Let's Talk About Cuban Defectors

You may have heard of Yulieski Gourriel, a Cuban 2nd baseman who, according to Wikipedia, is regarded as the best player in Cuba. Reports surfaced yesterday that Gourriel had defected and was on his way to, where else, the New York Yankees. Here's the free translation.com translation of the "El Nacional" article, courtesy of Baseball Think Factory:

CARTAGENA, Colombia.- The Cuban ballplayers Yulieski Gurriel and Eduardo Paret would have deserted in the Colombian port of Cartagena, headquarters the XX central american Play and of the Caribbean, assured this Friday the local press.

"One of the members of the Cuban novena that deserted would be the stellar second base Yulieski Gurriel respected as one of the better of the world in its position. Al to seem, its next destiny would be the team of the Yankees, of new York", reported the newspaper The Time of Bogota.

According to the newspaper, "the other quitter of the Cuban team would be the paracorto Eduardo Paret".

Si. Of course, there's an article here from Presna Latina that says it's not happening. But at the same time, this article seems a bit "Rah Rah Cuba!" as though it may have actually been written by Fidel Castro.

If he insists on being a Yankee, I kinda hope they find a way to keep him in Cuba.

El Nacional: Gourriel Defects? [Baseball Think Factory] New Free Agents [Baseball Musings] Dos peloteros cubanos habrían desertado en Colombia [El Nacional] Yulieski Gourriel: Satisfied with Gold [Prensa Latina]