Major League Baseball, Cuba ink deal so players can sign without defecting
Posted December 19, 2018
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Major League Baseball has reached an agreement with Cuba's Baseball Federation allowing Cuban players to sign with U.S. teams without needing to defect, MLB Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem told Reuters on Wednesday.
Under the deal, which marks a ray of light in fraught U.S.-Cuban relations, MLB teams will pay the Cuban Baseball Federation a percentage of the bonus awarded to a Cuban player, Halem said.
Cuban players older than age 25 or with six years of service in Cuban leagues will be free to sign with MLB teams, he added. Other players will have to seek permission first. If they defect they will need to face a waiting period of one to two years.