In March of 1998, the Yankees finalized a deal with Cuban pitching legend Orlando “El Duque” Hernández. The organization was confident enough in the skills of Hernández that they committed $6.6 million dollars over four years to the international star. There will always be a roll of the dice to a certain extent when pinning your hopes on an international player with regards to his performance — baseball is played on a very high level in Cuba to be sure, but it’s not the same as facing the best hitters in the world every time you take the mound.
25 Smartest Moves of the Past 25 Years: El Duque signed
