Two-way player Oscar Luis Colás, who defected from Cuba in January, has been declared a free agent by his Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, a source told MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez on Wednesday.

Colás will now petition for Major League Baseball free agency, which is the first step to signing with a team. He would then be eligible to sign under international signing guidelines, likely during the period that starts on Jan. 15. The signing period originally was to begin on July 2, 2020, but was moved back.

Colás, who turned 22 in September, has been called the "Cuban Ohtani." He plays all three outfield positions and third base and is also a left-handed pitcher.

In 2019, Colás hit .302 with a .515 slugging percentage and 11 home runs in the Minors for the Hawks, and .278 with one homer in seven games for the NPB club. He did not pitch for either team.

In three years with Cuba’s Serie Nacional, he hit .305 and slugged .487 with nine homers. He pitched for Holguin in 2018-19, allowing one run in 3 ⅓ innings, all in relief.

According to a report from Kyodo News in June, there has been some contention regarding Colás’ contract in Japan, which grants the Hawks five option years. Colás’ representatives claimed the contract is invalid, given his age when the agreement was reached and the way it was negotiated between the Hawks and Cuban baseball officials. It’s unclear whether the matter has been resolved and how or if it might affect the process.