Luis Robert Jr. has reportedly decided he will not play for Team Cuba in the upcoming World Baseball Classic unless the national team changes its rules to allow all Cuban players a chance to participate.
Robert played for Cuba during the 2023 tournament, helping guide his home country to a semifinal appearance. In 27 at-bats, he recorded seven hits, drove in four runs, and scored twice. However, Robert was only able to participate in the World Baseball Classic due to a rule change by the Cuban Baseball Federation.
Under former Cuban ruler Fidel Castro, baseball players who left the island to pursue professional careers abroad were barred from returning and branded as traitors. For many athletes seeking a shot at Major League Baseball, or simply a better life, the only option was to risk their lives in dangerous escapes by sea.
In 2013, former Chicago White Sox first baseman José Abreu made such a journey. Abreu departed under the cover of darkness with five family members in a small, two-motor boat, enduring 15-foot waves and navigating around massive cargo ships during a harrowing 12-hour journey to freedom. It's a harrowing experience that Abreu does not like discussing.
Years of players defecting from the island slowly began to drain Cuba’s talent, but Cuban baseball authorities refused to allow any players who lived abroad to play for the team. There is also an unwritten policy that bars players who defect from the national team from returning to the island, a restriction that was recently shortened from eight years to five.
But last November, the Cuban Baseball Federation decided to loosen its restrictions, asking a handful of MLB players if they wanted to play for the national team. However, some of the game's biggest stars did not receive an invite. In the end, Robert, Yoan Moncada, Roenis Elias, and Yoenis Cespedes were the only four who agreed to participate.
The decision to play was met with strong pushback, particularly from former Cuban exiles. Castro outlawed professional sports in 1961, leaving athletes to survive on modest state salaries, one of the main reasons so many players living in poverty chose to leave the island in the first place. The national team has also historically been used as propaganda by Cuban leaders, who used the team's success as a distraction from other issues.
Robert said he will not play for Team Cuba in the 2026 tournament until all Cuban players, regardless of where they live, are allowed to represent the national team.
“Until everyone is allowed to play, I won’t play for Team Cuba again,” Robert told Pelota Cubana USA.
According to the Cuban Baseball Digest, catcher Edgar Quero will also not participate, joining a growing list of stars opting out, including Aroldis Chapman, Yandy Díaz, Nolan Arenado, Raisel Iglesias, Jorge Soler, and Nestor Cortes.
