List of Cuban Defectors
(Redirected from Defector)
The people listed below left Cuba following the communist revolution of Fidel Castro. Some left their homeland specifically to play professional baseball which was abolished in Cuba. Alexei Ramirez said that he did not consider himself a defector when he left Cuba but is still included in this list. Not included are people who played outside Cuba with the permission of the Cuban government (Fausto Alvarez, Omar Linares, Remigio Leal, etc.)
On December 19, 2018, Major League Baseball reached a deal with the Cuban Baseball Federation establishing a legal path for players to transfer to Organized Baseball. However, this agreement, which would have largely brought an end to defections, was revoked by the Trump Administration the following April, as it objected to transfer fees being paid to the Federation.
In 2019, Yuniesky Betancourt became the first player to return to Cuba after having defected and played in MLB, followed soon by Erisbel Arruebaruena. Pavel Quesada and Lisban Correa also returned around this time after not signing with a MLB team. In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, players who had defected were allowed to play for the Cuban national team for the first time without having been repatriated, opening the door for some defectors to appear for the national team for the first time, such as Luis Robert.
Players marked with a ^ left Cuba as children and thus had no political motive of their own. Players in bold appeared for the Cuban national team. Players marked with a * later returned to Cuba and continued their careers there.
Major League Players[edit]
- José Dariel Abreu
- Yonder Alonso^
- Dariel Alvarez
- Yordan Alvarez
- Rogelio Armenteros
- René Arocha
- Randy Arozarena
- Rolando Arrojo
- Erisbel Arruebarrena*
- Danys Báez
- Michel Báez
- Yuniesky Betancourt*
- Dairon Blanco
- Ronald Bolanos
- Francisley Bueno
- Bárbaro Cañizares
- Yennier Cano
- Jose Canseco^
- Ozzie Canseco^
- Alberto Castillo^
- Rusney Castillo
- Yoenis Céspedes
- Aroldis Chapman
- Oscar Colás
- Gerardo Concepcion
- José Contreras
- Nestor Cortes^
- Odrisamer Despaigne
- Orestes Destrade^
- Aledmis Díaz
- Juan Diaz
- Yandy Diaz
- Yusniel Díaz
- Roenis Elias
- Yunel Escobar
- Jose Fernandez^
- José Miguel Fernández
- Osvaldo Fernandez
- Barbaro Garbey
- Adolis García
- Adonis García
- Jose Garcia
- Onelki Garcia
- Miguel Alfredo González
- Alexander Guerrero
- Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
- Yulieski Gurriel
- Vladimir Gutierrez
- Adeiny Hechavarria
- Guillermo Heredia
- Adrian Hernández
- Daysbel Hernández
- Liván Hernández
- Michel Hernandez
- Orlando Hernández
- Yadiel Hernández
- Yoslan Herrera
- Dalier Hinojosa
- Andy Ibáñez
- José Iglesias
- Raisel Iglesias
- Hansel Izquierdo
- Raudel Lazo
- Pedro León
- Yoan Lopez
- Eli Marrero^
- Leonys Martín
- Yuniesky Maya
- Tony Menendez^
- Ariel Miranda
- Juan Miranda
- Yoan Moncada
- Kendry Morales
- Darién Núñez
- Vladimir Núñez
- Héctor Olivera Jr.
- Jorge Oña
- Rey Ordoñez
- Eddie Oropesa
- Bill Ortega
- Johan Oviedo
- Andy Pages
- Rafael Palmeiro^
- Brayan Pena
- Cionel Pérez
- Ariel Prieto
- Yasiel Puig
- Alexei Ramírez
- Rangel Ravelo^
- Luis Robert Jr.
- Eddy Rodriguez^
- Norge Luis Ruíz
- Alex Sánchez
- Israel Sanchez^
- Amaury Sanit
- Nelson Santovenia^
- Alay Soler
- Jorge Soler
- Michael Tejera
- Jorge Toca
- Yasmani Tomás
- Henry Urrutia
- Raúl Valdés
- Miguel Vargas
- Dayán Viciedo
- Yosver Zulueta
Major League Managers[edit]
Minor League Players[edit]
- Michel Abreu
- Osmel Aguila
- Roberto Alvarez
- Jesus Ametler
- Leslie Anderson
- Noel Argüelles
- Kenen Bailli
- Roberto Baldoquin*
- Jose Ballester
- Evel Bastida-Martinez
- Alexei Bell
- Yenier Bello
- Saidel Beltran
- Reinier Bermudez
- Smaily Borges
- Juan Carlos Bruzon
- Yaniel Cabeza
- Alexis Cabreja
- Daniel Carbonell
- Diosdani Castillo
- Osbek Castillo
- Yoelkis Cespedes
- Roberto Colina
- Jose Cordero
- Arian Cruz
- Jorge Diaz
- Yadir Drake*
- Yobal Dueñas
- Sergio Espinosa
- Omar Estévez
- Osmani Estrada
- Luis Fonseca
- Osvaldo Fernández Guerra
- Joel Galarraga
- Rafael Galbizo
- Gary Galvez
- Osmani Garcia
- Alexei Gil
- Rey Gonzalez^
- Yamel Guevara
- Alexis Hernandez
- Omar Hernández^
- Vladimir Hernandez
- Adalberto Ibarra
- Yosandy Ibañez
- Dyan Jorge
- Maikel Jova
- Elián Leyva
- Elier Leyva
- Johan Limonta
- Donell Linares
- Juan Carlos Linares
- Serguey Linares
- Omar Llapur
- Ángel López
- Omar Luis
- Óscar Macías
- Gus Marquetti
- Amaury Martí
- Osmany Masso
- Carlos Mesa
- Héctor Mendoza
- Javier Monzón
- Yoel Monzón
- Andy Morales
- Luis Morales
- Yoanner Negrin
- Adrian Morejón
- Rolando Pastor
- Hassan Peña
- Joel Perez
- Josue Perez
- Miguel Perez
- Néstor Pérez
- Yogey Perez-Ramos
- Yohannis Perez
- William Plaza
- Carlos Portuondo
- César Prieto
- Edgar Quero
- Yoanys Quiala
- Lorenzo Quintana
- Mayque Quintero
- Nataniel Reinoso
- Dunieski Rodriguez
- Kenny Rodríguez
- Larry Rodríguez
- Yariel Rodríguez
- Euclides Rojas
- Miguel Romero
- Jose Julio Ruiz
- Roberto Sabates
- Yunesky Sanchez
- Osmany Santana
- Francisco Santiesteban
- Yalian Serrano
- Ruby Silva
- Deinys Suárez
- Yusdel Tuero
- Yoankis Turino
- Dayron Varona
- Rolando Viera
- Julio Villalon
- Alejandro Zuaznabar
Others[edit]
- Henry Abad
- Lazaro Armenteros
- Rigoberto Betancourt
- Dairon Blanco
- Yusvani Bonne
- Bryan Chi
- Lisbán Correa*
- Jozzen Cuesta
- Yoannet Domínguez
- Armando Dueñas Jr.
- Danyells García
- Yasser Gómez
- Urmaris Guerra
- Alberto Hernández
- Enrique Hernández
- Osvaldo Hernandez
- Ramon Hernandez Jorrin
- Félix Isasi Jr.
- Luis La O
- Pedro Manuel Leon
- Yadel Marti
- Eddy Julio Martinez
- Julio Martinez
- Yankiel Mauris*
- Victor Victor Mesa
- Victor Mesa Jr.
- Dainer Moreira
- Juan Carlos Moreno
- Ronnier Mustelier
- Miguel Neira
- Jorge Padrón
- Yan Pérez
- Iván Prieto
- Pavel Quesada*
- Franky Quintana
- Leodán Reyes*
- Alfredo Rodriguez
- Maels Rodríguez
- Reinier Roibal
- Julio Rojo, Jr.
- Reinier Roll
- Yaisel Sierra
- Misael Siverio
- Israel Soto
- Roberto Sotolongo
- Rafael Valdés
(Correa, Drake and Quesada played on the national team after returning to Cuba, not before defecting; Arruebarrena played for the national team both before defecting and after returning)
Further Reading[edit]
- Associated Press: "Cuban baseball opening runs into trouble", USA Today, September 22, 2014. [1]
- Associated Press: "Officials: Suspicion abounds in Cuban player documents", USA Today, February 9, 2017. [2]
- Adam Berry: "Putting together the All-Cuban defector team: From 1991 to now, MLB.com selects greatest at each position", mlb.com, December 18, 2014. [3]
- Peter C. Bjarkman: Cuba's Baseball Defectors: The Inside Story, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD, 2016. ISBN 978-1-4422-4798-7
- Jorge L. Ortiz: "For Cuban stars, money can't buy smooth assimilation to USA, MLB", USA Today Sports, March 28, 2016. [4]
- Jorge L. Ortiz: "Cuba: Island of Baseball: Documentary focuses on risk, reward of Cuban defectors", USA Today Sports, December 12, 2016. [5]
- Jorge L. Ortiz and Alan Gomez: "MLB, MLBPA strike deal with Cuba that allows players to be scouted, signed without defecting", USA Today, December 19, 2018. [6]
- Jesse Sanchez: "Which Cuban players are headed for the bigs?", mlb.com, November 11, 2015. [7]
Related Sites[edit]
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