The Red Sox have been especially aggressive in recent years in signing international free agents, with the most notable being Jose Iglesias.
A current player available in free agency might have also been making noise in Boston if not for baseball voiding his contract with the Red Sox — only to see the player turn around and expect to make even more money.
Such is the case with Carlos Matias, who is drawing attention from several teams including the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankees, according to ESPN.com. The 5-foot-11 pitcher is 18 years old and has a fastball that registers in the mid-90s.
The Dominican is expected to make at least $500,000, if not a seven-figure sum, if and when he signs.
It won't be his first signing with a club, however, Last year, Matias agreed to a $160,000 bonus with the Red Sox. However, after Major League Baseball conducted an investigation, the contract was voided because Matias lied about his age and identity.
Now that Matias has returned from his suspension with his accurate identity, he stands to profit from it. That doesn't sit well with the Washington Nationals' Latin American scouting director, Johnny DiPuglia, who served in the same capacity for Boston when Matias agreed to join the Red Sox.
"MLB should allow the club to honor original deal after suspension," DiPuglia wrote in an e-mail to ESPN.
The Red Sox are currently not one of the teams pursuing Matias.
