Havana, 4 April (EFE). WBSC President Ricardo Fraccari confirmed this Wednesday in Havana that he supports Cuban baseball players to sign with teams from any professional league in the world, including Major. Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States.
Vracari concluded his second working visit to Cuba so far this year by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) that includes this request from several Cuban baseball players.
“Expectations are high,” Fraccari admitted, while saying he was sure Cuban baseball would bounce back because after the difficult period of the pandemic “it’s time to live with a different scheme.”
The president of the FCB, Juan Reinaldo Perez, called the signing of the memorandum a “historic step”.
“It is historic because above all he is thinking of developing Cuban baseball and employing our athletes from an element that provides them with security, increased visibility and a greater opportunity to work in different leagues,” he explained.
Vracari emphasized that the agreement – mediated by the WBSC – would allow athletes to directly manage their contracts with any professional league.
Perez added that the script “collects and categorizes” this in addition to allowing the representative’s number.
On the possibility of Cuban players joining the MLB League, Perez said, “It is another league, regardless of its strength because of its quality.”
He also welcomed the fact that in the future Cuban baseball players could play in the United States “in an organized and mutually agreed manner.”
In 2018, the FCB and MLB signed an agreement allowing players from the island to play for major league teams without losing their home country of residence, but it was canceled shortly afterwards during the divergence phase between the two countries of the presidency. Donald Trump.
The FCB has pledged to release all players with at least 25 years of age and six or more years of experience in the Cuban National Series so they can be signed by US clubs.
This agreement would have allowed MLB to pay a release fee to the FCB to sign with the Cuban players.
Additionally, it would have been an entry point for players who wanted to start a professional career in the best baseball game in the world legally and safely.
Baseball in Cuba has stopped winning international titles or outstanding results.
Added to this is the talent bloodshed, which appeared in 2021 in its fullest expression with the abandonment of twelve members of the team that competed in the U-23 World Championship in Mexico.
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