Cuba announces baseball team to Pan American Games

The Cuban National Baseball Directorate announced the 24-player list, including eight "legionaries" who play in foreign leagues, that will attend the coming 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.

The team managed by Rey Vicente Anglada is made up by catchers Yosvani Alarcon (Las Tunas), Alfredo Fadraga (Ciego de Avila) and Yunior Ibarra (Sancti Spiritus).

Anglada and his coaching staff chose as infielders Yordan Manduley (Quebec Capitales of the Can-Am League), Jorge Alomá (Artemisa), Cesar Prieto (Cienfuegos), Raul Gonzalez (Ciego de Avila), Yordanis Samon (Industriales) and Carlos Benitez (Granma).

Meanwhile, the outfielders will be Yurisbel Gracial (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Japan´s NPB), Roel Santos (Tabasco Olmecas of Mexico), Stayler Hernandez (Quebec Capitales of Can-Am), Yunieski Larduet (Las Tunas) and Yoelkis Guibert (Santiago de Cuba).

Finally, the pitchers are Lazaro Blanco (Granma), Freddy Asiel Alvarez (Villa Clara), Frank Luis Medina (Pinar del Rio), Pedro Alvarez (Sancti Spiritus), Vladimir Garcia (Quebec Capitales of Can-Am), Livan Moinelo (L) (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks-NPB), Raidel Martinez (Chunichi Dragons of NPB ), Yoanni Yera (L) (Kitchener Panthers of the Intercounty League of Canada), Yudiel Rodríguez (L) (Las Tunas) and Wilson Paredes (Holguin).

Anglada told the press that the seven players who join the national team have had excellent performances with their respective teams in foreign leagues and can strengthen not only the poor offensive production for the squad in the warm-up matches, but also pitching.

The Cuban seasoned manager, who won the Rio 2007 Pan-Am Games, also confirmed Lazaro Blanco as the first starting pitcher against Colombia, and left-hander Yoanni Yera as starter versus Canada in the second match, while Freddy Asiel Alvarez will be the third one.