Dodgers reportedly interested in Yoan Lopez, now cleared to sign

The Dodgers are one of a handful of teams interested in Cuban pitcher Yoan Lopez, who has been cleared by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control to sign with an MLB team per Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.

In addition to the Dodgers, the Yankees, Padres and Diamondbacks are said to be interested in Lopez, per Sanchez. Previous reports had the Giants and Braves interested as well.

Lopez, a 6'4, 190-pound right-handed pitcher, held a private workout in the Dominican Republic on November 8. He put up a 3.12 ERA in seven starts 49 innings in his final season in Cuba, with 28 strikeouts and 11 walks before defecting.

There's another young Cuban prospect on international market.RHP Yoan Lopez. http://t.co/iJOFMKH53S @AMERICASBATCO1 pic.twitter.com/SQhyoJyOqX

— Steve (@AmericasBatRep) November 25, 2014

The 21-year old's biggest selling point is a big fastball, as Sanchez explains:

Lopez throws a cut fastball, a changeup, a curveball and a slider, but he is best known for a fastball that has reached 100 mph and usually hovers in the 93-95 mph range. In Cuba, he played three seasons for Isla de la Juventud in Serie Nacional, the island's top league.

Since Lopez is under 23 and doesn't have five years of professional experience, signing him would count against the soft cap on international free agents. Sanchez said the amount of the bonus it would take to sign Lopez is unknown, but whatever it is would almost certainly push the Dodgers into a penalty phase.

In the current international signing period of July 2, 2014 to June 15, 2015, the Dodgers have paid out $1.33 million in signing bonuses that we know of, and that's with unknown bonuses for at least six other international signings. The Dodgers' allotted bonus pool amount is $1,963,800.

Here are the penalties for spending over that limit, relative to the Dodgers.