Wild Horse’ Yasiel Puig (32, Cuba) did not make it to the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team.

The Cuban Baseball Federation announced the final list of 30 players for the 2023 WBC on its official website on the 26th (Korean time). It consists of 14 pitchers, 2 catchers, 8 infielders and 6 outfielders. 

The addition of active big leaguer infielder Yoann Moncada and outfielder Lewis Robert (above Chicago White Sox) is noteworthy. Both players are the main players of the White Sox and are expected to form the main axis of Cuba in this WBC. 

Moncada made his big league debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2016, wore a White Sox uniform from 2017 and played as a starting third baseman until last year. He has appeared in 643 games over seven seasons in his major league career, hitting 2.5 with 3 runs, 82 home runs, and an OPS of 0.759. 

Robert, who is eating rice with Moncada, stepped on the major league stage with the White Sox in 2020 and leaped to the starting center fielder. He posted a batting average of 2.8 par 9, 36 homers, 26 stolen bases, and an OPS of 0.808 in his three career seasons until last year.  온라인바카라

Robert’s participation in the WBC, which was exiled to the United States in November 2016, was uncertain. This is because the US government, which has interests with Cuba, banned exiled players from Cuba from participating in the WBC. However, recently, with permission from the US government, Robert is allowed to compete in international competitions wearing a Cuban uniform for the first time. 

But Puig, a former major league star, never got a call up to the Cuban national team. Following his exclusion from the 50-man preliminary list announced on the 7th, he was also excluded from the final list. 

Puig entered the KBO league when he joined Kiwoom in the 2022 season. His performance in the first half was disappointing, but in the second half he managed to bounce back with a batting average of 3 1/7, 12 home runs and 36 RBIs in 56 games. Following this, in the postseason, he performed brilliantly with a batting average of 3.14, 3 home runs, 10 RBIs and 9 runs in 15 games, leading Kiwoom to the runner-up. 

However, after the season, Puig had difficulty renewing his contract with Kiwoom after being charged with perjury related to illegal gambling. Kiwoom, who fell into a trap, eventually gave up on renewing the contract with Puig, and Puig left Korea. 

Cuba is in Group A with Chinese Taipei, the Netherlands, Italy and Panama in the first round of the WBC, which will be held in March. If they advance to the second round, there is a possibility that they will face Korea in Group B.