The Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) reported this Monday that it will extend until tomorrow the date for the announcement of the team that will represent it in the V World Baseball Classic (WBC)to be held between March 8 and 21.
In a message on its Twitter account, the body stated as the reason for the decision the response to “a query linked to a player from MLB (Major Leagues of the United States) of interest to the technical group”, according to a report from the agency Latin Press (PL).
Pending a query related to an MLB player of interest to the technical group, we have decided to postpone the announcement of #elCubaClasico. In this way it will be on Thursday the 26th when we inform the reinforcements for the #CaribbeanSeries. #Cuba #CubanBaseball pic.twitter.com/DS9sYkO61k
— Cuban Baseball Federation (@CubanaBeisbol) January 24, 2023
In this way, the list of the Cuban cast will be made public on Wednesday, January 25, a step that was scheduled for today on television at 7:00 pm local time.
In turn, the FCB set for next Thursday the announcement of the players who will reinforce the cast of Farmers, winner of the First Elite League of Cuban Baseball (LEBC) and therefore representative of the island in the 65th edition of the Series of the Caribbean, from February 2 to 10 in the capital of Venezuela.
Under the guidance of manager Armando Johnson and an expanded coaching staff, which includes illustrious figures of yesterday, part of the preselection has been training at the Latinoamericano stadium, in this capital, since January 16, although with notable absences, adds the publication. .
No MLB player will be able to join the teams that have qualified before March 3 -by order of the organizers-, so the Cuban team will have to wait until that date to have Andy Ibáñez (Detroit Tigers), Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert Moirán, both from the Chicago White Sox, who are part of the unprecedented call
The FCB had announced several days ago that due to the tensions generated by the necessary visa procedures and the little time available to complete them, it would announce its roster almost two weeks before the deadline set by the organizers, on February 7.
Cuba is part of Key A of the tournament based in the Taiwanese city of Taichung, in which it will face the local squad and the teams from the Netherlands, Italy, and Panama.
The cast from the island is expected to travel to Japan in early February, where they will close their training and hold exhibition matches against the Chunichi Dragons (day 19), Yomiuri Giants (22) and SoftBank Hawks (23), all of the main Japanese professional league.
