Cuba had a lot of news to report yesterday about their participation in the upcoming World Baseball Classic and what players would be participating with the team in tournament come next March in Puerto Rico. Most of the news is bleak for the communist island.
The members of the Cuban Baseball Federation who will be participating in the World Baseball Classic do not yet have their visas for the upcoming tournament and will be going to the U.S. embassy tomorrow to begin the process. Regarding the players, very few of them will need a visa because most are either already based abroad or already possess the necessary immigration documents to travel to Puerto Rico and the U.S.
We also spoke with Pinar del Río pitcher Lázaro Estrada, was projected to be one of Cuba’s possible starting pitchers for the World Baseball Classic. Estrada told us that the Cuban Baseball Federation did contact him, but since he is in the final year of his contract, he decided to focus entirely on Spring Training . For that reason, he will not be participating in the World Baseball Classic.
On the other hand right-hander Josimar Cousin is another Cuban player selected to the 35-man preliminary roster for the VI World Baseball Classic. Cousin (27 years old) was in the Chicago White Sox organization until 2024 and played with the Indios de Mayagüez in the Puerto Rican Winter League during the current winter season. He also has experience in the Mexican Baseball League (2025). He is a pitcher who has been used as both a starter and a reliever in professional baseball. With Cuba, he could be a solid reliever, relying on his fastball (96-99 MPH) and his outstanding slider.
Infielder Yiddi Cappe (23), who belongs to the Miami Marlins organization, is also one of the 35 players included in Cuba’s preliminary roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. In 2025, he only played 62 games due to injuries, but he did reach the Double-A level. His primary position during the season was second base.
Our sister page Pelota Cubana spoke with Raynel Delgado, a utility player for the Tampa Bay Rays. In 2025, Delgado batted .281, posted a .741 OPS, and stole 40 bases, showcasing versatility, speed, and offensive consistency The player told us that Cuba contacted him about playing in the World Baseball Classic, but he decided to prioritize Spring Training with Tampa Bay, focusing on earning a spot on the Major League roster.
Last but not least Cuba is scheduled to begin its training for the World Baseball Classic this month in Havana. They will then hold a training camp in Nicaragua, where they will play several exhibition games against the Nicaraguan national team, presumably between February 20 and 24.
The schedule continues with a trip to Arizona, if there are no visa issues, they will face the Kansas City Royals (March 3, Surprise Stadium) and the Cincinnati Reds (March 4, Goodyear Stadium). All of this will take place before their official debut against Panama on March 6 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Players from the MLB system will join the team five days before the start of the tournament, so they will be available for the exhibition games in Arizona.