MLB Trade Rumors 2016: Cuban Kid Lazaro Armenteros Declared Eligible to Sign
The MLB recently announced that Cuban baseball prospect Lazaro Armenteros is a free agent, which means that he is eligible to sign to any team in the league on Feb. 10. The 16-year-old prodigy established residency in Haiti earlier this year, in order to proceed with his planned transfer to the United States.
The 6-foot-2 kid is a popular baseball name in his native Cuba who lured in more than a hundred scouts during a showcase in the Dominican Republic. He was born in Havana, the same place he grew up and learned the game. He is best known so far as a part of the Cuban national baseball team that won the under-15 World Cup title. In that tournament where he played a total of nine games, he had a remarkable hitting percentage of .462, coupled with eight RBIs, three doubles, nine runs, and five triples.
It certainly looks like he's going to be the next Cuban who likely will become a star in Major League Baseball. The league has been a regular destination for Cuban players who dream of making it big and carving out a career stateside.
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Armenteros' potential cannot be denied, supported by the fact that 140 scouts came to the Dominican Republic to watch him play. He may still be raw, but there is a possibility that he'll become a star in the league, even if he's still a minor by age. Aside from expected offers in the United States, the kid already has a lucrative offer from a professional baseball team in the Japanese Nippon League. Reports are saying that the offer is around $15 million.
Several scouts are impressed with his speed, raw power, and most importantly, his amazing outfield arm strength. He defected from Cuba to be able to look for better opportunities to support his family, first settling in Haiti and then finding work in the Dominican Republic.
