azcentral.com · Mar 16, 2018
Arizona Diamondbacks’ Yoan Lopez is a prospect again
(Photo: Michael Chow/azcentral sports)Not long after being signed out of Cuba in 2015, Yoan Lopez threw his first bullpen session at Diamondbacks camp. It was a minor event. Club executives came out to watch. Cameras followed his every move. In a scrum with reporters later that day, Lopez spoke of trying to reach the majors soon. “Pronto,” he said. “Muy pronto.”
More than three years later, Lopez is still trying to get to the big leagues. His fall from prospect status was steep and messy. For a time, he considered walking away from the game. It seemed likely the Diamondbacks’ $16 million investment would yield no return.