Cuba and MLB: December changed nothing, so far

The news of Dec. 17 set off all alarms. After almost 54 years of tension, Cuba and the United States announced their decision to resume diplomatic relations, and the shockwave soon reached one of the passions that both nations share: baseball.

A few hours after the presidential appearances in Havana and Washington, and facing the inevitable question about what the consequences might be, the top leadership of Major League Baseball (MLB) issued the following statement on its website:

“We will be following this important development and will keep our teams informed about any impact it might have in the way they deal with any issue related to Cuba.”

In reality, MLB and its leaders did not go beyond the facts. Familiar with the business of hiring, and with more than five years’ experience in these matters — those related to Cuba, of course — the office of the MLB Commissioner said only the only sure thing so far. Specifically, nothing has changed since Dec. 17, except (maybe) that today it is possible to dream of a less-distant future.

At present, more than 20 Cubans play in Big Tent franchises, a number that will grow in 2015. Notable among them are José Dariel Abreu (Rookie of the Year in the National League in 2014), Alexei Ramírez, Yoennis Céspedes, Yasiel Puig and Aroldis Chapman, all of whom were included in the All-Star Game in the recently concluded season.

None of them joined MLB with Cuban nationality, one of the indispensable requirements for getting contracts in the majors.

In addition to welcoming the hiring measures approved by Cuba in September 2013, the top-ranking baseball organization in the United States made it very clear that it would fully abide by U.S. laws on the matter.

That means that both the MLB and Cuba can never make labor agreements so long as the current U.S. legislation is in effect and the Cuban players remain in the crosshairs of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), an agency of the Treasury Department.

For its part, the Cuban Baseball Federation has restated its position to maintain talks on the possible hiring of Cuban players in foreign leagues, which includes MLB, as was explained when the new policy was put into effect.

That decision has not changed. According to Antonio Díaz Susavila, press chief of Cuba’s National Directorate of Baseball, in 2015 the number of tournaments that may be entered by Cuban players will be expanded. Let us remember that, in the first year of foreign play, only four active athletes played in the Japanese professional league (NPB).

Susavila explained that such agreements have not yet been made official and will not be signed until next year, but one of the upcoming destinations will be the South Korean league. In addition, there is the possibility of insertion into Latin American leagues, although such options will have to be evaluated closely to prevent the repetition of situations like Alfredo Despaigne’s in the Mexican club of Campeche.

Referring specifically to MLB, Susavila said that the possibility of negotiating accords is currently held back by U.S. laws. Cuba, he said, has expressed its total willingness to establish accords for its principal figures.

“To be exact, MLB and ourselves are tied up by the laws of the blockade and the OFAC’s persecution,” he said.

To understand the difficulties both sides face today, we only need to raise to government levels the impossibility of taking definitive steps in baseball. Both parties have expressed their desire for a normal relationship where both benefit. Both in sports and politics, the two parties are hampered by a law that leaves them powerless.

In addition, as a clear proof that nothing has changed since Dec. 17, Cuba will again participate as a “guest” in the next edition of the Caribbean Series, to be played in Puerto Rico in March.

For the event, the Cuban officials had asked to be accepted as a full member, but again they ran into the OFAC regulations.

Much has been speculated recently, and for good reason. The pebble thrown into the pond on Dec. 17 keeps sending waves to both shores.

However, it is unlikely that we shall see palpable changes in the near future, because for that to happen the U.S. Congress would have to revoke the sanctions of the blockade, codified into law in 1996. That’s an attribution that the U.S. president does not have, and, with a Republican majority in Congress, the outlook is questionable.

Even so, there is no doubt that the reestablishment of relations between the two countries makes many people dream of the full return of Cuban players to the world’s greatest baseball stage, a site where talent gathers and legends are built.

For the moment, we can only wait and cautiously assume the position taken by the MLB Commissioner’s Office. Until a strong blow topples the barriers erected in the past 54 years, negotiation between the Major Leagues and Cuba is impossible. Still, we’ll all keep watching.

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