Cuba’s Take on the US Blocking Baseball Players from Joining MLB

Relations between Cuba and the Trump administration continue to worsen.  Photo: gacetadeportes.com

HAVANA TIMES – The Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) on Monday blasted a US government decision to block a historic agreement that allowed Cuban players to join Major League Baseball (MLB) teams without having to defect from the island, reported dpa.

“Politically motivated attacks on the Agreement we had reached harm the athletes, their families and the fans,” the FCB said in a statement.

On Friday, the Treasury Department notified MLB lawyers that it reversed the authorization allowing the payment of a percentage to the FCB for every player signing with the US league. The decision was made public on Monday.

The rule about payments was established during the government of former president Barack Obama, who considered the FCB an organization independent of the Government of Cuba.

President Donald Trump’s administration disagrees with that view and believes that the payments would aid the Cuban state rather than players.

Recently, the Cuban federation shared a list naming the first 34 players who would be authorized to sign with the MLB under the agreement.

Trump’s administration has tightened business and travel restrictions on the Caribbean island after relations thawed under Obama.

9 thoughts on “Cuba’s Take on the US Blocking Baseball Players from Joining MLB

  • Cuba is losing all by itself. But you ahead blame Trump, everybody else is. Whatever floats your boat.

  • Curt, Curt, Curt… the only statement I agree with is Marco Rubio is a scumbag. Other than that, I can’t get over one thing you said, “Cuba never threatened the US!” I guess you’re a teenager and failed your history classes.

    ICYMI young man Trump is awesome and is guaranteeing that our country never turns into the shit hole Cuba has become with communist in charge.

  • I cannot believe that it has been 60 years that the USA and Cuba has been at each other .The trusted leaders in the USA,,all very educated and still problems.For 60 years these well educated,leaders in the USA still have not helped these Cuban people ,the helms burden laws are still in effect,still cannot find a way to live with one another,the USA,still trying to bring cuba down so the USA can control another small country,prevent Cuban baseball players to earn a living playing ball.What is wrong with this leadership that you cannot even help human beings,Prevent young ball player to make a living,you would think the problems would be solved after 60 years,.I have lost all respect for the USA leadership .POWER struggle be damned,Millons of people ,from many countries have been let into USA,but a small country such as cuba is barred from the big USA,unbelievable in this day and age,well educated leadership in the USA cannot find a solution for this problem,cannot play baseball in the USA? I have lost all respect for USA,I cannot believe or understand this power struggle,Man,I would love to kick the powers to be in the USA in the ass .Well educated leadership ,the USA do not even know how to get along with other human beings,cannot play baseball,get a life USA,90 miles away,come on people,use your knowledge,be human let these baseball players play,what the hell is wrong with the USA,Power struggle,come on people,you call yourself leaders,,60 yrs with these problems?Do you not think this could be solved????

  • Typical zero-brain garbage from the Liar in Chief who resides in The White House.
    It takes years for people to reach rational agreements only for this White House Trash to rip it all up.
    Utter shame on this White House Trash.

  • Ohh ok…so before 2016 everyone said that Castro’s regime don’t allow Cuban play in Major League…now after years of discussion both sides Cuba and Major League made and agreement…But at the end is US blocking the agreement because “money will support the regime”…so at the end..58 years US government saying that Cuba don’t allow players go an play at MLB, now is the same US government who doesn’t want to made and agreement…. what that f..k is that..

  • Another example of the Trump administration’s belief that everything is a zero sum game where the US wins simply because they can make someone else lose. Compounding this is their belief that any problem can be solved if you just have a big enough hammer.

  • Trump is such a moron he wouldn’t even be able to find Cuba on a map. He appoints Hardline scumbags like Marco Rubio, war criminal Elliot Abrams, and John “Cuba has weapons of mass destruction” Bolton in charge of US Cuba policy, which entails bullying a country that has never been any threat to the US. The Cuban baseball players would have been able to play in the Major Leagues without risking their lives coming to the US on rafts. The U.S has arrangements with Japan, China, and South Korea where they pay those countries for foreign baseball talent. Every Cuban baseball player in the US Major Leagues has supported the arrangement between Cuba and the US Baseball.

  • Good anything to eliminate the Castro’s regime to get economical benefits is good news.

  • I really hate to agree with Trump on this. The FCB is organized by the Castros. Any monies collected by the FCB are to the benefit of the regime.

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