Cuban baseball player abandons team, becomes first to defect during World Baseball Classic

Ivan Prieto, a catcher for the Cuban national baseball team, has defected to the United States during the World Baseball Classic.

After losing 14-2 to team USA in the World Baseball Classic’s semifinal in Miami on Sunday, Prieto did not return home to Cuba with the rest of the team on Monday, making him the first player to defect from Cuba during a World Baseball Classic tournament. Reports claim that the bullpen catcher may have stayed behind to pursue a better life in the US.

Many Cuban expatriates protested outside Miami’s loanDepot Park over the weekend against the Castro regime and communism, which they have escaped.

Although Prieto’s decision to defect may not have been politically motivated, it still highlights the ongoing issue of ballplayers from Communist-run Cuba looking for opportunities to play professionally in the US, where they can earn a better living.

It will be interesting to see how this latest development impacts Cuba’s baseball team in the future, particularly as the US’s Major League Baseball becomes more accessible to Cuban players.