MLB, union, Cuba reach player agreement

LOS ANGELES — Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association and the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) agreed to a groundbreaking deal on Wednesday that would permit players in Cuba to sign with major league clubs without needing to defect. The deal runs through October 2021 and doesn’t need approval from the United States government because MLB already has a license to proceed, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

On MLB’s end, the agreement, which creates a posting system similar to the one already in place for players from Japan and Korea, is intended to halt the treacherous journeys involving smugglers and human traffickers Cuban players have often had to brave since the 1960s to play in the majors.

Under the pact, the Cuban Baseball Federation must release players who are at least 25 years old and have had at least six years of experience in Cuba’s top league each offseason. The FCB could also release players under 25 at their discretion. Once a player is released, he is treated like any international player and is free to negotiate and sign with a major league team.

To sign a Cuban player, major league teams must pay a “release fee” to the FCB in addition to the compensation in the player’s contract. The fee’s amount is calculated using the same formula Major League Baseball uses for players from the top professional leagues in Japan, Korea and Taiwan.