President Barack Obama's desire to restore relations with Cuba could have a significant impact on Major League Baseball.
Obama said Wednesday he wants the U.S. to normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba because isolating the communist Caribbean country has not worked.
"Neither the American nor Cuban people are well-served by a rigid policy that's rooted in events that took place before most of us were born," Obama said. "I believe we can do more to support the Cuban people, and promote our values, through engagements. After all, these 50 years have shown that isolation has not worked. It's time for a new approach."
The remarks were well-received by Cuban president Raul Castro and prompted a statement from Major League Baseball. According to MLB.com , there were a record 19 Cuban natives on opening-day rosters in 2014.
“Major League Baseball is closely monitoring the White House’s announcement regarding Cuban-American relations," the statement reads. "While there are not sufficient details to make a realistic evaluation, we will continue to track this significant issue, and we will keep our Clubs informed if this different direction may impact the manner in which they conduct business on issues related to Cuba.”
Among the more prominent Cuban-born players are All-Stars Jose Abreu, Aroldis Chapman, Rolando Arrojo, Danys Báez, Yoenis Céspedes and Yasiel Puig. The decision could mean future All-Star-caliber players taking more conventional routes to the big leagues instead of the tenuous defections such as Puig's well-documented tale.