"In MLB’s view, the move was motivated by humanitarian concerns to halt the influence of smugglers and traffickers who have preyed upon Cuban defectors in the past. Many top Cuban professionals, such as Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig — who left the island to come to the U.S. under the previous MLB rules requiring players to establish residency in another country — have endured harrowing episodes involving smugglers and human traffickers.
In Puig’s case, smugglers affiliated with the notorious Mexican crime syndicate Los Zetas allegedly facilitated his escape from Cuba, then held Puig and others with him on a small island off the Yucatán Peninsula until his representatives produced $250,000 for his freedom. He signed a seven-year contract with the Dodgers for $42 million in June 2012, but was still allegedly pursued by smugglers seeking payment.
“Cuban players coming to MLB have been smuggled out by human trafficking organizations that are often tied to other criminal organizations, and often they lose a big chunk of their bonus to pay for their passage out of Cuba,” Dan Halem, MLB’s deputy commissioner and chief legal officer, said in a telephone interview. “And often, some unsavory characters continue to harass the player or their family if they believe they weren’t given the full amount.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2018/12/19/mlb-cuban-baseball-federation-reach-agreement-that-will-eliminate-need-players-defect/?utm_term=.ea0d9bfcd74c
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