Major League Baseball and the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) have agreed to a deal allowing Cuban players to come to the U.S. without defecting, the league announced Wednesday.
"For year, Major League Baseball has been seeking to end the trafficking of baseball players from Cuba by criminal organizations by creating a safe and legal alternative for those players to sign with Major League Clubs," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in the statement. "We believe that this agreement accomplishes that objective and will allow the next generation of Cuban players to pursue their dream without enduring many of the hardships experienced by current and former Cuban players who have played Major League Baseball.