Earlier today we ran an article that reported the Phillies were "not likely" to sign Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo. Castillo, a Cuban defect who put on private clinics for MLB teams all last week, is regarded as a phenom who could make a splash on any team – as long as the money is there.
However, despite the recent report, the NY Post stated today that the Phillies are among favorites to grab Castillo alongside the Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Tigers and the Red Sox.
According to several teams with interest in the 27-year-old, who hasn’t played an organized game in a year, the Phillies are the favorite. However, that isn’t a consensus.
Castillo has certainly grabbed the attention of every club in the league, but it will come down to the right buyer (as in who flaunts the most cash).
The Yankees see Castillo as a utility man who could swap between the outfield and infield – primarily second base. The Phillies see him as an outfielder who could man centerfield and even the corners. The Phillies need talent quick and as we stated earlier today – missing out on him could cost the Phillies big.
Castillo, who is represented by Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports, has stated that he wishes to play in the big leagues this season.
Castillo is estimated to get anywhere from $40-55 million whereever he goes. That type of money seems to be the going price on Cuban defects such as Yasiel Puig ($42M) and Yoenis Cespedes ($36M), but with the White Sox's rookie phenom Jose Abreu ($68M) the price could shoot as high as $70M.
The Phillies have that type of money – as do a lot of other clubs, but the question is how much are they willing to spend on the possible future of their team?
Erik Seybold is a writer for Philliedelphia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ErikSeyboldPHI.
