Sources have confirmed to the Cuban Baseball Digest that because the Cuban Federation has not yet secured permission to use Minor League Baseball (MiLB) players. The national team will only be able to field a team with players currently competing in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol (LMB), the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP), and the Italian Professional Baseball League.
Cuba has won 19 medals in baseball at the Central American and Caribbean Games, 15 Golds, three Silvers and one Bronze. At the most recent edition of the tournament in San Salvador (2023), Cuba captured the silver medal. The squad will more than likely be compromised of Cubans born strictly on the island and no players of Cuban descent. German Mesa will lead the team into battle in upcoming tournament to be held in Santo Domingo from July 31st to August 8th of this year.
Eight nations are set to participate in the tournament, with seven qualification spots already secured:
- Host Nation: Dominican Republic
- Central American Games Champion: Nicaragua
- WBSC Americas Ranking Qualifiers: Mexico, Puerto Rico, Panama, Cuba, and Colombia
- Caribbean Baseball Cup Representative: Curaçao (2025 Champion)
The Dominican Republic which is hosting the tournament will field its with mostly LIDOM players with headliners such as Enny Romero, Lisalverto Bonilla, Pedro Severino, Michael DeLeon and Edwin Espinal on the squad. The DR last won a Caribbean Games title in 2010 when the games were held in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.
Possible players on Cuba’s Central American and Caribbean Games roster:
Roel Santos OF (Conspiradores de Querétaro)
Yurisbel Gracial IF (Conspiradores de Querétaro)
Brander Guevara RHP (Conspiradores de Querétaro)
Frank Abel Álvarez RHP (Guerreros de Oaxaca)
Yoennis Yera LHP (Olmecas de Tabasco)
Jonathan Moreno SS (SoftBank Hawks)
Randy Martínez LHP (Chunichi Dragons)