Cuban costless-agent outfielder/second baseman Rusney Castillo could sign with a major-league team very soon, as he has defected from his country and is progressing towards a deal. Over the last few weeks, Castillo has held private workouts with a few teams and is looking to make a decision on a team within the next week. Many scouts predict that if all visa info is worked out, Castillo could be in a big league uniform before the end of the season. Castillo would need to be on a big league 40-man roster on September 1st.
According to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs are the front-runners to land Castillo. Morosi says in the video that Castillo could very well land a deal in the six-year, $50 million range with a major-league team.
A team that could very well land Castillo is the Tigers. Outfielder Torii Hunter is in the final year of a two-year, $26 million deal, while outfielder Rajai Davis is a costless agent at the end of next year. Detroit dealt outfielder Austin Jackson to the Seattle Mariners, so Castillo could be a very enticing prospect for them. Even though the club is not usually involved with the big names on the international market, Castillo would ultimately fill a huge void in the outfield for them.
The Yankees, Cubs and Red Sox are always in the thick of things when it comes to international signings. The most notable signings in recent past have been Masahiro Tanaka from Japan (Yankees) and Jorge Soler from Cuba (Cubs). The Red Sox could very well use Castillo's offense and could be a more viable option with Yoenis Cespedes in the Boston clubhouse. The Phillies, on the other hand, have not gotten their top international signing, Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, to the big leagues.
Castillo, 27, defected from Cuba to pursue a major-league contract in the winter of 2013. In the 2011 Baseball World Cup, Castillo went 21-for-41 (.512) with two home runs, four doubles, two triples, two strikeouts and one walk in ten games. In his last season in 2011-12 with Ciego de Avila in Serie Nacional, which is Cuba's top league, Castillo hit .332/.395/.545 with 16 homeruns and 22-for-29 in stolen base attempts.