Fresh MLB Landing Spot Odds for the 5 Best International Targets

International free agents are receiving serious interest in the aftermath of Major League Baseball’s winter meetings, with teams looking for relatively cheap and creative options to plug holes on their rosters.

Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada, 19, is expected to be the most coveted international player this offseason, though that could change depending on when he’s officially cleared to sign. Meanwhile, power-hitting shortstop Jung-Ho Kang was posted Monday by the Nexen Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization, and he could potentially be a fit for a variety of teams.

However, those are just a few international players drawing interest from major league teams.

Here’s an updated look at projected landing spots for five international players currently pursuing a major league contract, including Japanese right-hander Kenta Maeda, who’s yet to be posted but worth discussing given his potential impact on the open market.

5. Yoan Lopez

Koji Watanabe/Getty Images

Major League Baseball already has declared Cuban pitcher Yoan Lopez a free agent, but he still must be cleared to sign by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

A 6’4”, 190-pound right-handed pitcher, Lopez, 21, held a showcase in the Dominican Republic back in early November, and he’s since been participating in private workouts for teams.

From MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez:

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[Lopez] throws a cut-fastball, a change, a curve and a slider, but he is best known for a fastball that hovers in the 93-to-95 mph range. His fastball has been clocked at 100 mph three times since he began working out for teams. Back in Cuba, Lopez played three seasons for Isla de la Juventud in Cuba's Serie Nacional, the island's top league. He sported a 3.12 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 11 walks in 49 innings in his final season before defecting from Cuba.

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The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks have expressed interested in Lopez, adds Sanchez, and the latter two teams could be a good fit for the 21-year-old given their respective high-profile Cuban stars in Yasiel Puig and Yasmany Tomas.

At the same time, it’s easy to envision the Yankees going all-in on Lopez, as they’ve already blown well past their international bonus pool and will face signing limitations and heavy overage taxes next year.

Fresh Landing Spot(s): Yankees, Dodgers or Diamondbacks

4. Takashi Toritani, SS/2B

Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes that “slick-fielding” Japanese shortstop Takashi Toritani is expected to make the jump to the major leagues this offseason.

Toritani, 33, has played the last 11 seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, batting .285/.372/.412 with 120 home runs in 1,556 games. The left-handed hitter has 274 doubles and 99 stolen bases in his career, and he’s posted at least 20 and 10 of each, respectively, in five consecutive seasons.

Many big league teams are interested in Toritani as a second baseman, according to Scott Boras, his new agent (via Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle).

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'We’ve been talking to a number of major league teams and in his situation, the trade market is one that kind of has to resolve itself, there are teams that are interested in him at the major league level, primarily to play second base,' Boras said in response to a question about Toritani, not the Astros. 'But he’s a very respected player here. He’s the Cal Ripken of Japan. So all the major league teams know who Tori his and know about him and know the skills. So it’s really about looking at the teams where the fit is.'

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The only team to be linked to Toritani thus far is Toronto, as previously mentioned by Boras via Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi. If he were to sign with the Blue Jays, Toritani would likely play second base or serve as a utility infielder.

Fresh Landing Spot: Toronto Blue Jays

3. Jung-Ho Kang, SS

Shortstop Jung-Ho Kang was posted by his Korea Baseball Organization team on Monday, tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post, confirming a report from over the weekend from Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (h/t MLB Trade Rumors).

Kang, 27, is coming off a monster season with KBO’s Nexen Heroes in which he batted .356/.459/.739 with a career-high 40 home runs in 117 games. We took an in-depth look at Kang a few weeks back, complete with GIF breakdowns of his swing and defense and thoughts on how his secondary skills might transfer against major league pitching.

The Athletics, Giants and Mets have expressed interest in Kang, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Of those teams, he believes the Mets would be the best fit:

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The Mets had interest in trading for Starlin Castro and Jimmy Rollins, among others, but Castro is unavailable and word is Rollins will only waive his no-trade clause for a few teams, and the Mets aren't one of those teams. White Sox SS Alexei Ramirez is out there, but landing him probably would require the Mets to surrender one of their best young pitchers, something they are reluctant to do.

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But as of Saturday night, Mets general manger Sandy Alderson was “undecided” about whether his club would pursue Kang, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

Ackert speculates that the high bid for Kang could be between $5 and $15 million and that the shortstop is seeking a deal in the three-year, $24 million range.

Fresh Landing Spot: New York Mets

2. Kenta Maeda, RHP

The (multi) million-dollar question this offseason is whether Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda will be posted by Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hiroshima Carp.

Maeda was the subject of rumors last offseason as well after the 26-year-old right-hander openly expressed a desire to pursue a career in Major League Baseball. However, with four years of team control remaining at that time, the Carp chose not to post their top pitcher, keeping him in Japan for at least one more year.

Speculation regarding Maeda’s future in the States has persisted this offseason, even though an October report from The Japan Times (h/t MLB Trade Rumors) suggested Hiroshima Carp owner Hajime Matsuda was undecided about whether the club would make Maeda available through the posting system.

Regardless, Madea proved last month in the Japan All-Star Series that he’s ready to make the jump to the major leagues, holding a loaded MLB lineup to two hits over five scoreless innings.

A club hoping to land Maeda can make a run at him by submitting a bid no larger than $20 million, a rule established last offseason that facilitated the sweepstakes for Masahiro Tanaka, with negotiating rights going to the high bidder. So far, teams believed to be interested in Maeda include the Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Phillies and Astros (clicking the links will take you to the specific rumors).

Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic believes the Diamondbacks could emerge as strong players for Maeda, especially after their pursuit of Masahiro Tanaka last offseason.

“The Diamondbacks' presence in Japan has continued to grow in recent years,” Piecoro writes. “Though they have signed only one Japanese player in franchise history, reliever Takashi Saito, their high-profile pursuit of Tanaka, whom they offered a reported $120 million, helped increase their profile in the country.”

Still, after Maeda’s performance in the Japan All-Star Series, it’s a safe bet that more clubs will be in the mix should the Carp make him available.

Fresh Landing Spot: Arizona Diamondbacks

1. Yoan Moncada, INF

Yoan Moncada was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball on Nov. 15, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. However, the 19-year-old Cuban infielder won’t be free to sign until the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) clears him.

The latest report on Moncada, via FanGraphs’ Kiley McDaniel, notes that he’s arrived in the United States and is currently staying in Florida.

Moncada, who participated in an open workout in Guatemala last month that was seen by an "estimated 60-70 scouts," per Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, has quickly emerged as one of the more hyped prospects in recent memory and is expected to destroy the record for spending on an amateur player.

More from Mayo:

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Different sources had Moncada timed differently in the 60-yard dash, though he ran somewhere in the 6.56- to 6.6-second range. That gives him a 70 for his speed on the 20-to-80 scouting scale, or close to the top of the scale. Moncada reportedly looked better at third and second than he did at shortstop, with enough arm from any infield position. He swung the bat well from both sides of the plate, showing plus raw power both ways. The only negative was that Moncada didn't face live pitching, hitting only off of a BP pitcher. When asked to grade out his tools based on this workout, in combination with previous reports, one scout gave the following grades:

Hit - 60
Power - 60
Speed - 70
Arm - 60
Field - 50

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The suitors for Moncada will be determined by when he’s finally cleared to sign, notes Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors:

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…if he’s cleared before June 15, he’ll be a free agent in the 2014-15 signing period, making the Cubs and Rangers ineligible to sign him (each incurred maximum penalties in the 2013-14 signing period). If he’s not declared until after that date, he’ll be a 2015-16 free agent, meaning the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays won’t be able to sign him due to penalties from the current signing period.

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Assuming Moncada is cleared before June 15, then it’d be hard not to like the Yankees' chances of signing the 19-year-old phenom.

The Yankees face maximum penalties for their unprecedented international overspending, which leads some experts, such as Baseball America’s Ben Badler, to believe the organization will continue to shell out big bucks to land Moncada.

“The Yankees have the money to beat anyone’s offer,” writes Badler.

“They’re willing to invest in international talent, whether it’s unprecedented spending on Latin American amateurs or $175 million for Masahiro Tanaka. When you line up all the evidence, if the Yankees truly want Moncada, they’re going to be tough to beat.”

Fresh Landing Spot: New York Yankees