Following his disappearance last weekend, 26-year-old Cuban second baseman Jose Fernandez has reportedly defected from Cuba to pursue a career in the Major Leagues.

Fernandez and his cousin catcher Lazaro Herrera both went missing in Cuba last weekend. They both play for Matanza in the Cuban baseball league Serie Nacional and were last with the club on Friday, Oct. 10 -- when the team played their game that day. Following the team's off day on Saturday, Fernandez and Herrera did not show up for the team's games on Sunday or Monday.

It is still unclear whether Herrera has defected as well.

As for Fernandez, he will not be able to sign with a Major League Baseball team right away. First, he will have to establish residency in another country and be cleared by the United States’ Office of Foreign Assets Control before he can be declared a costless agent by Major League Baseball. For fellow countryman Yasmany Tomas, that process took roughly around three and a half months. 

Fernandez will be a very enticing player to go after for Major League teams for a number of reasons. Due to his age and the amount of service time he accumulated in Cuba's Serie Nacional, he will not be subjected to international spending limits. He is also considered to be an immediate everyday player in the Major Leagues once he signs.

The left-handed hitting second baseman batted .326/.482/.456 in 314 plate appearances during the 2013-2014 Serie Nacional regular season. He also posted the second-best on-base percentage in the league and astonishingly only struck out ten times that season. He possesses great bat control and is a very disciplined hitter at the plate that will also show some occasional power. Fernandez batted .315/.415/.426 in 65 plate appearances in Serie Nacional this season before defecting from Cuba.

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