Cuban baseball player Yoan Moncada obtained a favorable arbitration ruling of more than 7 million dollars in the settlement of a legal conflict who confronted his former agent David Hasting.
The 30-year-old from Cienfuegos, with a decade of experience in the Major Leagues (MLB, for its acronym in English), had been sued by Hasting and his wife, allegedly for having failed to comply with the agreement with them as payment for the help provided to leave Cuba, report the specialized site Full Swing.
https://t.co/fxs9bL3KbH Exclusive: Yoan Moncada wins $7M judgment against his former agent @nypostsports
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 9, 2025
From the information provided by the New York Postthe media indicates that Moncada, a free agent after playing last season with the Los Angeles Angels, was required to pay 30% of his first MLB contract, plus 20% of all subsequent agreements.
The infielder alleged in the arbitration trial that he was the victim of rampant fraud and breach of fiduciary duty.
Although the player acknowledged that he signed all the documents presented to him by his representatives, he stated that he only agreed with them to pay 20% of his first contract after financing his emigration to the United States.
James Hayes, who served as an arbitrator for the MLB Players Association, awarded the player $4.25 million in damages, more than half a million in attorney fees, plus interest. The total figure has exceeded 7 million due to interest rates over time, the publication states.
The war continues
Once the ruling was known, the Cuban baseball player expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, but experts and lawyers involved in the issue predict that the conflict has not reached its end.
“This has been a years-long battle for justice in this situation in which people I trusted took advantage of me,” Moncada declared through his legal representatives.
“I appreciate the support of the Players Association in this matter,” he added.
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For his part, Don Hodson, a lawyer who represented Hasting – he was the player’s agent until 2000 – told the New York Post that they will challenge the verdict.
“We are very confident in our chances of overturning it, although it is often an uphill battle,” Hodson stated, while confirming that the lawsuit would extend to the MLBPA.
Uncertain future
Moncada concluded his one-year contract for five million dollars with the Los Angeles Angels in the 2025 season and needs to negotiate a new agreement to remain in the MLB during the next campaign.
After a brief foray into the National Baseball Series (SBN), he left the island and in 2015 signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox that included a bonus of $31.5 million.
At the end of 2016, the Cienfuegos native was part of a change in which the Boston franchise sent several players to the Chicago White Sox to receive star pitcher Chris Sale.
He remained in the Windy City until the 2024 season, when the team did not execute an extension option for 25 million and he remained a free agent.
In that circumstance, he joined the Angels for a year, with whom he participated in 84 games on the calendar, in which he left an offensive average of .234, thanks to 58 hits, including 12 home runs, according to official statistics.
The great unknown about his future rests on his ability to remain active, since throughout his career he has been dogged by injuries that have kept him off the field for long periods of time.
