On Friday, the Trump Administration reportedly rejected Major League Baseball’s Deal with the Cuban Baseball Federation that would have allowed players from Cuba to sign with MLB teams without defecting. Jeff Passan with ESPN was the first to share the report.
The thrust of the government’s argument, as laid out in a letter from Treasury Dept. to MLB obtained by ESPN: “A payment to the Cuban Baseball Federation is a payment to the Cuban government.” U.S. government sees the CBF as an arm of the Cuban government. Deal nixed accordingly. pic.twitter.com/oQhtn2R9gw
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 8, 2019
In a January letter to Treasury and State Depts., MLB outlined the purpose of its agreement with the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB): “The objective … is to end the dangerous trafficking of Cuban baseball players who desire to play professional baseball in the United States.”
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 8, 2019
Included in the letter to the government from MLB were the tales of Yasiel Puig, Jose Abreu, Yoenis Cespedes, Leonys Martin and Yunel Escobar after they left Cuba — ones the deal was supposed to end. The human-trafficking horror stories did nothing to sway Trump Administration.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 8, 2019
Trump Administration Rejects Cuban Baseball Agreement
Background
The United States has had an embargo against Cuba since March 14, 1958. Steps were taken by the Obama Administration to restore political relations and direct diplomacy between the two countries. Starting in 2008, President Obama continually loosened restrictions and the Cuban government was open to the idea of reforming the embargo. In 2014, Obama and Castro announced the restoration of full diplomatic ties between the two countries.
MLB Response
During this time, MLB struck a deal during the off-season to streamline the process of getting Cubans to MLB teams. The purpose was to eliminate stories like that of Yasiel Puig. Puig escaped Cuba in the hands of black-market smugglers. He is not the first or only Cuban player to do this in order to get to America.
Now What?
This story and others were included in letters sent from MLB to the Trump Administration. The ruling cancels this deal, calling the trafficking of baseball players from Cuba to America “dangerous.” It appears Cuban players will continue to face an uphill battle in leaving the country and getting signed by MLB teams.
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