Cuba to let athletes play in foreign leagues.

[The-Kris-Bryant]

Keep in mind that Cuba's main season is during our winter.

 

Cuba says island athletes will be allowed to sign contracts to compete in foreign leagues, a shift from decades of policy that held professional sports to be anathema to socialist ideals.

 

Communist Party newspaper Granma reports that the decision was approved at a recent session of the Council of Ministers, which is headed by President Raul Castro.

 

Athletes will still be asked to fulfill their commitments to national squads. Granma says they will have to be in Cuba "for the fundamental competitions of the year."

 

The announcement was made Friday.

[Guest]

Cuba already let Alfredo Despaigne play in a Mexican league this summer but he's extremely friendly with the Castro regime and there has never been any thought that he'd ever defect.

 

I wonder if MLB would be allowable. I imagine we're not there yet.

[The-Kris-Bryant]

Yeah even if MLB doesn't allow it, it makes it easier for players to defect.

[Guest]

Ben Badler chimes in: http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/major-changes-could-come-for-cuban-talent/

 

@BenBadler: Cuba can't sell players directly to MLB teams—at least not yet—but this is a significant move by Cuban authorities.

[davell]

Players leave anyway, at some point the lightbulb should come on and they should see that a posting system at least gives them something out of it.