On the eve of the Christmas festivities, three young baseball promises, Rafael Sánchez, Raico Quiñones and Brayan San Juan left the island. The players are already in the Dominican Republic, the escape route in recent years that has become a Springboard for athletes seeking to be signed by a Major League Baseball team in the US.
“Since the flight restrictions ended, as of November 15, the emigration of Cuban players has continued its normal patterns,” public the portal Baseball FR!
Sánchez, originally from Holguín, was part of the Cuba team in the U-18 World Cup that participated in Canada 2017. The pitcher has “a straight greater than 90 miles and was among the 34 players released by the Cuban Federation at the time of the agreement. between Cuba and the MLB “, highlighted the journalist Francys Romero. In four National Series “he averaged 5.12 ERA with a 8-8 record in 103.2. innings“.
Raico Quiñones was a member of the Cuban team in the Pan-American U-15 that was held in Mexico in 2019. Born in Matanzas, the athlete was blocked from leaving the island by legal means, so his parents had to request the withdrawal of the young man from the School for Sports Initiation School.
Sánchez, Quiñones and San Juan join Leyan Corvo, Christian Sáez, Rafael Álvarez and Cristian de Jesús López, who chose the Dominican Republic in search of being drafted by a team in the US Major Leagues.
Brayan San Juan, Romero stressed, “is another talented pitcher from Matanzas at only 16 years old. He has approached 90 miles and has a lot of development in secondary pitching. The right-hander was also in the Pan American U-15 in Mexico in 2019 together to Quinones “.
Sánchez, Quiñones and San Juan join Leyan Corvo, Christian saez, Rafael Alvarez Y Cristian de Jesus Lopez, who chose the Dominican Republic to follow a preparation process and seek to be recruited by a team in the US Major Leagues or a Canadian ninth. This type of actions, noted Full swingThey are due to the “endless limitations that Cuban baseball has.”
On November 16, Darlin Jiménez and Gustavo Urgellés they left Cuba. Days later it was reported that they were already part of the group of players represented by Carlos Pérez from Havana, who lives in the US The athletes were found a gym and a field so that they would not lose rhythm.
The abandonment of Sánchez, Quiñones and San Juan occurred just one day before the publication from Granma stating that in 2022 baseball “will not have a major international competition.” The same publication indicates that it will be a year of preparation for the World Classic, the Central American and Caribbean Games, the Pan American Games and the event known as Premier 12, all in 2023.
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