Yasiel Puig: 7 Teams Who'll Enter Bidding War for Cuban Stud

The next big Cuba defector is here, and he could sign with a team as early as next weekend, according to ESPN.

Yasiel Puig, a 21-year-old outfielder, has reportedly established residency in the Mexico after defecting, and he is expected to be declared a free agent no later than next weekend or the first few days of next week.

That is important, because the MLB's new, stricter rules regarding international signings take effect on July 2. Teams looking to outbid each other for his services will need to do so before that deadline.

He is not as well-known a name as A's slugger Yoenis Cespedes or even recent Cubs signing Jorge Soler, but his agent, Jamie Torres, places him in the same category, pointing to his lack of exposure outside of Cuba as reason for him being relatively unknown.

Torres said (via Jesse Sanchez, MLB.com):

"

You have heard the other names because Puig was in Cuba and Soler and Cespedes were out of the country, it’s that simple. Before Soler got to the Dominican Republic, very few people knew who he was outside of his Junior experience. Puig played in the Serie Nacional and was projected to be the right fielder for the national team for the upcoming years. Scouts know who Puig is.

"

Take that for what it's worth coming from his agent, but if he can gain free agency before the deadline, a bidding war will undoubtedly ensue if he is of the same caliber as those guys.

Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus has understandably been grilled for scouting details on Twitter, and he gave a quick breakdown of his skills, in which he states: "Physical, plus runner, avg bat, avg power, decent in CF, not a lock to stay there."

However, he also pointed out that while his tools are good, he is not on the same level as Soler, saying he was "good, but not beast tools like Soler."

Still, Soler has as high a ceiling as any prospect in baseball right now, and if Puig is even close to the same class as him, teams will be lining up to take a shot at signing him.

As it stands, there are seven teams who have reportedly shown interest in the speedy outfielder, and here's a quick look at how he fits in with each of them.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks could essentially stand pat with the trio of Gerardo Parra, Chris Young and Justin Upton moving forward in the outfield.

However, their signing of Jason Kubel shows they aren't committed to Parra for the long term and they could be looking for a long-term answer in left field. Top prospect A.J. Pollock could be that answer, though.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have been as active as anyone on the Cuban market of late, signing Soler (nine-year, $30 million) and left-hander Gerardo Concepcion (five-year, $6 million). However, with a future outfield made up of some combination of Matt Szczur, Brett Jackson, Soler and recent first-round pick Albert Almora, it's hard to envision where he fits.

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox currently have defectors Alexi Ramirez and Dayan Viciedo on their roster, and they went to the World Series when Jose Contreras was part of their rotation. They have a thin farm system and could certainly benefit from adding a high-ceiling guy like Puig.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The new ownership group in Los Angeles has money to spend, and while Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are locked in as their center fielder and right fielder (respectively) moving forward, they have a big hole in left field.

Jerry Sands could step in there, and they'll no doubt pursue Josh Hamilton if he hits the free-agent market, but Puig could also be the long-term answer.

New York Yankees

The Yankees are always contenders when it comes to a bidding war for someone, and they could benefit from adding Puig. Curtis Granderson is signed through 2013, Nick Swisher is a free agent at season's end and Brett Gardner has battled injuries.

Mason Williams is among their top prospects, but adding Puig alongside him in the farm system would be a plus.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies have plenty of pitching depth in the minor leagues, but their top-ranked outfield prospect entering the season was Jiwan James, who was No. 20 in their organization according to John Sickles of Minor League Ball.

Shane Victorino could be gone after this season, and left field is a hole if Domonic Brown doesn't figure things out, so Puig makes sense.

San Francisco Giants

Another team whose farm system is thin on outfield talent, Gary Brown is viewed as the center fielder of the future, but beyond him, the future outfield is a question mark. Melky Cabrera could be re-signed in the midst of a good season, but Gregor Blanco and Angel Pagan aren't long-term answers.

Those are the teams in the running right now, and while others could come forward, someone from this group has to be considered the odds-on favorite to sign the latest Cuban defector.