Miami Marlins ‘all-in’ on free agent Jose Abreu
By Bryan Rose
The Miami Marlins have always used their locale to their advantage when it comes to youthful prospects from Cuba and the Dominican, something they’re planning to do again with free agent first baseman Jose Abreu.
How effective that sales pitch will be though, remains to be seen.
"Word is the organization is highly impressed with the power-hitting first baseman. Within the next two weeks, bids are expected to come in for the 26-year-old Cuban native, who is said to have a boyish face and fun-loving personality.The Marlins are all-in on signing Abreu. But can they seal the deal? That will be up to team owner Jeffrey Loria, and how much he is willing to spend."
Abreu, a Cuban defector, recently gained residency in Haiti and has been working out for a handful of teams in the Caribbean the past few days.
The powerful 26-year-old has scouts drooling at the mouth at the thought of signing him as his natural power and impressive offensive arsenal is said to be beyond Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Yasiel Puig, though his speed and defense aren’t up to par.
Still, the talents of Abreu are thought to be some of the best ever seen out of the ‘international’ market and whomever nabs him will likely be paying a pretty price to do so as multiple scouts have hinted they believe he will get a contract larger than Puig’s.
In addition to the Marlins, the New York Mets, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants have all had expressed interest and have sent their front office to watch his workouts.