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Thursday 20 december 2018

MLB,

union, Cuba HART

reach deal

for players

to sign BROKEN

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN
and RONALD BLUM
Associated Press
HAVANA (AP) — Major
League Baseball, its play-
ers' association and the
Cuban Baseball Federa-
tion reached an agree-
ment that will allow players
from the island to sign big
league contracts with-
out defecting, an effort to
eliminate the dangerous
trafficking that had gone
on for decades.
The agreement, which runs
through Oct. 31, 2021, al-
lows Cubans to sign under
rules similar to those for
players under contract to
clubs in Japan, South Ko-
rea and Taiwan.
"For years, Major League
Baseball has been seek-
ing to end the trafficking
of baseball players from
Cuba by criminal organi-
zations by creating a safe
and legal alternative for
those players to sign with
major league clubs," base-
ball Commissioner Rob
Manfred said in a state-
ment Wednesday. "We be-
lieve that this agreement
accomplishes that objec-
tive and will allow the next
generation of Cuban play-
ers to pursue their dream
without enduring many of
the hardships experienced
by current and former Cu-
ban players who have
played Major League
Baseball."
Depending on the qual-
ity of future players, the Hart stops 20 shots in debut,
agreement could mean
millions of dollars in future Flyers top Red Wings 3-2
income for the cash-poor
Cuban federation, which
has seen the quality of
players and facilities de- Philadelphia Flyers' Carter Hart acknowledges the crowd after an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings, Tuesday, Dec.
cline in recent years as tal- 18, 2018, in Philadelphia. Philadelphia won 3-2. Associated Press
ent went overseas. Page 20
Continued on Page 23