Earlier in the offseason Cuban defector Yoan Moncada was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball and he was recently cleared by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). So why hasn't he signed yet?
According to Ben Badler of Baseball America, the MLB is actually holding Moncada back. And it's not just Moncada - it's several other Cuban players. The league will no longer let Cuban players solely use the "general license" provided by the OFAC that enables them to work for an American company. This general license is not a written document.
Instead, the MLB wants players to apply for the "specific license," which is a written document from the OFAC. Badler notes that this was not the case until Yasiel Puig signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in June of 2012. For some Cuban players it can take up to six months to be granted the general license, and this new policy is expected to prolong the process, which seems to be the case with Moncada as well as Hector Olivera and Andy Ibanez.
"The league's stance appears to be a conservative one to limit its own liability in the event that a player uses false residency papers," writes Badler. "Under the general license, the player doesn't have to formally submit anything to OFAC. But through the specific license, if a player uses false residency papers and OFAC were able to discover that, those who submitted false documents to the government could face federal felony charges."
Perhaps the league instituted this policy in response to the situation regarding Juan Carlos Oviedo, formerly known as Leo Nunez of the Florida Marlins. The native Dominican assumed the name Leo Nunez and faked his age when he was young so he could play in the MLB because he needed to be one year younger to sign, he claimed back in 2011.
According to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com, the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, Brewers, Rangers and Padres are among teams who will see Moncada in private workouts this month. New York and Boston were regarded as the favorites earlier this month, but there's still a lot of time left for other clubs to get involved.
We'll be sure to provide updates on Moncada's status.
