Sixteen-year-old Cuban sensation Lazaro Armenteros could be making his way to Major League Baseball soon.
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Armenteros Cleared by MLB
Monday, Jan. 11
MLB has cleared the corner outfielder, who can also play first and third base, to sign with a team beginning Feb. 10, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
Monday’s report marked the latest step in a lengthy process for the Cuban defector, who one veteran scout likened to Willie Mays and Bo Jackson, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
After leading Cuba to an under-15 Baseball World Cup title in 2014, Armenteros relocated to Haiti in May to fulfill residency requirements as part of the U.S. embargo with Cuba, which was the first step in meeting MLB requirements to become a free agent.
Last week, Armenteros put on a “showcase” for more than 140 scouts in the Dominican Republic, per Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com:
His potential suitors could be dictated based on teams’ recent activity in the international pool, per Sanchez.
Armenteros hopes to become the latest Cuban defector to find success in the majors, joining the likes of Yasiel Puig, Jose Abreu, Jorge Soler, Yoenis Cespedes and Jose Fernandez, among others.
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