Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes has now been declared a free agent after establishing residency in the Domincan Republic, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. This is the last step required before the many rumored teams interested in Cespedes are allowed to bid on him, so expect those rumors to heat up shortly.
While the Cubs and Marlins have the most rumors around Cespedes right now (with him supposedly not really wanting to play in Miami), the Tigers (pre-Fielder) were rumored to be tracking his progress as well.
- Twitter / @BenBadler - "MLB has informed clubs that Yoenis Cespedes is now a free agent."
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Yoenis Cespedes Rumors: Marlins, Cubs, Nationals, Tigers - MLB Daily Dish
Expect that intrigue to heat up now that Prince Fielder is off the market and that Cespedes has established residency in the Dominican Republic. Residency is the first step to being declared a free agent, and it could come any day now. And now that Fielder is off the market, teams that are/were looking at DH/1B/big-bat types could be scrambling for a solution (especially now that the Tigers are likely out).