A four-month-old deal between Major League Baseball and the Cuban Baseball Federation was nixed by the Trump administration on Monday, deeming it illegal.
Back in December, the MLB and players association reached an agreement with the federation to allow Cuban athletes to play in the league without having to defect. The goal was to prevent athletes from attempting to escape from Cuba (which often times required paying smugglers) and give up their citizenship in the process.
Under the agreement, players who met specific criteria could sign with major league teams without repercussions, and would receive a signing bonus for doing so. A portion of this signing bonus would go to the Cuban Baseball Federation, similar to how teams in the United States sign players from Asian franchises.
But the Trump administration said Monday that the payment was illegal because the federation was considered to be part of the Cuban government.
National security adviser John Bolton tweeted out his thoughts on the matter Sunday evening, claiming Cuba wants to use the players as “economic pawns” by selling their rights to the MLB.
This move comes as the Trump administration continues its crackdown of Obama-era policies aimed at improving U.S. relations with Cuba — although terms for the deal were developed and finalized on the Trump administration’s watch.
National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis said the administration will work with MLB “to identify ways for Cuban players to have the individual freedom to benefit from their talents, and not as property of the Cuban State,” according to USA Today.
In a statement, MLB vice president Michael Teevan said the league stands by the goal of the deal, “which is to end the human trafficking of baseball players from Cuba.”
The deal was killed just days after 34 Cuban players were deemed eligible to sign with the MLB.
