Cuban Born MLB Players Dip Slightly Despite High-Profile Signings
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Despite high-profile signings during the offseason, there is one fewer Cuban-born player on opening-day rosters this year than in 2014.
The commissioner's office says 18 Cubans are on major league rosters. The Cubans who signed the most lucrative contracts both began the season in the minors: Boston outfielder Rusney Castillo and Arizona outfielder Yasmany Tomas.
Major League Baseball says 230 of 868 players on opening-day rosters, disabled lists and the restricted list were born outside the 50 states, with the percentage rising to 26.5 percent from 26.3 percent.
Players were born in 17 countries and territories outside the 50 states, the most since 2001 and one short of the record in 1998. The Dominican Republic has topped the list each year since MLB began tracking the numbers in 2005.
On the Texas Rangers roster, Leonys Martin is the only Cuban born player, but 16 of his teammates hail from countries outside the US including Japan, Korea, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.
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