A source close to the situation confirmed to the Cuban Baseball Digest that the Cuban Baseball Federation will allow minor league players that are allowed by their organizations to play with the national team in the Pan American Games held in Santiago de Chile this November.
These players will also be non-affiliated with FCB, as they were in the World Baseball Classic. Cuba has been allowing professional players affiliated with the Cuban Federation to participate with its national team since 2013, when it opened its league to professional squads located Japan, México and other circuits non-MLB affiliated. In fact most standard FCB contracts include a clause that stipulates that their affiliated players be allowed to play in international events.
Fuentes: La Federación Cubana de Béisbol convocará jugadores de las ligas menores estadounidenses que obtengan el permiso de sus equipos para participar en los Juegos Panamericanos que comenzarán este octubre en Santiago de Chile.#pelotacubana #JuegosPanAmericanos pic.twitter.com/IeGIG7oREL
— Yusseff305 🇨🇺🇺🇲 (@yusseff305) May 19, 2023
” We are going to allow any player that is allowed to play by their organization to represent Cuba in the upcoming Pan American Games. The rosters have already been submitted for the Central American and Caribbean Games, so having minor league players on Cuba’s roster for the Games in Chile seems like more of a reality,” said the confidential source.
The Cuban National Team made history during the last World Baseball Classic by making its way to the semifinals in Miami with a team predominantly full of professional players, including six major league ball players. The Central American Games should include the usual suspects like Alfredo Despaigne, Yurisbel Gracial, Erisbel Arruebarruena and others. Now for the Pan-Am Games which should take place after the minor league season, it’s anyone’s guess what future MLB prospects could be on Cuba’s roster.
Obviously political dissidents will not br allowed to play and those who abandoned a Cuban delegation during a tournament will also be banned. Stay tuned for more on the subject in the near future.