Two Cuban players defected during Caribbean Series
Two players representing Cuba at the Caribbean Series in Puerto Rico have defected, according to USA Today’s Jose Ortiz. Veteran shortstop Dainer Moreira and pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez, who won rookie of the year in the Cuban league last season, reportedly left the team after returning to their hotel on Tuesday night.
Two anonymous Cuban sports officials confirmed the defections early Wednesday. Heriberto Suarez, the national director of baseball, released a statement later in the day that offered disappointment in their decision but few other details.
“We are very disappointed,” Suarez said on Wednesday. “But this will serve as a platform for us to carry on stronger and more unified. We will continue giving our best and will return to Cuba together.”
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Gutierrez, 19, will surely draw some attention in MLB circles. The young right-hander is viewed as one of the top pitching prospects in Cuba, according to Baseball America’s Ben Badler. Though he spent most of his time in Cuba pitching in relief, he projects as a starter long-term, which certainly adds to his value. Moreira, on the other hand, is not rated as a prospect. The 30-year-old veteran is known more for his defense than his offensive upside, which would make him a lower end addition.
It’s believed that both players intend to pursue contracts with Major League Baseball teams. It’s a venture that has become a little easier in the wake of new regulations, which stem from changes in U.S. foreign policy. As a result of those changes, players are no longer required to apply for and obtain specific unblocking licenses to sign with an MLB team.
With that in mind though, the path for Moreira or Gutierrez to sign with an MLB team is far from clear at this stage in the process. If they’re looking to become free agents such as Yoan Moncada, who was finally cleared to sign earlier this week, they’ll have to establish residency in a third country outside the United States or Puerto Rico. A process that could take some time to sort out. If they elect to remain in Puerto Rico, they would be subject to MLB’s amateur draft since Puerto Rico is a U.S. commonwealth. That would keep them waiting until June.
Badler also notes that if Gutierrez becomes a free agent, he would be subject to international bonus pools because he’s only 19 and has played just two professional seasons in Cuba. That would seemingly eliminate the Angels, Diamondbacks, Rays, Red Sox and Yankees from signing him since they’ve gone beyond their international spending limit. In fact, those teams won’t be able to sign any pool-eligible players for more than $300,000 for two years following the June 15 signing deadline, and we doubt he’d be willing to wait that long.
Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how this decision plays out for both players. Beyond that though, it will be even more interesting to see how many players follow them given the new landscape. Is this just a case of timing, or is it the beginning of something bigger?
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
