The Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants remain in the mix for Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
Rusney Castillo sweepstakes down to 3 teams
The amount of realistic suitors for the next highly touted Cuban defector has reportedly been cut in half.
In addition to the Tigers and Red Sox, Castillo was previously linked to the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies by CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. However, the latter three teams reportedly don't plan to make significant offers, while the Mariners appear to have dropped out of the running altogether.
Castillo, a 27-year-old line-drive hitter with plus power potential and good speed, hit .319/.383/.516 in 360 games in Cuba. He has played some second base in his native country, but scouts don’t view him as an infielder at the big league level, according to Baseball America’s Ben Badler.
A signing could happen sometime this week, per ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes, given that work visa issues and the desire for teams to have him eligible for postseason rosters are in play. Castillo could receive in excess of $50 million, which would give him the second-most expensive contract given to a Cuban player, behind only the $68 million deal Chicago White Sox rookie Jose Abreu signed last offseason.
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