The Cuban baseball team confirmed this Friday that it will have -for the first time in history- at least four active players from the Major Leagues of the USA (MLB) to participate in the V World Classic to be held in March.
The list of 50 players announced by the president of the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB), Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, It is still preliminary -the final one will be delivered in February- but it gains relevance as it is the first after the US granted permission to the island to summon baseball players who play in the best league in the world.
Historically, island players in the Major Leagues had not been taken into account in the representative teams of Cuba because they are players institutionally disconnected from the Federation and who opted for a residence in a third country to debut in the MLB.
“We work and continue working to achieve a competitive team that represents Cuba as it really deserves,” Perez said at a press conference. The leader clarified that the intention is to form a good squad and not “a constellation.”
Notable on the list are American league players Andy Ibañez, from the Detroit Tigers, Yoan Manuel Moncada and Luis Robert Moirán, both from the Chicago White Sox, and Yoan López Leyva, from the New York Mets.
There are also four players in the US minor leagues, one category below MLB.
In the same way, they are conspicuous by their absence Yordan Álvarez and Yuli Gurriel, who excelled in the title won by the Houston Astros in the last World Series. As well as José Daniel Abreu, recently signed by that same squad and three times summoned to the All-Star Game.
In this regard, the team manager, Armando Johnson, pointed out that they tried to communicate with Álvarez and Abreu but received no response.
In addition to MLB players, the Cuba team would have elements from other foreign leagues such as Elián Lyevapitcher for the Naranjeros de Hermosillo, of the Mexican Pacific League and contender for the best pitcher of the year in that contest.
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