Soon, the best players in Cuba won't have to risk their lives just to play Major League Baseball.
On Wednesday, MLB and the Players Association agreed to a deal with the Cuban Baseball Federation (FBC) that would aim to end the practice of players defecting the island in order to reach the US.
Per the agreement, any player that is at least 25 years old and with six years of experience in the Cuban Baseball Federation can be released from their contract to pursue a career in MLB. Players younger than 25 years old can be released from their contract at the discretion of the FBC.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE Just like in instances with players coming from Japan, Korea and China, there will be a "release fee," or "posting fee" that MLB clubs will have to pay to the FBC for players that they agree to sign.
It's been well-documented how risky it is for Cuban players to flee the island. Smugglers will pay millions to get players out of the country.
“For years, Major League Baseball has been seeking to end the trafficking of baseball players from Cuba by criminal organizations by creating a safe and legal alternative for those players to sign with Major League Clubs," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "We believe that this agreement accomplishes that objective and will allow the next generation of Cuban players to pursue their dream without enduring many of the hardships experienced by current and former Cuban players who have played Major League Baseball.”
Back in 2011, Yoenis Cespedes defected from Cuba, established residency in the US in early 2012 and signed a four-year, $36 million deal with the A's in February 2012.
Athletics
Find the latest Athletics news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
The A's currently have a top Cuban prospect in their system. Lazaro Armenteros, known as Lazarito, signed on July 2, 2016 and spent the 2018 season with Low-A Beloit. He hit .277/.374/.401 with eight doubles, eight homers and 39 RBI in 79 games. MLB Pipeline currently ranks Lazarito as the A's No. 6 prospect.
Across the bay, the Giants do not currently have any Cuban players on their 40-man roster or among their top 30 prospects per MLB.com.
The Giants did give a four year, $1.4M deal to Cuban-born Daniel Carbonell in 2014 after he successfully defected in late 2013.
San Francisco released Carbonell in April of this year. He never made the Major Leagues.