MLB, Cuban Baseball Federation Cut Historic Deal

Major League Baseball and the players’ association announced this afternoon that they’ve reached an agreement with the Cuban Baseball Federation to allow players from the island to be scouted and signed by the league without having to defect.

Unless scuttled by the Trump administration, the deal would facilitate Cuban players’ entry into American professional baseball while avoiding the dangerous journeys and dealings with human smugglers that have marked many of their departures.

For decades, Cuban players have risked their lives and incarceration if caught by escaping from their homeland in furtive boat trips to destinations like Mexico, Haiti or the Dominican Republic, where they could establish residency and pursue multimillion-dollar contracts.

All-Stars such as Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig and White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu made it out that way.

In many instances, players like Cespedes and Indians outfielder Leonys Martin have been the subject of monetary demands and even extortion from some of the people who helped them defect. Puig endured a harrowing ordeal leaving Cuba via Mexico in 2012 with assistance from human smugglers who later threatened to kill him, according to a 2014 lawsuit.

"To know future Cuban players will not have to go through what we went through makes me so happy," Puig said. "I want to thank everyone who was involved in making this happen.''

At the beginning of last season, there were 17 natives of Cuba on major league rosters and disabled lists, the fourth-largest contingent of foreign-born players in the game. Abreu and Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman were picked for the All-Star Game.

That representation figures to increase with a less-hazardous journey to the majors from one of baseball’s perennial hot spots for talent.

“For years, Major League Baseball has been seeking to end the trafficking of baseball players from Cuba by criminal organizations by creating a safe and legal alternative for those players to sign with Major League Clubs," Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "We believe that this agreement accomplishes that objective and will allow the next generation of Cuban players to pursue their dream without enduring many of the hardships experienced by current and former Cuban players who have played Major League Baseball.”

During a trip to Cuba for an exhibition game by the Tampa Bay Rays in March 2016 – which coincided with President Barack Obama’s visit – Manfred expressed optimism about striking a deal for Cuban players to join major league clubs, perhaps by the end of that year.

Some officials in the administration believe MLB is acting under a ruling from the State Department (under Obama) that the Cuban federation is not a part of the regime, and thus U.S. companies are allowed to enter into contracts with that entity. However, current State Department could rescind or change that determination and make the CBF off limits to U.S. businesses.

The agreement has already drawn opposition from members of the Cuban-American community, which has grappled in recent years with former President Obama’s historic rapprochement with the communist island and Trump’s moves to scale back that opening.

MLB said the agreement stipulates the CBF must release all players under contract who are at least 25 and have six or more years of playing service. The federation also has the option of releasing younger players to sign with MLB clubs.

The player may negotiate and sign with any team without leaving Cuba. The signing team will pay a posting fee to the Cuban federation, not unlike fees paid for players moving from Japan to MLB. The player will receive a work visa that will enable him to travel to and from Cuba and the USA.

Source: USA Today