Dr. Jorge I. Dominguez is a Latin American scholar who held leadership responsibilities with Harvard University for many years, including as vice provost for international affairs. A particular focus for Dr. Jorge I. Dominguez has been on understanding the social underpinnings of Cuba’s Communist system and its relationship to a longstanding US trade embargo.
Despite continuing headwinds, there are significant signs of improved relations between people in the two nations, especially in sports. As reported by Reuters, Cuba’s Baseball Federation recently presented a list of Cuban athletes who are eligible to sign direct contracts with Major League Baseball-affiliated organizations.
The 34 players listed are all between age 17 and 25 and do not include any of the stars in the sport. However, some players, such as Nippon Professional Baseball veteran Raidel Martinez, have spent significant time playing abroad. All such players meet “international amateur” classification standards under MLB rules.
The announcement came as a result of a historic December agreement designed to allow US teams to sign Cuban players who have not come to the United States as defectors. Major MLB stars, such as the New York Mets’ Yoenis Cespedes and the Cincinnati Reds’ Yasiel Puig, have already defected. The payoff for this risky move can be significant, since minimum salaries in Cuba start at only $50 a month.
With the Cuban Baseball Federation calling the agreement major progress “against the trafficking of human beings,” one core stipulation is that all eligible players must have at least six years of experience in the Cuban leagues.
Unfortunately, in April 2019, the Trump administration withdrew the U.S. government's approval of this agreement between the baseball federations, thereby preventing its implementation.
