The president of the Cuban Baseball Federation and National Commissioner of this sport, Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, is currently on a tour in South Korea. During the trip, he held discussions with executives from the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO).
The Cuban Baseball Federation’s social media account X informed about this visit with a post. It reads: “The president of the Cuban Baseball Federation, Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, engaged in discussions with executives from the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). Topics included preparations for the Premier12 and the potential inclusion of Cuban players in that league.”
As stated in the post, South Korea will be the site of a training camp for the Cuban team participating in the tournament next November. Cuba will be playing in Taipei, China, so the team aims to acclimate to the Asian time zone and face a higher level of competition than what they are used to on the island.
In August 2023, scouts from the KBO participated in try-outs at the Latinoamericano Stadium. This exhibition was organized by the Cuban Federation to help local players secure international contracts via the FCB. The Lotte Giants were among the clubs that sent their scouts and showed interest in Antillean talent, but ultimately no contracts were finalized in the Korean league.
Nevertheless, several players were signed from those try-outs, such as Carlos Monier from Santiago and Cran Rodríguez and Darío Sardy from Villa Clara. They all signed contracts in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons and the Softbank Hawks franchises.
A current Cuban player shining in the KBO Guillermo Heredia from Matanzas, who leads the batters and plays for the SSG Landers, where he shares the field with countrymen, pitcher Roenis Elías. Although Elías played in the World Baseball Classic with Cuba, both players are not represented by the FCB.
Cuban talent has always found a place within the KBO, with names like José Miguel Fernández, Odrisamer Despaigne, Yasiel Puig, Ariel Miranda, among others, have been stellar players and have earned the respect and affection of the Korean people. However, the direct insertion of players from Cuba’s Serie Nacional by the Cuban Federation to the league has yet to occur.