A pair of White Sox players will officially be representing Cuba in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
Outfielder Luis Robert and third baseman Yoan Moncada are among those who have received special clearance by Major League Baseball to join the Cuban national team’s roster for the international competition. The confirmation comes after a preliminary report by Francys Romero earlier in the offseason, which stated the two players said “yes” to representing their home country if allowed.
In addition to Moncada and Robert, the Cuban team will include three players from Triple-A rosters: infielder Andy Ibáñez of the Detroit Tigers, right-hander Miguel Romero of the Oakland Athletics and right-hander Ronald Bolaños of the Kansas City Royals. Former White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu is also said to have received clearance to compete but has not expressed his desire to play publicly.
To arrange the participation of the MLB players, Cuba reportedly had to receive special permission from the United States due to sanctions imposed on the country. Under the agreement, all stateside professional players accepted to the team will still be barred from entering Cuba for workouts ahead of the World Baseball Classic. Though the Cuban Baseball Federation has strongly opposed those who left to pursue a career in professional baseball, a program on state television announced the roster of 30 players for Cuba’s national team.
Though both Moncada and Robert have played internationally as part of the Cuban National Series, they will now get to represent their country on a much larger scale. At the same time, the duo will also be looking to bounce back from up-and-down 2022 campaigns with the White Sox. Robert hit .284/.319/.426 with the club while battling a wrist injury that hampered his performance down the stretch. Moncada, too, battled through injury and inconsistencies of his own, slashing just .212/.273/.353 in a rather unforgettable season.
When it comes to the World Baseball Classic, the White Sox are expected to have plenty of other names involved as well. Among them are starting pitcher Lance Lynn and shortstop Tim Anderson, who previously revealed their intentions to play for Team USA. Outfielder Eloy Jimenez and reliever Reynaldo Lopez also expressed their desires to compete on behalf of the Dominican Republic.
For the first time ever, the World Baseball Classic is expanding to 20 teams with pool play beginning this March in four cities around the globe: Phoenix, Miami, Tokyo, Japan, and Taichung, Taiwan. The quarterfinal games will take place in Tokyo and Miami, and the semifinals and championship game will be played in Miami.
The United States are the reigning champions after shutting out Puerto Rico 8-0 in 2017 for their first title. They are set to play in Pool C in Phoenix, along with Canada, Colombia, Mexico, and Great Britain.
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