Members of Yasiel Puig’s family in Cuba thought they may never see him again when he defected to play baseball in the United States. But thanks to MLB’s goodwill tours, Puig was able to reunite with those who feared the day would never come.
"I missed him," Puig’s half brother, Yoan Hernandez, told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday after seeing Puig at Estadio Latinoamericano, where Puig was taking part in a baseball clinic.
Puig, who hasn’t been to Cuba in five years, and three other defectors were allowed to return to Cuba on a goodwill tour organized by MLB and the Cuban Baseball Federation. Both sides hope the visit will make it safer and easier for professional teams in the U.S. to sign Cuban players.
Defectors who return to the island generally face prison time.
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"We didn't think they would let him return because of the laws we have and the restrictions," Hernandez, 33, said. "One day my mother told me he was returning to Cuba and I didn't believe it. Until I saw him, I thought it was a lie."
Baseball officials in the U.S. and Cuba are attempting to improve relations with events such as the goodwill tour and recurring MLB games in Cuba during spring training and the regular season, according to the Times.
"The fact that the Cuban officials allow these guys to come back is a very positive message," Omar Minaya, a MLB scout and GM, told the Times. "It sends a big message of wanting to engage and have a dialogue.
"You have baseball moving diplomacy. And that's what baseball historically has done. It's doing the job of bringing people together.
"That's the beauty of this."