Supposedly the next Babe Ruth (of Cuba, that is) has successfully defected from Cuba and is a free agent. Dayan Viciedo, 19, is the best Cuban position player since Omar Linares, who led the Cuban national team. His agent, Jaime Torres, says there is a lot of interest in Viciedo and that they would like to get him signed sooner rather than later. With that said, the Chicago White Sox are the perceived front-runners.
Not only is Viciedo friends with Alexei Ramirez, but they share the same agent. If signed by the White Sox, Viciedo would probably start in the majors right away, making Chicago an even more desirable place for him. The White Sox are probably up for that, considering Ramirez is up for Rookie of the Year after hitting .290 with 21 home runs.
Scouts believe Viciedo could hit 30-40 home runs, so the asking price could be rather high. I suspect a five-year deal worth between $1-3 million would get it done.
The Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners, and Los Angeles Dodgers, among others, have all reportedly expressed interest.
This story was approved by MLB Rumors.