Report: International 2-way star Oscar Luis Colas declared free agent

The Cuban Shohei Ohtani wants to play in Major League Baseball.

The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of the Japan Pacific League have declared two-way player Oscar Luis Colas a free agent and he will petition for MLB free agency, sources told MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.

If Colas is granted the right to become an MLB free agent, he will be eligible to sign under international guidelines, with the 2020 signing period likely beginning on July 15.

The 21-year-old spent most of his time in Japan playing in the minor leagues of Nippon Professional Baseball but did appear in seven games for the Softbank Hawks in 2019, where he hit .278/.381/.444 in 21 plate appearances.

Colas mainly plays outfield and first base but also pitched for Sabuesos de Holguin of the Cuban National Series in 2018-19.

The Cuban government loaned the youngster to Fukuoka as a development player, but he defected from his native land in January.