Mets: Five best international free agents the front office should consider

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL - MARCH 08: A detailed view of the Franklin batting gloves worn by Juan Lagares #12 of the New York Mets during a spring training game against the Atlanta Braves at Champion Stadium on March 8, 2016 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL - MARCH 08: A detailed view of the Franklin batting gloves worn by Juan Lagares #12 of the New York Mets during a spring training game against the Atlanta Braves at Champion Stadium on March 8, 2016 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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CHITRE, PANAMA – AUGUST 10: Player of Cuba throws the ball to the air during the WBSC U-15 World Cup Group B match between Netherlands and Cuba at Estadio Rico Cedeno on August 10, 2018 in Chitre, Panama. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) /

3) Oscar Colas – Outfielder & Left-Handed Pitcher, Cuba

The international market was sent in shockwaves last week when Cuban phenom Oscar Colas was declared a free agent by his Japan Pacific League team the Softbanks Hawks after a lengthy battle regarding his contract status. My good friend here at Rising Apple Ryan Schlachter had written up a great piece on why Colas would be an extraordinary fit for the Mets organization once he is officially declared a free agent by Major League Baseball.

It is expected that once Colas is officially declared a free agent by MLB, he will sign during the upcoming international signing period that opens on January 15th. He can easily be considered one of the top three, if not the top international free agent available in this upcoming signing period. Colas’ salary would count towards the Mets $5,348,100 international bonus pool.

The 22-year old has been dubbed as the “Cuban Ohtani” for his ability to hold his own with the bat as well as pitch, as Colas has a fastball that has been recorded topping out around 95 mph. In regards to his hitting capabilities, in 2019 between both the Japan Pacific League and the Cuban National Series, Colas hit .290/.351/.497 with 16 home runs with 66 RBI’s in 385 plate appearances. Pretty impressive numbers for a 20-year old in two professional settings.

The main reason I have Colas ranked as number three is due to questions surrounding his potential position moving forward. We’ve seen two players currently try to be two-way stars at the Major League level in Shohei Ohtani and Brendan McKay, however, both have struggled with injuries up to this point in their Major League careers. I believe whichever team signs Colas will allow him to do both, but with a sketchy track record to this point on two-way players, I’d place Colas third on this list.

Don’t get me wrong, however, as I believe Colas has the potential to be an absolute star at the Major League level and I would love the Mets to add him to their currently depleted farm system that they are looking to rebuild. I’m just not a huge fan of the track record of two-way players to this point and I think the Mets should prioritize adding a different Cuban free agent instead.