Cuban righty Dalier Hinojosa received clearance from the U.S. government and has been granted free agency by MLB, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. Hinojosa defected from Cuba in February, establishing residency in Haiti, according to a source. The Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees are among the teams that have shown interest in the 27-year-old, Sanchez wrote in June. Hinojosa is represented by Praver/Shapiro, MLBTR has learned, and he has already showcased his talents for teams.
Hinojosa throws in the low-to-mid 90s with a slider, curveball, two-seam fastball, and changeup, according to Sanchez. He starred with the Cuban national team, and is a former teammate of Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez. Gonzalez has also been cleared to sign with MLB teams. There is no limitation to the contracts these Cuban defectors may receive, because they are at least 23 years old and have played as a professional in a Cuban professional league for at least three seasons. For the 2014-15 international signing period, that minimum requirement will jump to five seasons.
