As many of you know already, over these next few days I will be profiling some of the international free agents that figure to have an impact on the MLB in the next year or so. These guys are some of the best international players from all sorts of different places that are thinking about making the jump to Major League Baseball. Some of these guys you may have heard of, and others maybe not. There will be many different types of players that I will be looking at, but they all have one thing in common, they are the best of the rest throughout the world.
Rusney Castillo is a 26 year old outfielder who spent the last season with Ciego de Avila in the Cuban Serie Nacional. He defected from Cuba this past December and is looking to first establish residency in another nation to kick-start the long process of being eligible to sign with a MLB team. Because he is over the age of 23, and he has played 5 years in Cuba, he will be able to sign as an unrestricted free agent when he does become eligible to sign in the MLB. Castillo stands at just 5'9" and weighs 185 pounds. He has played all over in Cuba, getting time in the outfield as well as at second and third base, and could become a super utility player in the MLB. Some teams view him as a fourth outfielder only, and others believe him to be just a high energy bench guy. Castillo's game is based off his speed, and this speed will help him no matter what spot he fills on a team. He is one of the best runners left in the international market and is above average on the base paths. He was one of the better base stealers in Cuba and should be able to find a role as a pinch runner if nothing else. Castillo also brings some, but not a lot of power to the table. He is more of a line drives and doubles hitter, but he could manage 10 to 15 homeruns in a full MLB season. He has a little bit of everything in his game, but is not overly fantastic at any one thing which could make him very valuable, but not a superstar in the MLB.
Castillo has not played organized baseball since 2012, as he was suspended from playing in Cuba during the 2012-2013 season for attempting to defect. This limited him to only 43 games that season, and over those games he did not play all that well. He slashed .250/.352/.342 over those 43 games, and although the average is low, the OBP is encouraging that it is still high even in a down year. His power also didn't show up as his slugging was not where it could be. Although he didn't play to his ability over this short stint, we can still take a look at his numbers from the two years previous to 2012-2013 in which he played full years, and he played rather well. In 2010-2011, Castillo slashed .324/.373/.555 with 27 stolen bases and 18 homeruns in 400 plate appearances. The very next year, 2011-2012, Castillo put up similar numbers slashing .332/.395/.545 and sealing 22 bases while hitting 16 homeruns. These two years represent what Castillo can provide for a team, showing he can display power, speed, all while hitting for a decent average. Yes, the stats will drop a bit when moving to the MLB, but he should be able to provide a club something in just about ever category, which should find him a job in the MLB. He is just about MLB ready and could jump right to the big leagues, but since he hasn't played in over a year, whoever signs him could elect to give him a little seasoning at Triple-A. If he can become a free agent before summer hits, there is a very good chance that we could see him in the majors this upcoming year. Look for a 2 or 3 year deal with money in the low millions.
Castillo has not played organized baseball since 2012, as he was suspended from playing in Cuba during the 2012-2013 season for attempting to defect. This limited him to only 43 games that season, and over those games he did not play all that well. He slashed .250/.352/.342 over those 43 games, and although the average is low, the OBP is encouraging that it is still high even in a down year. His power also didn't show up as his slugging was not where it could be. Although he didn't play to his ability over this short stint, we can still take a look at his numbers from the two years previous to 2012-2013 in which he played full years, and he played rather well. In 2010-2011, Castillo slashed .324/.373/.555 with 27 stolen bases and 18 homeruns in 400 plate appearances. The very next year, 2011-2012, Castillo put up similar numbers slashing .332/.395/.545 and sealing 22 bases while hitting 16 homeruns. These two years represent what Castillo can provide for a team, showing he can display power, speed, all while hitting for a decent average. Yes, the stats will drop a bit when moving to the MLB, but he should be able to provide a club something in just about ever category, which should find him a job in the MLB. He is just about MLB ready and could jump right to the big leagues, but since he hasn't played in over a year, whoever signs him could elect to give him a little seasoning at Triple-A. If he can become a free agent before summer hits, there is a very good chance that we could see him in the majors this upcoming year. Look for a 2 or 3 year deal with money in the low millions.