The Braves want him. The Padres want him. The Cubs and Dodgers still want him, as do four other hooded figures standing in the nearby shadows, representing a coven of "mystery teams."
But most importantly, the Phillies want him.
He is "Lazarito."
Lazaro Armenteros, author of the bombastic prospect trailer that debuted around his well-attended January 8 showcase, has said there's a good chance he decides on an MLB team to play for on this very day.
"I'm always ready. I'm realizing my dream to play professional baseball. I'm planning on making a decision on [Wednesday], but only God knows what will happen and when I will sign. I'm not worried about it. I'm just waiting on the right opportunity."
Reporters say the 6' 2", 205 lbs. 16-year-old Cuban outfielder with "superstar potential" spent all of Tuesday mulling his options over, hopefully prioritizing teams in order of how much fun Fangraphs has decided they will be in 2016. Having declared his Haitian residency, he achieved sweet, sweet MLB free agency the same day of his showcase, making him eligible to be signed during the current international signing period, or make "Tuesday" stretch all the way to next July 2, when the international signing period restarts.
The Phillies' assault on the international market has been gratifying, but they are among the teams that would not be able to ink Armenteros until July (along with the Braves and Padres). The Braves spirited him away for a workout this past Saturday, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, and one of the hooded figures beckoned him into the darkness for a private showcase with one of the unrevealed interested franchises on Monday.
Armenteros, alongside Yasiel Puig, recently took in a game of the Caribbean World Series. The teenager said Puig was the first famous player with whom he'd interacted, meaning of course that he is already on his way to becoming an exciting, flashy player who cool people like. Puig's influence on the lad will likely infuriate old baseball writers who haven't forgotten that Armenteros didn't know who Bryce Harper was as recently as 2014.