MLB Rumors: Latest Buzz on Biggest International Free Agents

Striking gold on an international free agent can make or break an offseason for MLB general managers.

Teams have strongly benefited in previous seasons through smart scouting and aggressive pursuits of top international talent. Some of the most exciting players in the game today are products of international free agency.

Yasiel Puig, Jose Abreu, Yoenis Cespedes, Aroldis Chapman, Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka and countless others found success in other professional leagues before making the jump to Major League Baseball.

Below, you'll find the latest rumblings regarding three international free agents who figure to garner a ton of attention during the offseason.

Kenta Maeda, RHP

The next Japanese pitching sensation may not come to the bigs next season, even though recent speculation has suggested that Kenta Maeda might be posted this offseason. The Japan Times reported that he likely won't be, however:

"Hiroshima Carp owner Hajime Matsuda indicated Monday the team is unlikely to accept tender bids for Kenta Maeda under the posting system this offseason following the right-hander’s disappointing season in 2014."

Before jumping into the business decision potentially being made by Matsuda, it's worth noting that the word "disappointing" is relative. Maeda posted a 2.56 ERA, 1.084 WHIP and 154 strikeouts—all his worst marks since 2009.

Those numbers are still quite flashy and would certainly translate to at least a little success in the majors. But Matsuda has every right to wait another season for Maeda to re-establish the same value he had after he went 14-7 with a 1.53 ERA in 2012 at the age of 24.

Tanaka was the latest Japanese import, and he went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA prior to making the jump. Maeda's numbers aren't as good, so what type of contract would he be in line for? The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo chimed in:

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He has told some Japanese media that when he’s posted he prefers to play for the Yankees or Red Sox. Both are likely to bid, but the final contract isn’t expected to come anywhere near the seven-year, $155 million Masahiro Tanaka got from the Yankees. It’s hard to peg where it goes, but the expectation is more like a six-year, $120 million-$130 million deal — but that’s speculation from a source familiar with Japanese baseball.

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If Maeda isn't posted this offseason, he can always wait to be posted again or show patience and wait until he becomes an unrestricted international free agent during the 2017 offseason.

Jose Fernandez, 2B

There aren't exactly a wealth of quality second basemen on the free-agent market this offseason. Emilio Bonifacio and Kelly Johnson headline the group, so teams in need of a second baseman should think long and hard about testing the international market and making a push for Jose Fernandez.

Fernandez, 26, is looking for a big league contract, tweets Fox Sports' Jon Morosi:

The middle infielder is a relatively new name to most baseball fans, but rest assured that he is going to make a name for himself in the bigs. The guy is simply a great hitter. Baseball America's Ben Badler wrote about his ability at the plate:

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A lefthanded hitter, Fernandez [has] excellent bat control and plate discipline with occasional power, producing a .326/.482/.456 line in 314 plate appearances during the 2013-14 season, good for second in the league in OBP. During the 2014-15 season, which started in September, Fernandez is hitting .315/.415/.426 in 65 plate appearances.

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Multiple teams could seek help at second base this offseason. The New York Yankees are one, though they could look internally. Other teams—like the Oakland Athletics—have glaring holes at the position that need to be filled with an impact bat.

Fernandez isn't a flashy player, but he gets the job done at the plate. He won't post the above numbers in the states, but a line of .280/.400/.425 is certainly plausible.

Yasmany Tomas, OF

Yasmany Tomas will be 24 in November. He has a ton of power. He has had success in Cuba. What's not to like about the young outfielder?

Badler has a few things to worry about:

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Tomas did show some swing-and-miss tendencies at the WBC [World Baseball Classic] with an uppercut stroke and trouble handling good breaking pitches. Three months after the WBC, when Cuba took a team to the U.S. last summer to face the college national team, the U.S. power arms were able to exploit some of those holes by beating him with good velocity up and in and getting him to swing through soft stuff in and out of the zone.

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At least six teams have already shown interest in his talents, however, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez:

Tomas has the type of power to have an immediate impact for a big league team. Given full-time at-bats, Tomas could approach 25 home runs during his first full season.

The price tag for power bats could be high. The Chicago White Sox nabbed Abreu for $68 million over six years. Tomas probably won't get that. A contract in the $50 million range makes more sense given his obvious weakness against breaking pitches.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @KennyDeJohn_BR