What Does Defect Mean In Baseball? Reasons For Defecting, Consequences, Case Studies, And Many More

Whenever it comes to the point of “Defect”, most of us think about Cuban players. Some of you have heard of players defecting for different reasons. But what does defect mean in baseball?

In general, defecting means you are leaving your country to play in another country illegally. The reasons may differ from player to player. But I found out most of the Cuban players are the ones who defect the most. 

But only learning half of a point is irrelevant. That is why I have gathered all the resources about defecting, why the players defected, and some case studies to fill up your knowledge.

What Does Defect Mean in Baseball?

Defecting actually depicts leaving your home country and playing baseball in another country illegally. 

Let me give you an example that will clear your idea about defecting in baseball totally. Suppose you are playing baseball for a team in your country. Now, if you leave your country and play for another country, that is what we call defecting.

Also, another thing I should mention is that you are playing for another country “illegally”.  Now, if another country is sponsoring you, that is one thing. But if you fly from your team without any reason and start living in another country, that is a concerning matter.

Many examples defected from their countries and moved to other countries. Most of them are from Cuba, and that is the saddest story for the “Cuban Baseball League”. 

Difference Between a Transferred Player and a Defecting Player

Are transferring players the same as defecting players? The terms do the same thing, but one is the legal way, and the other is the illegal way.

To make you understand these terms accurately, I have provided the differences between them below – 

Differences Between a Transferred Player and a Defecting Player
Transferred Player	Defecting Player
1. Transferred players means they are moving from one team to another within the same league/organization legally.	1. Defecting players refers to the players who leave their own country and play baseball in another illegally.
2. Transferred players often go to other teams via a trade or free agency.	2. Defecting players go to other countries’ teams of their own will.
3. There is no difference between transferred players’ happiness. They go on contract.	3. Defecting players may go to other teams because of their betterment or happiness.
4. Transferred players do not have any issues of illegality for them to stop playing.	4. Defecting players keep their presence hidden for quite some time before playing professionally again.

Reasons for Baseball Players’ Defecting

There are several reasons behind baseball players defecting. What they said from their past stories, these are the points I have gathered up – 

The Players Seek Better Opportunities

As the previous history says, many of the players tried to defect because of career opportunities. Many of the players look forward to joining American League baseball and jumping on this boat. 

Who doesn’t want to have the opportunity to build up in this game? Most of the defectors are statistically from Cuba. Among them, some had gone anonymous totally.

That is why you will see many of the players defecting in the baseball records. But there are consequences to face too.

Desire to Play Professionally

Let’s not go that far in the history. Do you remember when I mentioned Yasiel Puig? He got a good position (right fielder) for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Similar to his position, there are many baseball players who dream of being famous.  

Many baseball players leave countries that are not that developed in baseball programs. Because of the limited opportunities to play professionally, they intend to defect.

Political Conflict 

Did you know that President Trump canceled a contract between the two leagues, Major League Baseball and the Cuban Baseball Federation? Because of the cancellation, Cuban players got the opportunity to join the US and Canadian professional teams. 

The players may take the opportunity as freedom. But this freedom does not last long for some of them. They either retire fast or are hungover to achieve success.

Speaking of retiring, do you know the age when baseball players retire? There are many reasons behind it. Try to learn about them so that your knowledge gets sharper in baseball. 

Consequences for a Player Who Defects from Their Team or League

Everything goes well if you do it the right way. Before doing anything wrong, you should always think about the consequences that you may go through. 

As defecting is an illegal thing, major leagues made some effective consequences so that players stop defecting. Here are the consequences – 

• Suspension or Ban from the Game: Depending on the circumstances, a player may get banned permanently from playing in their home league. You may also get suspended from participating in the international competition.
  Many players from the Cuban National Baseball Team faced the same trajectory and lost their careers in baseball. Making a decision without knowing the consequences can be harsh, right? 
• Legal Issues: One of the major consequences defecting players face is legal issues. They can not return to their home country anymore. Do you know the story of Yasiel Puig from the Los Angeles Dodgers? Here is a link that can give you all the data about what happened to him after he defected from his home country, Cuba
  

• Visa Cancellation: One of the worst things that can happen to players who have defected is not getting a visa to another country. They may stay as refugees in the country they got into.
  Think of one thing, you can not go back to your own country and not even get citizenship to the country you moved in. Some of the players ruined their careers like this. 
• Financial Consequences: What do you think the players do after defecting? If their luck is very good, then they go to the multimillion-dollar contracts to play in Major League Baseball. But not all get the same fortune.
  So, the financial crisis goes on. They go for either minor league baseball or quit this career. I know it sounds hard, but it is a harsh reality. 
• Personal Conflicts: The ones above are dreadful, I know, but staying away from the family? The problem arises at this point. The players who defect have to leave their families and friends as a consequence. 

Talking about some punishments! Let’s cool down a bit and get a laugh at some of the funniest moments in baseball history. You will love to know what some baseball players did. 

Baseball Players Who Defected in the Record

Many players defected written in the records of baseball. I really can not believe the list is so big! Why did they do it? 

Let’s cut it short. Here is the list of all the players who defected – 

Player Name	Position	Defecting Year
Rogelio Alvarez	First baseman	1963
Barbaro Garbey	First Baseman	1980
Rene Arocha	Pitcher	1991
Alberto Castillo	Pitcher	1993
Juan Diaz	First Baseman	1995
Jesus Ametller	Second Baseman	1996
Rolando Arrojo	Pitcher	1996
Danys Baez	Pitcher	1999
Jose Contreras	Pitcher	2002
Yuniesky Betancourt	Shortstop	2003
Franchise Bueno	Pitcher	2004
Barbaro Canizares	First Baseman	2004
Amaury Cazana	Outfielder	2005
Aroldis Chapman	Pitcher	2009
Aledmys Diaz	Shortstop	2012
Jozzen Cuesta	First Baseman	2013
Jose Miguel Fernandez	Infielder	2015
Adolis Garcia	Outfielder	2016
Victor Victor Mesa	Outfielder	2018
Ubert Mejias	Pitcher	2021
Luis Danys Morales	Pitcher	2021
Ivan Prieto	Catcher	2023

There are many more players out there who may not be in the records. Still, the examples talk about everything. What if more players defect later on?

Some of the Defecting Players Who Got Viral on Their Timeline

I have already discussed some of the great players who actually defected from their countries and now reside in different countries. Among the names, some caught the attention of the media, some did not. 

By doing a lot of research, I found out some of the players whose stories got viral. Let me share them with you so that you can understand them well.

Yasiel Puig Defecting from Cuba

Yasiel Puig is a dazzling talent. Can you believe he actually escaped from his native country Cuba? Also, there was some data on him having connections to illegal human trafficking. This continued to feed Cuban prospects to the big leagues. 

Puig was sued for $12 million in Florida by a man who claims that he wrongfully told the Cuban government he had attempted to set up a defection based on others’ testimony.

The story does not finish here. With more digging, there came some more information on how Puig got help to defect. What I found out is a former Cuban boxer actually convinced Puig to defect and was with Puig throughout his journey from Cuba. 

I was glad that he made it to the right place even though he defected. Maybe sometimes luck actually works and stays with some people.

Ivan Prieto Defecting after World Baseball Classic Game

This story is the most controversial one that has been going through the news and everything. I can not believe how a player defects in this modern era. News went viral, and some think Prieto is residing in Miami, Florida. 

Ivan Prieto was a bullpen catcher for the Cuba National Team. After the match between Cuba National Team and US National Team. After the sore defeat of 14-02, they headed back to the airport for their flight. But wait, Prieto is not there! 

Within the heavy watch out, he vanished, and most people thought he was residing with his family in Miami. My thought is, how did he do that? How did he vanish within so many people? Will he have a good career in the future?

As his name went viral, the face is known to all. How can he play professional baseball in his future career? 

How Defecting Is Getting Solved

As we have already known, players are defecting for several reasons. Most of the players who defected before are from Cuba. That is why Cuban dealt with MLB. What their motive is to allow the Cuban players to sign contracts and play officially in the US sounds interesting right?

What this rule does is players do not have to defect/move illegally, and they can have a bright future. When I heard the news, it really pumped me up because this will help players to develop themselves in this amazing game of baseball, not ruining their careers.

The negotiation of this law went on for three whole years! It takes such a long time to evaluate a statement. But still, whatever happens always happens for good.

The rule has benefits for Cuban players. MLB teams have to pay the Cuban Baseball Federation if they want to sign a player from Cuba as a release fee. Now think about it. If they get budgets by selling players, their baseball federation will grow, as well as MLB.

There are many other things in the contracts that I don’t want to bore you with. So, if you want to chill a bit, why don’t you do so with some quirky baseball riddles and jokes? 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are Most of the Defectors from Cuba?

Yes, almost all of the baseball players in history actually defected from Cuba. In my theory, they do this to get better opportunities in US baseball. Some get lucky, some don’t get the opportunity to rise. 

2. What Happens to the Team from Where a Player Defected? 

Well, there is no record of the team getting anything from their players’ defecting. They just fill the gap with other players. 

As defects is going on for some time, most of the cases showed that the teams just forget about that player and move on to their next goal. 

Final Thoughts

After learning “What does defect mean in baseball,” what is your thought? Do you think what the players are doing is right or wrong?

I can understand if you go with the belief that they are doing it for a better future. But there is always a better alternative than taking sides that can hinder your future. 

But still, the thoughts may differ from person to person. Let’s hear your thoughts about this matter.