Indians: what Yasiel Puig’s citizenship means for Latin-American players

Cleveland Indians outfielder Yasiel Puig made the most of a suspension by becoming a US citizen. What does this mean for the players trying to follow in his footsteps?

No two situations are alike when trying to pursue a dream. For Cleveland Indians outfielder Yasiel Puig, his dream was beyond just playing Major League Baseball.

Puig has been in MLB since 2012 when the Los Angeles Dodgers signed him to a 7-year contract in his early twenties. He has split time between the Cincinnati Reds and Indians during 2019; the final year of his contract.

He may not have ended his Reds’ tenure gracefully – a brawl with the Pittsburgh Pirates that resulted in a three-game suspension – but he made his time off worthwhile.

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During the suspension, Puig announced on his Twitter account that he had officially become a United States citizen.

This is the result of a nearly decade-long process that began with difficulty getting out of his home country of Cuba.

A former player on the Cuban national team, Puig made several attempts to defect from Cuba to pursue a playing career in the States. He attempted to defect on four separate occasions before successfully leaving Cuba and landing in Mexico, and in turn the United States.

What has since resulted from the departure from Cuba has included lawsuits and death threats from the individuals who assisted in Puig’s defection. That was five years ago.

Now, Puig can proudly declare his citizenship before many old and newfound fans of the eye-catching outfielder.

Puig’s journey is one of many like him of Cuban athletes competing in sports in the United States. His citizenship is one positive turn in a harrowing story that many future and current players will likely work towards in future years.

There was a huge political wave through Major League Baseball after President Trump ended a deal with the Cuban Baseball Federation that no longer required defecting from Cuba and taking residency elsewhere before being MLB-eligible. This deal was made for the better protection of players like Puig.

What does everything that has progressed since mean for other Latin-born players? The most obvious would be that citizenship is possible.

No, they don’t have to become citizens of the United States, but in a case like Puig it is almost a necessity so that they may never have to go back to their old way of life post-playing career.

They can also learn from Puig’s story so they truly understand that not everyone’s path to the big leagues is a positive one.

This is a high point for Puig, who has dazzled in the game of baseball since his arrival and shown what a great influence he has become in the community.

He has the Wild Horse Foundation; dedicated to helping kids. His recent visit to Camp Simcha is just another example of the humanitarian effort Puig has put forth since his arrival:

Just remember, Yasiel Puig your friend, not your enemy.