Cuban prospect Jose Dariel Abreu has oficially established residency in Haiti, effectively the first step towards becoming an MLB free agent, a source tells Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. The slugger has been unblocked by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and will be eligible to sign with a big league club when he is declared a free agent after filing the proper paperwork with MLB.
Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reported earlier this week that Abreu will hold a showcase for scouts later this month. However, there’s a chance he won’t sign until sometime this winter, possibly as late as the Winter Meetings in December, according to Sanchez's source.
Crasnick sees the Red Sox, Rangers, Giants, Mets, White Sox, Pirates, and Marlins as possible landing spots for the 26-year-old first baseman. It's not clear how much Abreu will command once he's eligible to be signed, though one August report said that he could get something in excess of $60MM.
