MLB Commissioner's Office Declares 7 Cuban Players as International Free Agents
The MLB Commissioner's Office has declared seven Cuban players as international free agents, Francys Romero reported Tuesday.
Right-handed pitcher Marlon Vega, right-handed pitcher Edelvis Pérez, outfielder Jordan Sánchez, right-handed pitcher Emmanuel Chapman, outfielder Roislandi Bell, outfielder Yoandri Guibert and right-handed pitcher Kevin Mejía are the players who will try to sign with MLB clubs this offseason.
Per Romero, Mejía will not be available until the next international free agency period opens on Jan. 15. The other six players will be able to sign starting Oct. 22.
Vega is one of the standouts on the list, as he is one of the few who has multiple seasons of documented stats online. Across 67 career appearances in the Cuban National Series, Vega is 21-4 with a 3.52 ERA and 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
Guibert, meanwhile, hit .280 with two home runs and 23 RBI in 59 appearances in 2021 – his most recent logged CNS season.
Cuba has produced plenty of high-level MLB players over the years, dating back to Minnie Miñoso, Tony Pérez, Luis Tiant, Rafael Palmeiro and Jose Canseco. Yandy Díaz, Adolis García, Yordan Alvarez, Luis Robert Jr., Randy Arozarena and Yoán Moncada have ushered in a new era of Cuban sluggers, while Yennier Cano and Nestor Cortes have been the country's top pitchers in recent years.
It could take some time before this new crop of Cuban free agents joins those ranks, but they will take their first step when they sign with their respective new clubs in the coming weeks and months.
The current international free agency period runs through Dec. 15.
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