Cuban Players Ready For MLB; US Government Says It Is Possible

Major League Baseball wants the U.S. government to permit them sign Cuban baseball players. Since Cuba and U.S. relationship is improving since last year, the government said it is highly possible.

Even though the relationship between the two countries is seeing progress, there are still issues to be worked out. According to Gazette Review, the U.S. trade embargo cannot allow Major League Baseball to directly hand money to the Cuban government. However, baseball is a different thing and the government can see the improvement going on. Obama has asked the Congress to lift the embargo but the Republican refused and they are now finding other ways so that it can be permitted. The Treasury Department specifically the Office for Foreign Assets Control has the power and ability to give the MLB permission and broker a deal.

Reuters stated that MLB signing players from Cuba could end the shortcoming in which Cuban ballplayers place themselves in the hands of human traffickers and endanger their lives on unlawful trips at sea. However, Cuban government is keeping their best players. They are not giving them the right to leave until given permission which results in them going to smugglers. When that happens, the smugglers request big amount of money from the players and this event is very common. Cuban players are mostly trapped into not speaking about these events but they come out when cases are filed on court.

Chicago Tribune reported a case where a young Cuban player wants to go to MLB. Lourdes Gourriel Jr., 22 years old, is hoping to get into major league and this is his only hope. He said that even though it will take a very long time, just thinking about reaching his dream is making him very emotional.

In early June, MLB has applied for a specific license to standardize the transfer of players from Cuba. Chief Legal Officer Dan Halem said baseball's main concern was to offer a safe and legal way for Cuban players.

Tags

Major League Baseball, Cuba, U.S., trade embargo, baseball, obama, Human Trafficking, smugglers

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