A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT IN THE CUBAN MARKET

We mentioned the other day about how Yoan Moncada was being blocked by Major League baseball to sign with a Major League club.  The story was interesting and we wrote about it in INTERESTING TWIST IN THE YOAN MONCADA SWEEPSTAKES. Ben Badler of Baseball America wrote:

"Major League Baseball, not the United States government, is the reason that Yoan Moncada and several other Cuban players have yet to begin their careers.

 The U.S. has an embargo against Cuba, which means Cuban nationals must be regarded as “unblocked” by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) before they can work for a U.S. company.

Moncada, though, has already met the government’s requirements to be able to begin his career. Moncada has permanent residence in Guatemala. Any Cuban national who presents documents showing permanent residence in a country outside of Cuba qualifies for OFAC’s “general license,” which is not a written document. 

As far as OFAC is concerned, that should make him unblocked, and that’s good enough for the government to allow him to sign...at some point in 2012 after Puig signed in June that year, MLB no longer allowed Cuban players to sign using the general license and instead required them to apply for the specific license, which is a written document from OFAC. That goes beyond what the government requires from Cuban players to be able to begin their careers, and with some players waiting six months to receive their licenses..."

Well, now there's even more information from Badler:

But if MLB ends its specific license requirement, not just Moncada, but Hector Olivera & Andy Ibanez should be eligible to sign immediately.
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) January 28, 2015

We've mentioned all these players here at BYB because these Cuban players are considered to be some of the best.  It's also one of those moments where you realize that the Yankees may have a good chance of landing one.

(In Photo: Hector Olivera)
The Yanks are favorites to land Moncada and have recently been connected to Hector Olivera.  Read CUBAN HECTOR OLIVERA WORKED OUT & EVERYONE WAS THERE for more.

This is all very interesting, which is why I continue to bring you this story.  Come to BYB for the latest on the Cuban market.  It's been alot of fun bringing it to you.

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