Lowest Scores in the Cuban Baseball Selection for the World Baseball Classic
Gardener Víctor Labrada and infielder Ernesto Martínez join the list of Major League players who will not participate in the VI World Baseball Classic, raising to ten the absences in the Cuban team. The tournament will be held from March 5 to 17, 2026. These recently announced decisions impact the formation of the team that will represent Cuba in the international event.Labrada, belonging to the Seattle Mariners, has chosen to prioritize Spring Training, to which he was invited by his organization. Ernesto Martínez, for his part, will also focus on Spring Training, seeking to secure a spot on the New York Yankees roster for the start of the next MLB season. Both players were part of the list of 35 players that, according to what was leaked, the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (FCBS) would have presented to the organizers of the Classic. The list of absences, along with Labrada and Martinez, includes Yunior Tur, Daysbel Hernandez, Lazaro Estrada, Jorge Marcheco, Rafael Sanchez, Andy Ibanez, and Andy Pages. Silvano Hechavarría, pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, will also miss the Classic due to an injury, with no defined return date to action.Faced with the situation, the technical director of the Cuba team, Germán Mesa, limited himself to commenting that each player is free to make their own decisions. Despite the setbacks, there is a possibility that Yoan Moncada, who already participated in Team Asere in 2023, will join the Cuban team. It is expected that the player will have the approval of the insurance. Along with Moncada, right-handed pitcher Yariel Rodríguez could be another of the Major League players present in the Cuban team. Rodríguez received authorization from the Blue Jays, although with restrictions on his participation. Parallel to the news about the absences, the National Commission of this sport on the Island (CNB) announced a disciplinary sanction against the pitcher Yunieski García. García, involved in an incident during the playoffs of the National Series, will miss four games. The measure, based on the disciplinary regulations, prevents García from participating in the start of the semifinals. The Commission took into account the seriousness of the incident, the absence of similar precedents, and the fan’s behavior.We are not in the minds of those players, I cannot speak for them.
Germán Mesa, coach of the Cuba team
