Cuban left-hander Osvaldo Hernandez has been declared a free agent and can now sign with any team, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (via Twitter). Several teams are already interested in the 18-year-old southpaw, including the Astros, Braves, Mets, Padres, Rangers, Reds and Red Sox.
Due to Hernandez’s young age, his signing is subject to international bonus pools. (As a reminder of how the international signing system has been altered by the new collective bargaining agreement, check out this refresher from Baseball America’s Ben Badler). One factor that hasn’t changed is that teams who exceeded their international spending limits in the last two July 2 classes are still serving their previously-mandated penalties, i.e. limited to spending no more than $300K on any pool-eligible player. By waiting until this July 2 to sign, Hernandez could open his market up to teams like the Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Angels, Rays, Yankees and Red Sox, as those six clubs would no longer be held to the $300K limit. Boston, it should be noted, can’t sign Hernandez at all until July 2 since the Sox were banned from signing any pool-eligible players whatsoever during this signing class.
With significant interest in Hernandez’s services already, however, the young southpaw may not feel the need to wait. Also, since the old CBA’s rules are still in effect until the 2017-18 international signing period begins, Hernandez probably stands a better chance of scoring a richer contract now than he will when the stricter pool rules are instituted after July 2. Of the teams connected to Hernandez already, the Braves, Astros, Reds and Padres have already surpassed their bonus pools for the 2016-17 international signing period, so they would be paying a 100 percent tax on Hernandez’s signing bonus if a deal was reached.
Hernandez didn’t appear on any of the top prospects lists from Baseball America, Fangraphs or MLB.com for the current international signing period, though BA’s list didn’t include players who weren’t already eligible to sign. The 18-year-old does already possess a fastball clocked between 92-94mph, according to Sanchez.
He’d be a great pickup go get him [general manager of my favorite team].
has the Dodgers been alerted?
Seeing theyre under penalty for this period and next they cant sign anyone over 300k, they stand little chance for a cuban left hander hitting 92-94 on the gun at 18 yrs of age
Think he was being sarcastic
I think they had enough Cubans fail in a dodgers uniform
You’re a fool.
18 years old, 94MPH fastball, left handed. I’m sure every team is interested. Not just 7.
This would be a great pickup for the O’s but I don’t see it happening. Duquette usually never goes after any of the bigger name international free agents.
I don’t know why. I get if he gets to expensive but they don’t seem to even pay any attention to these guys.
I know. He would definitely help their farm system and has the potential to be a top of the rotation starter with more experience. This is a player Duquette needs to seriously try to get.
Do you have more information about this guy than the rest of us, because all the article gives is FB velocity, handedness, and age. We know nothing about his secondaries or even his height, and you’re calling him a potential TOR starter?
If someone that young can throw that hard repeatably, the rest can be taught. A team has 4 to 5 years to teach an 18 year old how to pitch and have him make his Major League debut at 22 or 23.
Braves interested in a starter? Not as obvious as the Grammys being filled with garbage music!
Just when you thought every single Cuban ball player has already been signed this offseason…
Man I would love for the As to get him even though we’re already over the tax. I’m curious to see how much he gets.
This’ll be interesting…Should teams go for Hernandez now or hold out hope for Otani next offseason?
Otani said that he will be posted next offseason, and teams that are subject to the $300,000 limit won’t have as good a chance to acquire him.
So should a team max their budget out now (as may be required if they wish to sign Hernandez) or should they save their cash for a potential Otani signing?
I don’t really understand this logic. He’s already passing up 100-200 million dollars to enter MLB before he can just sign as a free agent, why would he care that much about missing out on ~3 mil or whatever amount a team can get to by trading for slots?
When it comes down to it, he’d likely make more via endorsements and such signing in a big market than he would from the signing bonus.
I have a hard time seeing Ottani coming over until he’s 25. I also have a hard time seeing teams willing to trade int bonus money if there’s a possibility he gets posted. There’s so much uncertainty as to whether the MLB would ok a contract extension that flies right in the face of the CBA. Ottani will make more than 10M in Japan over the next three years. Overall I think he’s staying put it just makes more sense for him financially. Then he can gets his 10 year 300 M contract or whatever he’s rumored and still have another decent contract in him.
Otani has zero chance coming over next year without MLB making an exception for how much money he can make.
This would be a good time for the Mets to go after an international player.
agree….stockpile pitchers. I’m in.
100% agree. Their lack of activity in certain international markets has really bothered me in recent years.
At some point, the discussion should stop being “go after this guy” or “don’t go after this guy”, and should become “should be worth $800,000” or “spend 1.1 on this guy”.
For IFA types under the age limit, the money involved will be the telling factor.
Looks like another Padres pick up
They have been backing down somewhat but still going after lefties
The more the merrier. The Padres did have the highest offer for Cionel Perez, but he untimately signed with the Astros because of some 40 man rule. Ownership is still standing behind Preller and Co. on this rebuild, so if they think Hernandez is worth the bonus plus the penalty, I could see this signing happen. I also hope that Luis Robert is declared a free agent soon, so the Padres have a shot at him as well.
I’m wondering if avalia will do something worth noting this off-season boring off-season for us here in Detroit
Come on braves get this kid. You can never have enough pitching just keep adding please.
Seattle hasn’t had very many big international signings since Ichiro and Felix so maybe it’s time to get another guy. Expect, there’s not much to really tell us if this guy can do anything expect throw a 94 mph fastball from the left side so who knows if he’s a big time free agent. Would rather wait to see if they could somehow get Otani whenever he comes over to replace either Felix or Cruz, I’m not sure where he would play.
I feel like Seattle has had more success around the Pacific Rim than just about anybody in Major League Baseball history. Obviously having the best player who has ever come from Japan helps but besides Ichiro, Seattle has had some great signings. Iwakuma is a solid number 2 starter, Kaz Sasaki was one of the best closers in the game & was the closer on that team that won a ridicolous 114 games it was in 2000 or 2001. Kenji Jojima was a pretty solid catcher when playing with the Mariners, he was always fun to watch. Dae Hoe Lee as well.
Bet Cubs would love to sign Hernandez since Lester is not getting any younger
This is the first time I can remember seeing the Mets listed as a team of interest of an international player.
Get him Mets but I predict Marlins snag him.