Cuba’s national baseball team is preparing for the upcoming Premier 12 tournament with several key players now included in the pre-roster. According to Francys Romero, eight former Cuban players who have played professionally outside of Cuba are set to join the team for the Premier 12.
Among them is Alexei Ramírez, the 42-year-old former MLB infielder who played from 2008 to 2016 with the Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres, and Tampa Bay Rays. The 2014 American League All-Star returned to Cuba in 2024 and played for the Vegueros de Pinar del Río, where he hit .357 with 18 doubles and 14 home runs, breaking the 100-home-run mark in the Cuban National Series.
Yoan López, 31, a pitcher with MLB experience with the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets, is also set to join the roster. López has also played in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants and in the Mexican League. Darien Núñez, 31, who previously pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, made his MLB debut in 2021 and has also spent time with the San Francisco Giants and various teams in the Mexican League.
Also announced are Roberto Baldoquín, 30, who spent six seasons in the Minor Leagues and played for Lenadores de Las Tunas during the 2023-24 season, where he posted a .402 average in 36 games. Yadir Drake, 34, who has played in the Minor Leagues and NPB for the Nippon Ham Fighters in 2017, has become a star player in Mexico. Lázaro Armenteros, 25, a former Oakland A’s prospect; Omar Estevez, 26, a former Dodgers prospect; Julio Robaina, who has had Minor League experience since 2018 and is currently with the Corpus Christi Hooks Double-A Affiliate of the Houston Astros; and Yusnier Padrón, with Minor League experience from 2018-2022.
Cuba will compete in Group B of the Premier 12, facing powerhouse teams like Japan, South Korea, and the Dominican Republic. The tournament, scheduled for November 10 to 24, will showcase the top 12 baseball nations, with games taking place in Japan, Taiwan, and Mexico. Cuba will face the Dominican Republic in their first game on November 13 at Taipei Tianmu Baseball Stadium in Taipei City.