Chicago Cubs Prospect Profile: Derniche Valdez |
If only the Cubs could be as aggressive in Free Agency as they are in scouting the International Free Agent Market. The Cubs continue to take a strange approach to MLB free agency, acting more like a rebuilding team than a team ready to contend.
The same can't be said about the international process, as the Cubs have been aggressive and one of the more successful organizations over the past decade in finding international talent. That type of success is something the Cubs have always done and will continue to do as they are once again in the running for several of this year's top International Prospects. Sticking with the International Theme, many of the Cubs' low-level Minor League players come from the International side of things, including their No. 14 Prospect, Derniche Valdez. Like Hernandez, whom we talked about the other day, Valdez is not only a teenager (18 years old) but also one of the best prospects in his 2023 class, which is why the Cubs made him their top priority that winter. One of the more polished teenage hitters of his class, the Cubs were by far the most active team when it came to pursuing him and signed him to a 2.8 million dollar contract. In the year leading up to his posting, Valdez went from being a solid prospect to one of the best prospects in his class, showing that the homework the Cubs did work. Unlike many young International Prospects who take a little while to join their organization, Valdez got immediately into the swing of things as he latched on with the DSL Cubs later that summer. Although he had a limited sample size with only 35 games under his belt, Valdez had moments of glimpses despite his average only being .234. He also had an insanely high 41% strikeout rate, which concerned the Cubs. As expected, Valdez made plenty of adjustments following his first season, and he started to round into the player the organization thought he was even though this season he was limited to just 17 games. Whether small sample size or not, Valdez improved overall as he hit .271 across those 17 games with two homers and 10 RBIs. That came after hitting six homers the season prior, so the power potential is there. Even though his power potential is far from polished, Valdez is another classic hitter with strong hands. He can generate plenty of bat speed to barrel up the ball. The contact he makes when he does square up the ball is loud, but he has gotten himself into trouble by chasing far too many pitches out of the zone. He also became another casualty of the Launch Angle, spending too much time trying to lift and launch the ball and not enough time letting the bat do the work for him. Expect that to change once he matures more at the dish, as he can potentially be a 20-25-homer player. For that to happen, he will not only have to perfect his approach, but he will also need to add plenty of strength, as his 5-11 150-pound frame makes him one of the smaller players in the organization. Valdez makes up for what he may lack in hitting at this stage in his career in other ways, including his above-average speed. That is something you wouldn't expect, as he only has six career stolen bases, but he does have plenty of speed, which makes him an extra-base threat at this point. His defensive ability sets him apart, as his defense is miles ahead of his offense right now. Not only does he have the instincts and quickness to remain at SS long-term, but he also has a strong and accurate arm that could lead to a move to third. Look for Valdez to continue to play Rookie ball for another season, but this time, it should come stateside, as he will most likely be with the ACL Cubs in 2025.
