The complicated case of Oscar Luis Colás

Oscar Luis Colas is a fascinating prospect and a potential two way threat, but his contract status is still up in the air.

When Oscar Luis Colas decided to defect from Cuba and end his tenure with the SoftBank Hawks he never thought things would get so complicated.

In 2019 a season in which he hit .302 with 11 longballs and 46 runs batted in with the Hawks top farm club and made his Nippon League debut, Colás never thought this would affect his status in international free agency.

By debuting and being put on the 70 man roster, the young slugger was unaware of a clause hidden deep within his contract that activated a five year extension that has him locked with the club until 2024. He originally signed in 2017 a three year contract that would have ended this year had he not been called by the big ball club. The club put him on the restricted list earlier this year a few months after he decided to leave Cuba and not return to Fukuoka.

He was so unaware of the clause that he tried to negotiate an extension with the club during the off-season. When I asked him earlier this year about his contractual situation he had this to say about it, “I signed a contract with SoftBank for three seasons. This agreement covered 2017, 2018, and 2019. In 2019, I got called up to SoftBank’s big club and finished the season in the big leagues.”

“I went back to Cuba to play in the National Series and the team came near the end of the season to negotiate with me. They offered me 500 grand for one season and I declined their offer. They in turn left Cuba and didn’t agree to my counter offer. I then decided to leave the country.”

When he becomes a free agent he will probably be the best Cuban player available and possibly the crown jewel of international free agency. Equipped with a 94 mph fastball and plenty of power the slugger is a two way threat.

A source within the organization reached out to me after the outfielder/pitcher decided to leave and had this to say about the situation, ” What he did wasn’t a wise move, we still have him under contract. He thinks he’s a free agent, but he is not.”

Currently, his representatives are trying to workout and amicable solution with the club, which at first was Colás returning to Fukuoka and playing with the Hawks in 2020 and the team, in turn, releasing him in 2021.

SoftBank has stood pat in not granting him his release although there might still be ongoing negotiations between the team and Colás’s representatives.

How will this situation end up? Stay tuned because this soap opera will play out within the next few months.