Dodgers keep tabs on Cuban righty Gonzalez

LOS ANGELES -- While the Dodgers were among the clubs scouting Cuban right-handed pitcher Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez in Mexico on Friday, their current interest is lukewarm, a baseball source said Saturday.

Gonzalez has been rumored to be seeking a financial package in excess of the $42 million the Dodgers paid fellow Cuban Yasiel Puig. But the Dodgers apparently won't be nearly as aggressive for Gonzalez as they were with Puig, who signed a year ago and has had a remarkable first month in the Major Leagues.

The Dodgers signed Puig, not only to acquire a high-ceiling talent, but to send a message that they were re-entering the international market after ignoring it for a decade.

Like Puig, Gonzalez has missed much of the past two seasons after being suspended by the Cuban national team for attempting to flee the island, finally succeeding early this year. He is 26 and, having played in Cuba for more than three years, his bonus won't count against a club's international signing limit.

The Cubs, Red Sox and Angels also attended Gonzalez's short start for Tijuana. He can't sign with a Major League club until he receives clearance from the U.S. Treasury Department, which could come as soon as next week.