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The latest out of Miami has the Marlins signing former phenom Austin Kearns to a minor league deal, two players appearing in the top 100 prospects, and further interest in one of the last big names (though a relative unknown among baseball fans) in free agency, Yoenis Cespedes:
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Marlins' Christian Yelich, Matt Dominguez on MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects list - Joe Frisaro
"Christian Yelich and Matt Dominguez are highly regarded in the Marlins' system. They're also being recognized on a larger scale. Among MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects, Yelich ranks 35th, while Dominguez is rated 87th."
Miami Marlins sign OF Austin Kearns to minor league deal...– Juan C. Rodriguez | Sun-Sentinel
"Kearns, who turns 32 in May, last season with the Indians batted .200 with a .589 on-base plus slugging percentage in 59 games (150 at-bats). A right-handed hitting corner outfielder, Kearns since making his making league debut with the Reds in 2002 has played with four different organizations, including parts of four seasons with the Washington Nationals and two separate stints in Cleveland."
Austin Kearns Hoping To Hook On With Marlins - Baseball Nation
"Neverthless, Kearns spent just a couple of more weeks in the minors before making his MLB debut with the Reds in the the middle of April ... and it worked, as he batted .315/.407/.500 in 107 games with the big club and finished third in Rookie of the Year balloting. He was only 22, and now he really looked like a big star. Prospectively. Well, that was 10 years ago and Kearns has never played so well again."
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Yoenis Cespedes Now A Free Agent; Let the Bidding Begin! - MLB Daily Dish
Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes has now been declared a free agent after establishing residency in the Domincan Republican, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.
Yoennis Cespedes Granted Free Agency - Fish Stripes
"The biggest draw for the Marlins, however, is his status as a Cuban immigrant. It is no secret that the Marlins have been branding themselves as a true representative of the city of Miami, and they see no better way to continue to establish that new identity than to import the best Cuban free agent available. The team figures that the marketing power of having a Cuban-born player in a starring role on the team as a marquee free agent signing should further establish the Marlins as a Hispanic brand in the eyes of the fans. "