Diaz returns as proud American citizen
That Aledmys Díaz has played on baseball’s biggest stages did not preclude the former Astros utilityman from some nerves preceding a recent off-the-field test.
Díaz, now with the Oakland A’s, left the team briefly last week to fly to West Palm Beach, Fla., where he makes his offseason home, and take the U.S. citizenship exam. The exam — which requires applicants to answer at least six of 10 questions correctly — is a final step in a path to citizenship that can take years.
Díaz, the 33-year-old who defected from Cuba in 2012, said he began the citizenship application process eight months ago after years of permanent residency. He spent the weeks leading up to his test studying during A’s travel and sat for the interview and exam last Wednesday.
“I was a little nervous,” Díaz said Tuesday, before the A’s played the Astros at Minute Maid Park. “But I got the first six ones right, so I was good. I studied a lot. I was prepared.”
It marked a significant moment for Díaz, who said he was sworn in immediately after passing the exam. He posed for a photo afterward, holding a certificate and a miniature U.S. flag.
“Coming from Cuba, we know how the United States represents freedom and all the values,” said Díaz, who played for the Astros from 2019-22. “Especially studying for the citizenship test, you realize how important the Constitution is to keep the freedoms and those things. So it’s amazing what the Constitution means for every American. It was a big step in my life to become an American citizen. I’m very proud of that and it has a lot of meaning for me and my family.”
Cuban-born baseball players endure sacrifice and, often, difficult paths to reach Major League Baseball that involve establishing residency in a different country to become eligible for free agency. Díaz signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2014, after spending over a year in Mexico because of a paperwork issue. He debuted with the Cardinals in 2016 and was named an All-Star in his rookie season.
Díaz played two seasons for St. Louis and one in Toronto before spending four seasons with the Astros. He was part of Houston teams with a Cuban contingent that included Yuli Gurriel, now with the Marlins, and Yordan Alvarez. At one point in 2019, the Astros had five Cuban-born players in the clubhouse.
Since he left, Díaz has not returned to Cuba, a country long critical of its baseball players who defect: “I was supposed to be free to go back in 2020, but with the pandemic …” Díaz said. “I was able to bring my close family to here. So I don’t know. Maybe in the future I go there and visit my uncles. And my grandfather is a little old, he’s 92, so hopefully I can see him one more time.”
After making a pinch-hit appearance for the A’s last Monday in a home game against Toronto, Díaz flew to West Palm Beach the next morning ahead of his citizenship test. He rejoined the A’s last Thursday, in Texas, and was in the lineup Friday for their opener of a series against the Rangers.
“The funny thing was the person who interviewed me was a big baseball fan — and he was a big Yankee fan,” Díaz said, smiling. “So I had to apologize first to him, because I’d been with the Astros the last four years, so he was a little upset. No, but it was great. He liked the way that the Astros play the game, too. So it was a good conversation.”
The timing afforded Díaz a chance to gather with family, including his parents and sister, for dinner Wednesday. Díaz and his wife, Dayara, had their son Nathan in the U.S., which he said informs his tie to the country.
“I think coming to the United States, this country has given me the opportunity to play the game that I love and realize as a man, as a human being,” Díaz said. “So it’s huge for me and my family. It’s something I’m very grateful for and it was something we celebrated.”