The vast majority of Cuban-born players are eligible for the First-Year Player Draft, and none of them are posted by their former pro teams, so they have more freedoms when it comes to signing with big league clubs than other international stars.

Although the Reds didn’t want him to leave as a free agent after one season in Cincinnati, the departure of outfielder Shin-Soo Choo was inevitable. And while Choo signed a seven-year, $130 million contract with the Rangers, the Reds didn’t come away empty-handed. Compensation came in the form of Stanford infielder Alex Blandino, an additional first-round pick in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft who was taken 29th overall.

Yasiel Puig told a few reporters about a 10-year-old L.A. kid he knows who is a big Cardinals fan and how much it bugs him, adding that the Cardinals are the bane of his existence for knocking out the Dodgers in the playoffs in both of his seasons. While this, on face value, was not so bad, when Puig went on to say that the Cardinals were the Dodgers’ big rivals because of what they’ve done to his team, well, that was just too much for some folks to handle.

The Pirates stayed busy Wednesday by acquiring right-hander Arquimedes Caminero from the Marlins for cash, filling Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster and adding another name to the spring bullpen competition.

As Kennys Vargas puts it, 2014 was a very good year for him. Vargas, 24, achieved major goals in both his personal and professional life, as he became a husband and a father, while also making his Target Field debut at the All-Star Futures Game in mid-July before making his Major League debut with the Twins just a few weeks later on Aug. 1.

The Cardinals on Wednesday signed veteran pitcher Carlos Villanueva to a Minor League contract. Villanueva will be in big league camp at Spring Training as a non-roster player to compete for a spot.

Darren Oliver is still working out, but this time he said it’s to get ready for a golf tournament. The Rangers need left-handed relievers and Oliver was one of the best. The problem is he is retired and is not interested in any dramatic comebacks.

Two players from Cuba’s Pinar del Rio club playing in the Caribbean Series — shortstop Dainer Moreira and righty Vladimir Gutierrez — have defected, according to industry sources.

The Mets have had a quiet offseason, and they hope that their regular lineup will continue to improve. There are some prospects in the pipeline that could add roster support along the way. Their prospects on the cusp include position players and pitchers.

Al Michaels is huge these days. It’s because of several things, but many Reds fans will always remember him for one thing: That home run call.

If baseball wants to balance the game for hitters, Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski believes a key is balancing the hitters themselves. And he thinks new Detroit slugger Yoenis Cespedes could be a beneficiary.

Until James Shields is off the market, the Marlins will remain linked to the 33-year-old right-hander. The catch is structuring a contract that won’t damage the organization’s long-term payroll projections. Another issue the Marlins are facing is the status of Dan Haren, who may or may not want to pitch in Miami this season.

The Reds and Triple-A Louisville announced on Wednesday that they agreed to a two-year extension of their player development contract. The original affiliate agreement was to end following the 2016 season.

In hopes of adding right-handed experience and durability to the starting rotation, the Rockies on Tuesday reached a one-year, $5.5 million contract with pitcher Kyle Kendrick. The club announced the signing on Wednesday.

The Cleveland Police Department is in the process of investigating a possible complaint of sexual assault against Indians pitcher Danny Salazar. According to a source, no charges have been filed.

Let the sweepstakes begin. Cuban prospect Yoan Moncada has been cleared to negotiate and sign with the Major League club of his choice. And there are plenty of choices.

A huge challenge for Didi Gregorius, in the first year of the post-Derek Jeter era, will be to ignore the constant reminders of who he is replacing at shortstop. All the Yankees are asking is that Gregorius play up to his potential, and if he can, they believe that should be plenty.