Chapman.

(File photo, Associated Press)

[Sports Center/Comprehensive Report] The 5th World Baseball Classic is about to start in March. The "Red Lightning" Cuba, which is in the same group as the Taiwan team, announced its 50-man roster today. , but there are also some Cuban players who refuse to play for the country, such as Cuban fireball pitcher Aroldis Chapman.

The Cuban team won gold medals in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, and the 2004 Athens Olympics. However, Cuba has not performed well in international competitions in recent years and has not even qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

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Cuban baseball federation president Juan Reinaldo Perez said the Cuban team was trying to build a competitive team, Reuters reported. "It's not a team of stars."

The Astros Cuba beat Alvarez hard.

(File photo, AFP)

"Effie News Agency" pointed out that the Cuban team will have at least 4 active major league players to participate in the classic game in March. This will be the first time in history that a "defector" player will participate.

This list includes active major league players, including Tiger toolman Ibañez (Andy Ibañez), White Sox infielder Moncada (Yoan Moncada), White Sox outfielder Robert (Luis Robert) and others.

At the same time, the Cuban roster also has four minor league players.

However, the Astros' Cuban hitter Yordan Alvarez, Jose Abreu and Yuli Gurriel are not included in the Cuban team's 50-man roster.

Cuban head coach Armando Johnson mentioned that they tried to contact Alvarez and Abreu, but they did not get a response.

In addition, Chapman, who has accumulated 315 rescues in his career in the major leagues, left the Yankees after the season last year and is still a free agent.

He recently told the local media that he had rejected the Cuban national team, "I don't play for their Cuba." Chapman condemned the dictatorship of the Cuban government, "What I don't understand is how they contact these players." But. Chapman also wants Cuba to win.

Abreu joined the Astros this year.

(File photo, Associated Press)

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