The Boston Red Sox have signed Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo to a six-year, $72 million deal.
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According to Gordon Edes of ESPN, the Red Sox and Tigers had the inside track on Castillo as they attempt to add to their outfields, but the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies were finalists as well. The Red Sox stepped up their pursuit of Castillo after missing out on White Sox star Jose Abreu.
“The Red Sox would like to add Castillo to an outfield that already includes another Cuban defector, Yoenis Cespedes. The Tigers, who have fallen behind the first-place Kansas City Royals in the AL Central, are looking for a replacement for center fielder Austin Jackson, who was traded to the Seattle Mariners as part of the three-way deal in which Detroit acquired left-handed ace David Price from the Tampa Bay Rays last month.”
Castillo's contract makes him the highest paid Cuban import, surpassing the six-year, $68 million contract that Abreu signed with the White Sox. The 27-year-old Castillo defected from Cuba last December and has caught the eye of many MLB teams since he started having public workouts in residence in Haiti last spring.
Castillo is represented by Jay Z's Roc Nation Sports and is expected to play centerfield for the Red Sox. Castillo has also played shortstop in limited action, but would be used soley as a center fielder.
Castillo is seen as a combination of Jose Abreu and Yoenis Cespedes, but is drawing comparisons to Andrew McCutchen.
no matter what you think of the deal for Rusney Castillo, I think we could all agree someone getting huge $$$ to escape Cuba is awesome
— Matt Snyder (@MattSnyderCBS) August 22, 2014
[ESPN]
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