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Dec. 19, 2018 / 10:11 PM GMT
By David K. Li
Major League Baseball and the sport’s governing body in Cuba struck a historic deal on Wednesday, allowing players from the longtime U.S. rival to play in the big leagues in North America without having to defect, officials said.
The initial deal will run through Oct. 31, 2021, and will allow Cubans to sign under rules similar to those for players coming from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, MLB announced.
“For years, Major League Baseball has been seeking to end the trafficking of baseball players from Cuba by criminal organizations by creating a safe and legal alternative for those players to sign with major league clubs,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement to the Associated Press on Wednesday.
“We believe that this agreement accomplishes that objective and will allow the next generation of Cuban players to pursue their dream without enduring many of the hardships experienced by current and former Cuban players who have played Major League Baseball,” he said.
A prominent agent told NBC News the agreement is pending White House approval.
Without such a deal, the only way players from the impoverished, baseball-loving island could play in the big leagues would be to defect — a shady, often dangerous journey that can involve traffickers and criminals.
Veteran South Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese players, with a set amount of service time, can freely come to North America and sign contracts. Younger players can come if their domestic teams “post” them — making them available to MLB bidders and then being awarded a fee based on the final contract.
A press conference is scheduled for Wednesday evening in Havana to announce the deal.