Cuban Second Baseman Jose Miguel Fernandez Cleared To Sign

Jose Miguel Fernandez took another step closer to starting his major league career today, with Major League Baseball declaring the Cuban second baseman a free agent.

Fernandez, 27, ranked as the No. 3 player in Baseball America’s April 2014 rankings of the Top 20 players still in Cuba. Fernandez is an offensive-minded infielder with excellent plate discipline and bat control from the left side. During his final full season in Cuba (2013-14), Fernandez hit .326/.482/.456 with 65 walks and 10 strikeouts in 314 plate appearances, ranking second in the league in OBP.

Fernandez is exempt from the international bonus pools and is expected to have his first open showcase in the Dominican Republic later this month. Scouts are eager to see him, since his first scheduled showcase from February was canelled, with Fernandez’s camp telling teams he had come down with dengue fever. It’s been a long layoff for Fernandez, who last played in Cuba in October 2014, when he was suspended for attempting to defect, then finally was able to successfully leave the country in early December. Among the concerns with Fernandez were his thickening lower half and declining range at second base, but he has lost significant weight since leaving Cuba, another reason why scouts are interested to get an updated look at him.

Prior to leaving Cuba, Fernandez had been the second baseman on the Cuban national team, including the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He made a strong impression there on major league scouts, batting .524/.545/.667 with no strikeouts in 21 at-bats. Fernandez represented Cuba in other international tournaments after that in 2013 and 2014, with experience playing third base as well, though his power wouldn’t be ideal at that position.

Given his present hitting ability and on-base skills, Fernandez should be able to quickly step into the top of a major league lineup, though part of his immediate readiness depends on how sharp is after a significant layoff from competitive baseball.

For Baseball America subscribers, here’s a more detailed scouting report on Fernandez.