Fourth Cuban U-23 baseball player to escape to the US

Cuban baseball player Miguel Antonio González arrived in the United States on October 12, becoming the fourth athlete to leave the U-23 team in Mexico. González was the eighth baseball player to defect from the Cuban team in Mexico, sports journalist Francys Romero said on Tuesday. 

So far, four players have defected to the United States, pitcher Yeiniel Zayas, pitcher Uber Mejías, catcher Loidel Rodríguez. And now González. 

Zayas, one of the most promising players in Cuban baseball, arrived in Miami on October 10.

Three years ago, the pitcher made a name for himself when he won the Pitching Triple Crown in the U-23 National Championship.

During the U-23 World Championship, he aided Cuba’s debut against Mexico and beat two of the three opponents he faced by striking them out.

Loidel Rodríguez, one of the 12 Cuban baseball players that escaped the U-23 World Cup in Mexico, escaped by climbing down a palm tree from the second floor of the hotel in Obregón, where the Cuban team was staying.

The catcher will be represented in the U.S. by the Miami company RI Total Sports, said El Nuevo Herald reporter Jorge Ebro. The president of RI Total Sports is the agent of several Cuban players.

“We have talked a little bit about what we are going to do for his future and we agreed that the best thing for him is to start playing with Miami-Dade College,” said Perez.

Ubert Mejías, the second to escape the Cuban delegation, signed a contract on October 8 with the renowned Wasserman agency. Mejías will be managed by the Dominican, former MLB player Andy Mota.

“The Wasserman agency guarantees work under the representation of high-profile players such as Yuli Gurriel, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Leonys Martín, José Miguel Fernández, Javy Báez, Jonathan Villar, José Berríos, Alex Colomé, Kiké Hernández, Giancarlo Stanton, DJ Le Mahieu, Nolan Arenado, and Yu Darvish,” said Pelota Cubana reporter Francys Romereo.

Mejías is considered to be one of the most likely prospects to join MLB, according to several MLB scouts.

The pitcher previously participated in two National series with the Santiago de Cuba team, as well as in the 2016 U-15 World Championship, the U-18 Championship in Cuba, and the U-23 Championship.

The Cuban roster for the U-23 World Cup in Obregón, Mexico was left without players after 12 team members deserted, making it the largest exodus in Cuban baseball.