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Good morning everyone and welcome to the Tuesday, April 5th, edition of Minor League Ball daily notes. Here are some baseball news links for your edification, entertainment, and amusement.
****Cuban second baseman Jose Miguel Fernandez has been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball and is now free to sign with any club, reports Ben Badler at Baseball America. The 27-year-old Fernandez offers exceptional strike zone judgment and impressive pure hitting ability. He is not a power hitter and is limited defensively to second base, but he's certainly very polished and has performed well at the highest levels of competition. He hasn't played in a live game in over a year so he would likely need some tuneup time in the minors, but when the rust is off his bat is considered major league ready.
Fernandez will not be subject to international bonus pool restrictions due to his age and experience in Cuba. For a detailed report, check Badler's view of Fernandez from April 2015 (subscription required).