The Winter League season is now under way and plenty of Cubans have signed with clubs to see action in the Caribbean circuits. Nolan Arenado inked a deal with the Leones de Ponce to see the first action in a winter league season.
In the Dominican League Vladimir Gutierrez returns to the Tigres del Licey, a team to which he saw plenty of success with and posted a 3.71 earned run average with in 2020-21. The Cuban right-hander is scheduled to make his first start for the club from Santo Domingo this Saturday against the Gigantes del Cibao. Infielder José Barrero will also add power to the Tigres’ lineup.
Also in the LIDOM Cuban-American catcher JC Escarra will report tomorrow to the Águilas Cibaeñas to augment a very solid lineup. The Miami slugger was the league batting champion during the 2024-25 season. For the Estrellas Orientales flamethrowing Richard Guasch is in camp and looking to be a big part of the team’s relief corps.
Orlando Martínez opened the winter season with a decisive home run. The Cuban outfielder connected for his first homer of the season, an eighth-inning, two-run shot that made the difference in the Tomateros de Culiacán’s 4-3 victory over the Venados de Mazatlán in the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico season opener. Yadir Drake in his own right collected two hits last night for the Águilas de Mexicali in their 3-0 loss to Hermosillo. The “Black Panther ” as he is known by the Cuban faithful is 30 hits from 500 in his career in the Mexican Winter League.
In the LVBP Diosbel Arias came out swinging in his debut with the Bravos de Margarita.
The Cuban slugger went 3-for-4 and drove in all three of his team’s runs in a 4-3 loss to the Cardenales de Lara. Arias got things started with a solo homer in the first inning and delivered again in the eighth with a two-run single. He also added a double and scored a run to complete an impressive offensive performance.
In the LBPRC MLBers such as the aforementioned Nolan Arenado will see action in the circuit. Yasiel Puig brings his star power as well to the league after signing with the Senadores de San Juan, while Yariel Rodríguez brings a big league arm to the storied Indios de Mayagüez. Coveted prospect, who debuted with the Washington Nationals this season brings his powerful bat to the Cangrejeros de Santurce.
In Nicaragua’s APBN (Asociación Profesional de Béisbol Nicaragüense) league MVP Lázaro Alonso returns to the Gigantes de Rivas. Alonso will also team up with fellow slugger and countrymen Maikel Serrano. The Dantos of Managua while have roster full of experienced Cubans such as Roel Santos, Frank Abel Álvarez and Andrys Pérez. José Ignacio Bermúdez and Armando Dueñas add to powerful arms to the Indios del Bóer’s rotation.
Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico:
Orlando Martínez OF (Tomateros de Culiacán)
Albert Lara IF (Algodoneros de Guasave)
Yadir Drake IF-OF (Águilas de Mexicali)
Elían Leyva RHP (Mayos de Navojoa)
Odrisamer Despaigne RHP (Yaquis de Ciudad Obregón)
Aledmys Díaz IF (Yaquis de Ciudad Obregón)
Miguel Romero RHP (Cañeros de Los Mochis)
Yasmany Tomás OF (Cañeros de Los Mochis)
Yurisbel Gracial IF-OF (Cañeros de Los Mochis)
Ronald Bolaños RHP (Cañeros de Los Mochis)
Yoan López RHP (Cañeros de Los Mochis)
Víctor Labrada OF (Algodoneros de Guasave)
Leam Méndez RHP (Jaguares de Nayarit)
LIDOM:
Richard Guasch RHP (Estrellas Orientales)
Roenis Elías LHP (Estrellas Orientales)
César Prieto IF (Estrellas Orientales)
Edgar Quero C (Estrellas Orientales)
JC Escarra C-1B (Águilas Cibaeñas)*
Raynel Delgado IF (Águilas Cibaeñas)
Andy Ibáñez IF (Leones del Escogido)
Andrew Pérez LHP (Tigres del Licey)*
José Barrero IF (Tigres del Licey)
Julio Robaina LHP (Tigres del Licey)
Vladimir Gutierrez RHP (Tigres del Licey)
Víctor Mesa Jr OF (Tigres del Licey)
Lázaro Montes OF (Gigantes del Cibao)
Carlos Rodríguez RHP (Toros del Este)*
LVBP:
Diosbel Arias IF (Bravos de Margarita)
Darién Núñez RHP (Bravos de Margarita)
Alejandro Hernández RHP (Bravos de Margarita)
José Ramón Rodríguez RHP (Caribes de Anzoátegui)
Josimar Cousin RHP (Caribes de Anzoátegui)
Sandy Gastón RHP (Leones del Caracas)
Julio Rodríguez RHP (Leones del Caracas)
Rangel Ravelo IF (Cardenales de Lara)
Brander Guevara RHP (Tiburones de La Guaira)
LBPRC:
Dyan Jorge IF (Senadores de San Juan)
Yasiel Puig OF (Senadores de San Juan)
Yanquiel Fernández OF (Criollos de Caguas)
Nolan Arenado 3B (Leones de Ponce)*
Rafael Sánchez RHP (Cangrejeros de Santurce)
Carlos Espinosa RHP (Cangrejeros de Santurce)
Yohandy Morales RHP (Cangrejeros de Santurce)
Lázaro Estrada RHP (Cangrejeros de Santurce)
Lisbel Díaz OF (Gigantes de Carolina)
Yariel Rodríguez RHP (Indios de Mayagüez)
APBN:
Yasiel González OF (Tigres de Chinandega)
Raymond Figueredo RHP (Tigres de Chinandega)
Yasiel Julio González OF (Tigres de Chinandega)
JC Negret OF (Tigres de Chinandega)
Maikel Serrano OF (Gigantes de Rivas)
Lázaro Alonso 1B (Gigantes de Rivas)
Yassel Pino IF (El Tren del Norte)
Armando Dueñas RHP (Indios del Bóer)
Yoel Yanqui 1B (Indios del Bóer)
José Ignacio Bermúdez RHP (Indios del Bóer)
Frank Abel Álvarez RHP (Dantos de Managua)
Andrys Pérez C (Dantos de Managua)
Roel Santos OF (Dantos de Managua)
Yuliesky Remón IF (Dantos de Managua)
*Cuban-American