MLB, Cuban Baseball Federation reach agreement that will eliminate need for players to defect

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

MLB, Cuban Baseball Federation reach agreement that will eliminate need for players to defect

By Dave Sheinin December 19 at 4:00 PM

Major League Baseball on Wednesday reached a historic agreement with Cuba’s baseball federation, modeled after those with leagues in Japan and Korea, that will regulate and streamline the entry of Cuban players coming to the U.S., the league announced.

The agreement, the result of years of negotiations between MLB, the MLB Players Association, the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) and the U.S. government, is designed to end decades of fraught relations between MLB and Cuba and eliminate the need for Cuban players to defect. The new system won’t change how Cuban players are compensated by MLB teams, but will result in “release” fees being paid to the FCB for those players’ services.

Under the new system, Cuban players will be signed out of Cuba and, subject to U.S. government approval, granted a work visa. However, a State Department spokesman said that players will have to travel to a third country to apply for a visa, like other Cuban nationals, per current U.S. policy.

In MLB’s view, the move was motivated by humanitarian concerns to halt the influence of smugglers and traffickers who have preyed upon Cuban defectors in the past. Many top Cuban professionals, such as Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig — who left the island to come to the U.S. under the previous MLB rules requiring players to establish residency in another country — have endured harrowing episodes involving smugglers and human traffickers.

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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2018/12/19/mlb-cuban-baseball-federation-reach-agreement-that-will-eliminate-need-players-defect/

[dameatball]

1. Don't we have Russians playing in the NHL and Chinese playing in the NBA? I don't follow either much

so why is it so hard to get a Cuban into the country to play baseball? Those people love baseball. What f**kin century are we in? Heck I wouldn't mind a trip to Cuba on my (relatively small) bucket list. My son can go to Cuba on a church missionary trip but a Cuban baseball player has to go through a third nation to come here?? Ridiculous.

[Blue_true]

2. Yeah. We have an embassy in Havana, why can't it process visas.

Our nonsensical approach to that island nation only entrenched the Castros, it did nothing to help everyday Cuban people.

[dameatball]

3. Not to mention that the trade embargo ended Cuban sugar imports and helped to f' up the Everglades.

Lots of other contributing factors of course.
We had 50,000 plus Americans die in Vietnam but now we have decent relations. But a country 90 miles from Florida, which we never really went to war with....not so much.

[Blue_true]

4. It is politics. Republicans need votes of old Cubans and some of their grandchildren.

We won't see change until the majority of younger Americans that have Cuban blood reject the insane embargo and other negative activity toward Cuba. Hate to say this, but Raul seriously changing even more toward democracy there or dying would really help in that regard.