Raisel Iglesias (26) throws in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. (Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports)
PHOENIX — Fifteen months ago, Cincinnati Reds scouts saw video of slim Cuban right-hander Raisel Iglesias throwing off a dirt mound in Haiti, where he had relocated after defecting from Cuba. They were sold — seven years and $27 million worth.
Iglesias will celebrate his one-year anniversary in the U.S. on Wednesday, when he makes his 11th appearance of the season, his ninth start, in San Diego. The Reds officially added Iglesias to their 40-man roster when he arrived in the country on Aug. 12, 2014.
“I don’t think there was a rubber on it,” Cincinnati manager Bryan Price, remembering the makeshift mound in Haiti. “And we are looking at this pre-draft and evaluating this kid, and thinking this kid could maybe be a top five, top 10 pick in the draft. That’s why we made such a strong effort and a commitment financially to get him. To think about where he was 13 months ago, 14 months, ago, to what he’s accomplished this year …”
Iglesias, 25, and a former member of the Cuban National team, was fast-tracked from the rookie Arizona League to instructional league to the Arizona Fall League before his first Reds spring training in February.
Through it, Iglesias has thrived. He made the starting rotation out of spring training and later missed a month because of a strained oblique muscle. He has been at his best lately, making consecutive quality starts in his first two outings in August, when he gave up only three runs and seven hits in 12 2/3 innings while striking out 11. He is 2-4 with a 4.72 ERA this season.
“His evolution and development has been extremely rapid,” Price said. “He fits in so well with our group. It doesn’t go unnoticed to me how grateful he is to have this opportunity. I think the culture of entertainment and sports, and the ability to accumulate so much so fast, can really callous people, especially young people that aren’t used to having so much. And he shows up every day grateful for this opportunity. That is something for me that stands out above all the physical traits and how well he has been pitching for us.”
Iglesias, who spent 2011-13 with Isla de la Juventud in the top Cuban league, jumped into the international spotlight while pitching in relief in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. While he spent most of his time in Cuba as a reliever, the Reds see a bigger role.
“He hasn’t done anything that would tell that he can’t start,” Price said. “Like most prospect pitchers, you start them first and see how they do and see if they can make that adjustment to keep them in the game for six to nine innings. There will be competition moving forward. That will be fun.”
