‘Cuban Ohtani’ put on restricted list in Nippon League

One of the exciting international prospects, Cuban Ohtani, has been placed on the restricted list in the Nippon League. What does this mean for the phenom?

The commissioner’s office of the Nippon League, as reported by Béisbol Japonés, has approved the SoftBank Hawks petition to put one of the most exciting international prospects and Cuban phenom Oscar Luis Colas on the restricted list thereby barring him from signing with any organized ball club in the world.

By the rules of “The Land of the Rising Sun,” any player that leaves a ball club for personal reasons can be put on this list and his defection from Cuba last month fits under these criteria according to the NPB commissioner’s office.

Though the young slugger decided to leave Cuba and try to establish residency in a third country making eligible to sign with an MLB club, SoftBank still owns his rights.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

Hawks GM Sugihiko Mikasa had this to say to a Japanese media outlet about the situation, “I would only like to talk to the player, something I have yet to so do to understand what his intentions are. I want to explain to him that he has a contractual obligation to this ballclub.”

The slugger-pitcher who has drawn comparisons to Shohei Ohtani has spent his last three summers with the club. He was even named there minor league player of the month in May when he hit .333 with five songs, 21 runs batted in and slashed. 388/.589/.977.

In 66 games with the minor league Hawks last campaign, he hit .302 with 11 homers and 46 RBI’s.

This earned him a call up with the big club and Colas did not disappoint, the young man hit a tatter in his first at-bat in the NPB. In his seven games with the big ball club, he hit .278 and drove in two.

As a side note, Oscar Luis Colas also throws a 94 mph fastball from the left side.

This movement by SoftBank puts a damper on probably the most sought after international prospects of the international signing period.

A Source tells me various ball clubs were looking to offer the prospect a bonus somewhere north of $5M with the Chicago White Sox being the front runner to sign the 21-year-old.

But for now that is all on hold.