New work rule impacts process for MLB teams to sign Cuban players
As the United States’ five-decade old embargo over Cuba slowly fades away, the improved diplomatic relations between the two countries is positively impacting MLB.
The latest development is a new work rule that goes into effect Wednesday that allows Cuban citizens to work in the U.S. and be paid by American companies. This means major-league teams can now directly sign Cuban players to contracts.
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In the past Cuban players had to defect from their country and establish residency elsewhere before being eligible to sign a contract with a major-league team. Most players headed to Mexico or the Dominican Republic once they had defected, but getting to those countries wasn’t always so easy. Dodgers star Yasiel Puig’s reportedly relied on smugglers to get from Cuba to Mexico, which brought to light the nasty truth of human traffickers’ involvement in the process. The hope is that this new rule can curb those potential issues and make it safer and easier for Cuban players to chase their big-league dreams.
“In reading the regulation, it appears to mean that a Cuban baseball player can leave the country Monday and sign a major league contract on Tuesday,” said Matthew Aho, a special adviser on Cuba at the New York law firm Akerman L.L.P. “If M.L.B. and their franchises are assertive in their interpretations of these new rules, it would allow teams to negotiate contracts with Cuban baseball players at any time under U.S. law.”
It’s also become less difficult for major-league teams to visit Cuba. The Tampa Bay Rays and Cuban National team will meet in an exhibition game in Havana on March 22 and President Obama is expected to be in attendance.
The U.S. and Cuba may still not be the best of friends, but they’re at least able to be in the same room together, which is definitely a benefit for baseball.
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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
