There's nothing like teaching those commie bastards down in Cuba a lesson by snatching all their best ballplayers out from under them and turning them into freedom-loving baseball giants who drive their cars as fast as they damn well please.
The lastest Cuban to defect from the island with Major League dreams is Yasel Puig, a 21-year-old outfielder who MLB.com boasts "might be the most coveted young outfielder to leave the island in the last 12 months." At SportsOlogy, we love all Cuban defectors, so this high praise from MLB really has us feeling warm and fuzzy in ways we haven't felt since Yoenis Cespedes released his legendary showcase video, or a woman was found tied up in Aroldis Chapman's hotel room.
Puig is not thought to be as developed as Cespedes, who signed a 4-year, $36 million contract with the A's, but is said to be more experienced for his age than Jorge Soler, the 19-year old who recently signed a nine-year, $30 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.
The 6-3, 210-pound Puig has taken residency in Mexico, and is soon expected to put on a showcase for scouts in Mexico City. Puig has already played two seasons in Cuba's top league, and has been on display in world baseball tournaments.
According to Yasel Puig's agent, Jaime Torres, Puig has been trying to defect from Cuba for a couple years now, and has made numerous unsuccessful attempts to escape, which led to him being suspended for a year.
"He's been planning to leave Cuba for more than a year and I am told he has been caught trying to leave Cuba several times," Torres told MLB.com. "When he left The Netherlands last year, they suspected he was going to defect and he was suspended. He was reinstated to the reserve team for (Puig's Cuban team) Cienfuegos, basically Triple-A, and then he was caught trying to leave the country again and suspended from the reserve team again."
Puig got out just in time, because if he doesn't sign with a big league team by July 2, he'll be subject to new MLB collective bargaining rules that limit the amount of money clubs can spend on international free agents.
Puig hit .276 with five home runs in his first season in the top Cuban league 2008-09 and then broke out the next season, hitting .330 with 17 home runs and 78 RBI. He was suspended for the 2011-2012 season, according to Torres.
So anyway, suck on this one, Fidel. Hopefully Puig brought a few cigars off the island with him.
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