Yaisel Sierra has moved on from extended Spring Training, getting added to the High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes active roster on Wednesday. He is scheduled to make his debut in a start on Saturday against High Desert Mavericks (Texas Rangers affiliate). The Mavericks are in first place of the California League South division.
Sierra took the place of Trevor Oaks on the Quakes active roster. Oaks was 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, three walks and 22 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched over four starts before a promotion to Double-A Tulsa.
Oaks threw six innings, allowing one run and collecting four strikeouts en route to earning a win in his first start for the Drillers. As for Sierra, he’s a young right-hander out of Cuba, whom the Dodgers signed to a six-year, $30 million contract in February.
Sierra received a $6 million signing bonus, is earning $1 million in salary this season, and will receive annual raises over the lifetime of the contract. Paperwork issues delayed Sierra’s arrival at Camelback Ranch and prevented him from participating in Spring Training until March.
The Dodgers plan to develop the right-hander as a starter. Senior vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes detailed Sierra’s pitch mix, complete with an electric four-seasm fastball.
Sierra spent the past five years in Cuba’s top league, Serie Nacional, and also was part of the Cuban national team that clinched the 2014 Central American and Caribbean games. The 24 year old posted a 16-21 record to go with a 4.23 ERA in 131 games. Of those appearances, Sierra started 25 games.
While Sierra is being developed as a starting pitcher, it’s plausible he joins the Dodgers at some point this season in a role out of the bullpen.
