Prospect Pipeline

The sweepstakes for Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas is down to four teams, writes Jon Heyman

Add Korean shortstop Jung-ho Kang to the list of international free agents hoping to make the jump to the major leagues in 2015.

Free agency isn’t just about which teams land the top players on the market. It’s also an opportunity for teams to find value where others don’t.

The Cubs' future was on display late last summer with franchise cornerstones Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro playing on the same field as highly regarded prospects such as Javier Baez, Jorge Soler and Arismendy Alcantara.

Suffice it to say, the future is bright on the North Side of Chicago.

It’s not a coincidence that many of the biggest trades in recent years have involved blue-chip prospects. With the market rate for impact players on the rise and teams trying to manage their payrolls more economically, prospects, though unproven in nature, have come to represent a form of currency.

It’s long been known that Russell Martin, the top free-agent catcher on the market, would command a large contract this offseason.

The free-agent market is yet to develop, but it’s only a matter of time until the dominoes will start to fall. When they do, expect the trade market to take shape as well.

Front-of-the-rotation pitchers Max Scherzer, Jon Lester and James Shields headline this year’s crop of free-agent starters, while Pablo Sandoval and Cuban prospect Yasmany Tomas stand out among hitters in a class that’s thin on impact players.

The sweepstakes for outfielder Yasmany Tomas appears to be winding down.

There’s only one game remaining on this year’s Arizona Fall League schedule, but it’s a big one.

The Salt River Rafters (17-11-4) and Peoria Javelinas (15-4-3) will play in the AFL Championship Game on Saturday, beginning at 3:08 p.m. ET and airing on MLB Network/MLB.com.

During the regular season, teams usually call up their top prospects to fill a role that’s been affected by injuries or productivity issues.

While those obviously aren’t relevant concerns in the offseason, teams still have to consider the futures of its top prospects when addressing roster concerns caused by free-agent departures.