera missed the entire 2012-13 season and hasn’t played in any
international tournaments since then, including the 2013 WBC. While it’s
difficult to verify medical information on Cuban players, according to Cuban
media reports, Olivera had thrombosis in his left biceps, a condition that
blocks blood flow and can be serious.
Olivera returned this past season in 2013-14 (which ended in March) to play
for Santiago De Cuba in Serie Nacional and still performed as one of the top
hitters in the league, batting .316/.412/.474 in 273 plate appearances with
seven home runs and more walks (38) than strikeouts (25). He didn’t play
much in the field, however, spending 29 games at second base with the rest at
DH.
At his best, Olivera (listed at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds) had been one of the
most well-rounded players in Cuba, showing a combination of hitting ability,
power, speed and size. In 2011-12, Olivera hit .341/.462/.626 with 17 home
runs, 44 walks and 22 strikeouts in 214 plate appearances, ranking third in
the league in slugging behind only Jose Abreu (now with the White Sox) and
Alfredo Despaigne, and he ranked fourth in OBP.
He also won the home run derby at the 2012 all-star game and has displayed
impressive power for a middle infielder. He showed his hitting ability with a
batting average .315 or better in nine of his 10 seasons in Cuba and recorded
more walks than strikeouts in his last eight seasons. During the 2007-08
season, Olivera stole 21 bases in 22 attempts, although he hasn’t been much
of a threat on the bases since then, even before he was sidelined.
Olivera turns 30 in April and has played more than five seasons in Cuba, so
he will be exempt from the bonus pools. He will need to establish residency
in another country, obtain a specific unblocking license from the Office of
Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury
and be declared a free agent by Major League Baseball before he can sign.
While there’s no clear timetable for that, given the track record of recent
Cuban defectors obtaining their paperwork, it’s possible that Olivera will
be able to sign this offseason, although that’s not a certainty.