Roel Santos has been the leadoff hitter for the Cuban teams for many years and already has seen action in plenty of international tournaments, including the last two World Classics (2017 and 2023). In addition, his career in professional baseball has seen him travel all over the world.
After standing out with the Alazanes de Granma, he was taken as a reinforcement by Alfonso Urquiola in the National Series 53 and was later won a title with Vegueros de Pinar del Río that season. There began the legend of Roel Santos as he himself mentioned in the interview recently released on the ‘Cuba Grand Slam’ YouTube Channel. From that moment on, he attracted the attention of the Cuban baseball fans and baseball officials on the island for the things he did on the field.
After winning a title with Pinar del Río he participated in the 2015 Serie del Caribe in San Juan and won a championship, a tournament in which he won a game for Cuba in extra-innings against Santurce. His performance caused the Hall of Fame requested his jersey to be enshrined there. Since then he has participated in multiple international events and professional leagues in Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Japan, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Below, is his interview with journalist Luis Javier Rodríguez for Cuba Grand Slam:
You have always had a job in Caribbean baseball, what has it been like getting used to these leagues that are different from each other?
Despite having a job and several offers in plenty of leagues, I have wanted to try my talents, in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and so on. I first went to Colombia, then I came to Mexico, I went to Venezuela, I returned to Mexico, they told me about the Dominican Republic and I didn’t hesitate. I’ve been moving around the Caribbean for my whole career.
Of all the leagues you have played, which has been the most difficult?
I think it is the Dominican Winter League. There is a lot of competition there, it is like when I started in Cuba, there was a lot of quality players. When they give you the opportunity you have to bat, if you don’t sit you the next day. The issue of traveling is also a bit tiring, because it is a round trip journey every day, there are no breaks even to go to the gym. You have work on everything very early in the day.
Critique your last season in Mexico?
It didn’t go the way I wanted, but it didn’t go that bad either, my OBP was above .350 and my defense was very good. We didn’t meet our goal because we lost in the Semifinal, competitively I think it could have been better, but well, everything isn’t always the way you want. I remember that Victor Bejerano told me, prepare well because you are going to have good years and years that are not going to go the way you want. The best of all is that I finished healthy and it was a season without injuries.
Do you have any offers now for the summer?
Yes. With the Olmecas of Tabasco again, we are returning to where we started and with God’s grace we hope to have a good season.
The Liga Elite begins very soon in Cuba, are you going to play?
Normally I no longer have time to play in Cuba as one wants, one really wants to be in Mexico working on your craft and on what you like, it really is a blessing. The last few times I have played in Cuba it has been sparingly. I have taken it as a basis of preparation, to arrive in Mexico in game shape. But I do think that I will play some games there before reporting to the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol.
How was the experience of the last World Classic, to which Cuba included players signed with MLB clubs and others that play independently in the Caribbean?
Tremendous, tremendous, the best thing one can experience during their career is to play in a World Classic or winning Serie Nacional with your team. The Classic has a different adrenaline rush than other events, it demands a lot from you as a player and it shows what level you are at, you also do what you can to win ball games.
After a slow start, what changed as the tournament progressed?
I say we jelled as a team. We had a long preparation in Japan, training, playing with professional teams, but the Major Leagues arrived just a few days before the tournament’s commencement. I feel that in that beginning a little bit of teamwork was missing, of who we are, what it represented, where were going. When we began to understand each other things started to click and things also began to work out in our favor and we classified as first in our group. Then I we did something that we have always done as long as I can remember, we beat the Australians by one run.
Then in the Semifinals you played against an American team full of stars. For you, what did it mean to play against the likes of Mike Trout, Pete Alonso and Nolan Arenado?
The truth is it was a super experience, they are players that you see on television and then seeing it in person is incredible. I remember that we were sharing the same hotel in Miami, there I met Mookie Betts and I talked to him, I have followed his career since he was champion with Boston. On the field I said to Luis Robert: My brother, these guys are the best, we are playing against top MLB stars, with the toughest team in the tournament, there is no easy out here. I also ran into (Mike) Trout after the game. Seeing Trea Turner, Tim Anderson, Arenado in the infield was impressive.