In today’s look at the talent in Cuba, Don breaks down RHP Armando Rivero.
Talent from Cuba Series: Yoenis Céspedes | Jorge Soler | Omar Luis Rodríguez | Armando Rivero
A few weeks ago, the Orioles ventured down to the Dominican Republic. Their eyes were on a batch of international talent that could inject some much needed youth into the system and improve the public perception that Dan Duquette is reaching beyond the US border to strengthen the ball club. Here’s a look at Armando Rivero.
Simply put, Rivero is a power right handed arm that has the pieces to be a quick mover to the parent club. He is a long and loose arm guy that looks the part from the eyeball test right away, and still has a bit of projection He has a plus fastball with action and sits in the mid to upper 90s, topping out at 98 mph.
His two seam fastball has some late drop action that will make it an effective pitch down the road, and could become his bread and butter. He has been used his entire career with Cuban baseball as a closer and this is his future role with any organization that signs him.
He shows some mechanical traits that make it necessary to limit the amount of pitches he throws. His arm slot and angle show promise and he can spin a nasty slider down the line, which gives him a powerful arsenal at his disposal. Mechanically, sticking exclusively in a relief role should not pose a concern down the line as he matures.
Talent from Cuba Series: Yoenis Céspedes | Jorge Soler | Omar Luis Rodríguez | Armando Rivero
