The 2026 World Baseball Classic is just around the corner, three years after the last tournament ended in epic fashion with Shohei Ohtani striking out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout to give Team Japan the win over Team USA. Fans and players alike are excited for the event around the game, but a wrench has been thrown into the works as a number of players have been denied insurance coverage to participate in the tournament. As noted by Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the insurance concerns are significant enough that Team Puerto Rico has suggested they might need to withdraw from the tournament entirely due to eight to ten players on their expected roster being denied coverage.
Puerto Rico’s losses are headlined by team captain and Mets superstar Francisco Lindor, whose coverage was denied on the basis of a minor elbow procedure he underwent back in October. That denied coverage comes in spite of the fact that Lindor is expected to be ready for Spring Training and played in 160 of the Mets’ games last year. After injuries to Edwin Diaz and Jose Altuve during the 2023 tournament, Drellich and Rosenthal report not only that insurance has become more expensive but also that the league’s insurer has adopted more of a hard line stance on what players they will and won’t approve.
Recent surgery and trips to the 60-day injured list are typically disqualifying for receiving insurance coverage, according to Drellich and Rosenthal, though they add that the league’s insurer reviews each individual player on a case-by-case basis. Alden Gonzalez of ESPN offers a bit more detail on the standards of National Financial Partners, the MLB-partnered insurance broker who handles the policy. Players classified as having “chronic” injuries have a harder time getting insured. Players who were injured for 60 days or longer in the prior season, who missed two of their team’s last three games due to injury in the prior season, who underwent offseason surgery, have undergone multiple surgeries throughout their career, or were placed on the injured list on the final day of August or later in the prior season can all be flagged as having “chronic” injuries.
Another disqualifying factor is age, as Rosenthal and Drellich indicate that NFP will not cover players once they turn 37. That’s left Miguel Rojas to be denied coverage ahead of his 37th birthday on February 24, blocking him from participating with Team Venezuela. Rojas won’t be the only one denied coverage due to age, however, as Drellich and Rosenthal note that NFP is also unlikely to cover players who will turn 37 during the window of coverage associated a team would receive if the player gets hurt. Insurance typically covers two years of salary for position players and four years of salary for pitchers.
It should be noted that denial of insurance coverage doesn’t automatically disqualify a player from participating in the WBC. Rather, it then puts the onus on the player’s MLB club regarding whether the team is willing to stomach the risk of that player participating in the tournament while uninsured. It’s a rare but not unheard of step for a team to take. Rosenthal and Drellich note Miguel Cabrera‘s participation in the tournament back in 2023 as an instance where a player was permitted to play uninsured. Of course, it should be noted that Cabrera was headed into the final season of his Hall of Fame caliber career and was already slated to be a part-time player, so the risk for Detroit if he did suffer a major injury was extremely small.
This isn’t only an issue that impacts players with hefty salaries. Team Puerto Rico’s operations manager, Joey Sola, told Drellich and Rosenthal that even some Double-A players without MLB salary guarantees or invites to big league Spring Training have been flagged in the insurance process. At the major league level, a number of relievers and other players with relatively low salaries have been denied coverage in spite of the substantially lower payout associated with them relative to the injury of a star player on a nine-figure contract.
Turning to Team Puerto Rico specifically, Gonzalez writes that Victor Caratini, Carlos Correa, Jose Berrios, Emilio Pagan, and Alexis Diaz are all expected to miss the tournament in addition to Lindor. So too is southpaw Jovani Moran, as noted by Tim Healey of the Boston Globe. Drellich and Rosenthal write that Moran’s case is under review, as are the cases of right-handers Luis Quinones and Yacksel Rios. Puerto Rico, with a population of just 3.2 million on the island, is being hit particularly hard by these losses due to a lack of quality substitutes. Puerto Rico’s capital of San Juan is scheduled to play host to one of the four pools in Round 1 of the WBC, joining Houston, Miami, and Tokyo. Multiple reports have indicated that Team Puerto Rico’s statements about potentially withdrawing from the tournament could lead to a less stringent approach towards approval for some of the team’s players.
The possible withdrawal of Team Puerto Rico isn’t the only controversy stemming from the coverage denials. As noted by Drellich and Rosenthal, Rojas and some in the Puerto Rican media have criticized the process as being particularly harsh on Latin American countries, with the United States and Japan receiving favorable treatment.
“My only question is: Why is it just with our countries [in Latin America], like Venezuela, Puerto Rico, a couple Dominican players?” Rojas said, as relayed by Gonzalez. “I don’t see that happening with the United States or happening with Japan. And I’m not trying to attack anybody, or attack what’s going on … but at the end of the day, it feels like it’s just happening with the players that want to represent their country from Latin America. So, there’s a lot of things I would like to talk about with someone in control, with someone from MLB.”
It’s not hard to understand that perspective, given that Ohtani would seem to fit the bill of a player with a “chronic” injury according to the process Gonzalez laid out after undergoing surgeries throughout his career. While Ohtani has been cleared to play for Team Japan as a DH, it’s also important to note that he will not pitch in the WBC and that reporting from Drellich and Rosenthal indicates he was not likely to be approved for coverage as a pitcher.
Another gripe that’s been expressed with the process is the extremely short turnaround time on decisions. WBC rosters are due this coming Tuesday, February 3, and will be announced on Thursday February 5. Some cases still remain under review and a number of decisions have come within just the last few days, leaving WBC teams to scramble for replacements when their expected players get denied coverage unexpectedly.
“In some ways, I think it’s a little bit unfair,” Sola said, as relayed by Drellich and Rosenthal. “Especially when you are three days from submitting your final roster. Who in the world would think Lindor wasn’t on the (eligible) list? You wait until the last weekend to get an answer on Lindor? C’mon.”
It remains to be seen whether Team Puerto Rico will withdraw from the tournament, or if some combination of players approved for coverage after review and a collection of substitute players will be enough to allow them to remain as part of the tournament. With less than 48 hours remaining until the day rosters are due, however, time is running out for the WBC, MLB, the MLBPA, and NFP to handle this issue.
Not surprised real world issues have begun to impact baseball. This might squash MLB’s desire to shut down the regular season in 2028 so MLB players can participate in the Olympics.
Fine with me, the MLB season should always be the priority.
100% agree. We already have a great baseball league with a long season and a perennially exciting playoff tournament. I don’t see any reason to use up time and risk player health on these other tournaments. I get that international competition has a lot of history with other athletic contests, but MLB is already an internationally diverse league.
I get where youre coming from but that feels a little akin to saying the Premier League should not bother letting players participate in the world cup because its already a diverse league.
Way fewer games in soccer.
About half at the top level, but soccer players run like 10 miles per game.
“MLB’s desire to shut down the regular season in 2028 so MLB players can participate in the Olympics.”
I hadn’t heard that. What the hell?! Ridiculous.
Get – Agreed! I wouldn’t be surprised if they are thinking of using it as an excuse to get something else they want, a shorter regular season.
mlbtraderumors.com/2025/07/manfred-longer-break-in…
You do realize games are in Los Angeles that year? One of the main reasons. NHL and NBA make it work. MLB can also.
MLB players want to represent thier countries just like WBC.
Hawk – Yes of course, which makes travel time less. Can’t compare NHL and NBA with MLB though.
NHL and NBA play 3-4 games a week, MLB plays 6-7 games a week. Nobody wants the MLB regular season starting in early March or ending in mid-October, and they certainly don’t want the regular season shortened.
The plan they are working on would not extend the season. Extend the allstar break to 11 games. There is no travel for the players since in LA whole time for Olmpics.
Hawk – I assume you mean 11 days, which means 7 more days.
How could the season NOT be extended, unless they schedule a bunch of doubleheaders which I doubt the union would approve.
Insurance controls a huge part of our lives, even in baseball.
shaft,
Especially for-profit insurance.
Risk, and individual tolerance for risk, controls a huge part of our lives. Insurance is just a willingness to pay to reduce your risk, and a willingness of someone else to accept payment to assume your risk for you. The players’ problem is not a lack of insurance, it’s a lack of willingness to risk having their contracts voided if they get injured. If playing for their country is not worth that risk, that’s OK, it’s their decisions.
highly,
MLB and the owners run the WBC, so if they want the superstars to play, the league needs to be willing to help cover the risk.
high – Not to get too deep into the topic of insurance on a baseball site, but the entire concept of stereotyping everyone because of the actions of a few should be banned because it’s a blatant form of discrimination.
Just because single males in their 30’s tend to get in more car accidents, doesn’t mean every single male in their 30’s is a high risk that should be forced to pay a high premium.
Getting back to baseball, just because a foolish game-ending celebration cost Diaz an entire season it doesn’t mean all MLB players will likely behave just as foolishly. It’s just insurance companies looking for excuses to raise rates or deny coverage.
Bad enough law-abiding citizens have to pay higher prices in stores because of the much smaller percentage who are thieves stealing from said stores.
Insurance is all about discrimination. But it has to be backed up with the data. So the base rate for males in their 30’s will be higher if that group has worse loss experience. Then what the insurers will do is look for the safe drivers in that group and insure them. Underwriting is about accepting risks that will hopefully be profitable. If a company heavily markets to that group then they better work really hard at identifying other factors. When credit scores started to show evidence of correlation, insurers jumped on that data. Then the regulators went to work denying the use of credit scores because they don’t cause bad driving. Proving causality is nealy impossible.
hayzee – Data is not justification for discrimination. Imagine if after 9/11 only Muslims were forced to take off their shoes at TSA checkpoints and couldn’t bring bottled water into the terminals. That would have been highly illegal, as you’re assuming guilt based only on demographics.
Insurance companies should jack up rates based only on that person’s previous actions, such as tickets and at-fault accidents and DWI etc …. which they already do anyway. But as usual it’s all about increasing profit, creating “categories” and jacking up rates based on the “category” you fall in.
It’s interesting insurance companies are allowed to do it based on marital status, gender, age, etc but not based on race. How is one discrimination but not the other?
Rather see collegiate and amateur players on the Olympics anyway. They have something to play for, to Play on a major league team or get into the Olympics and complete . Players like ohtani are already signed.
I don’t understand why Puerto Rico has their own team anyway. It’s part of the US, not another country. Should California or Texas have their own team as well?
It works that way for the Olympics too; I’m not sure about the reasoning.
Of course unlike states, PR has no voting representation in the US government. But by that reasoning you would need to exclude people from Washington DC.
It’s the same reason Scotland and Wales have their own soccer teams in international play. It’s still technically its own country even though it’s territory.
Not a terrific analogy. Scotland and Wales (and Northern Ireland) have a limited degree of autonomy, but together they comprise one nation, the United Kingdom.
Scotland and Wales are absolutely countries. The United Kingdom is, as it’s called a kingdom. As is the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Aruba and Curacao). In most athletic competitions these countries compete separately but in the WBC, pooling them together as their kingdoms helps them field a competitive team. Puerto Rico can field a competitive team (normally) without the need to be lumped in the US, those allowing more top players to compete.
This is aside from the fact that there are many people playing for countries/kingdoms where they have very loose ties. Aroldis Chapman (UK), Jarren Duran (Mexico) and most of the Italian team (it’s more strange that this is a thing) as examples.
TLDR: the WBC is trying to put together 16 competitive teams and switching between countries, territories, kingdoms and places where baseball isn’t played, is necessary to accomplish this.
Ha ha ha. Go tell a Scotsman he lives in the same country as an Englishmen. I dare you !
The UK is a union of countries.
That same Scotsman voted in 2014 that he didn’t want Scotland to be an independent country so he basically lives in the same country as the Englishmen, yes.
‘basically lives in’ and ‘lives in’ are two different things. they don’t funnel both ways.
Ha ha ha. Oh the ignorance. No. They voted on independence from the union that is the UK. He lives in Scotland. It’s not basically the same as the England. It’s a different country and every single Englishman and Scot is going to tell you that.
FFS. America.
Scotland voted to stay dependent on England. Therefore, they can be a different country but are still part of the UK. What is it that you don’t understand?
Funny yes. Or a Welshman. But both are “countries” with limited autonomy within a single nation state of the UK, with the seat of the national government in London. I suppose if you asked a bunch of Texans whether they were Americans or Texans, you’d get a variety of answers, which may or may not reflect reality.
They are individual countries. No inverted comma’s required. The biggest part of their “limited” autonomy is the ability to recognise themselves as such. Just got to ask them.
They will tell you.
They are “countries” (a term in quotes because it is vague and not actually meaningful). But they not nations, so they are countries in essentially the same way as the U.S. states are countries. They don’t have their own monetary system, provide for their own defense, have their own foreign policies. They cannot issue passports, regulate their borders, or do all but a limited subset of what sovereign nations do. Residents of Scotland and Wales are British citizens. The supreme government for most matters in the UK is in London.
I lived over there for a while, btw. So I know what people say.
Well it might be different to what the Scot I work with told me. Been here for 6 months. Plays the bagpipes, dons the kilt when doing so, speaks funny. Great guy. Hilarious to hang around. He is pretty sure he is from a seperate country called Scotland. I know this because I called him English one day…..
Telling him Scotland is not a country, but is a state of the British Isles, just like Texas is a state of the US, could be problematic for the man who delivers that piece of knowledge.
Try asking him if he’s a citizen of Scotland. That should be fun. And no, I wouldn’t do it myself, because I well know how tetchy Brits can get about their identities. The reality that a person cannot be a citizen of England, Scotland or Wales, hits a nerve, despite them having been part one nation called Great Britain for over 400 years. The funny part about this is, for as much as the Scots like to think of themselves as a separate country, they’ve always pulled back from any real separation. Tells us something.
Anyhow, this discussion has strayed about as far from baseball as possible. So unless and until Scotland enters a team in the WBC, we should probably end it here.
Because the WBC allows non-sovereign territories and autonomous regions to compete as independent “sporting nations” – much like FIFA and FIBA.
Puerto Rico first appeared at the Baseball World Cup in 1940.
Christ I hope that’s tongue in check.
gomer – Apparently you’re not familiar with York. LOL
LOL
@Zerns i get what you’re saying but I think it makes the tournament a little more interesting. Adds some parity. That said, if PR has to pull out then the insured players should probably get to play for Team USA
They have their own team because it is more revenue. PR probably has more professional players than 90% of the participants.
It’s a Territory not a State. Puerto Rico doesn’t have reps in the United States congress nor does its citizens vote in Presidential Elections. So if Puerto Rico gets all those things I’d agree with you.
How will they handle Greenland and Canada next time? Just all play under the US team? lol
It’s a territory not a state
Its a territory not a state.
Beginning of the end for the WBC
Good.
Agreed.
Luis and Getgone, why is it good?
Cause it’s change and they are old.
Change is never good, and yes, I am old (80)
MLB is so screwed up. The owners who pushed for the WBC to make more money should be ensuring any player who is willing to play can. Steve Cohen not stepping up so Lindor can play along with every other owner for their players is embarrassing. All players should say we aren’t playing if this isn’t solved, f Manfred.
It’s a stupid tournament so who really cares? I’d rather watch a spring training game involving my local team.
The MLB postseason is a stupid tournament too but we create meaning in it and watch it anyway.
MLB makes a lot of money on international markets. A slew of players are from other countries. MLB is interested in promoting the game to other countries.
If we can have stupid time clocks, limited challenges and other rules to speed up game to interest the millennials, then what’s wrong with a tournament that sparks global interest? Owners want to make money from everywhere.
MLB should have open books on how much money it makes, as well as the team owners.
Yes and the same rules for every player regardless of their birthplace. Different rules for the international player doesn’t seem fair. Obviously I’m missing some key points so fill me in please.
There are still people upset about the pitch clock? Wow, had no idea…
blackyjack
There are still people upset about the pitch clock? Wow, had no idea…
=========================
Probably the best idea in 50 years.
I a Millennial and hate the pitch clock lol I think you’re conflating them with Gen Z. Millennials are 30-45 years old at this point.
Why is promoting the sport to countries who already love baseball more than we do important? They can’t even promote the sport correctly in this country. It’s a cash grab done in the spring so they don’t have to pay the players.
I like the pitch clock the thing I don’t like is putting a man on second base to start extra innings the fans deserve more when you consider ticket prices parking and concessions fans should get there money’s worth who cares if the game goes 12 or 13 innings or more it’s supposed to be fun think about what it would cost for a family of 4 to go to the game and let them know if you still think the pitch clock is stupid
@Ghost – I stand corrected.
@Dbrass – Agreed. In my haste, I forget that awful ghost runner nonsense.
I don’t think it’s a stupid tournament. I love watching the games, and I’m looking forward to it again this year!
Playing for your country is stupid?Why hold the Olympics.Some people have a little pride playing for their country.Some could care less.
Couldn’t care less.
It’s crazy that people get so concerned. It’s an international tournament that seems extremely well-received. Just enjoy the game, or don’t watch it.
But the Ohtani-Trout moment was one of the great moments in sports history.
But this is not the Olympics. It’s an attempt to recreate the success of soccer on off years. No need for it when fans are into spring training.
Like the Joe Brady says,don’t watch it.Baseball is baseball to fans.The Olympics is just a glorified tournament.Especially since pro’s are now in there.When i was growing up it was the best amateurs against the best amateurs.Now everything is we can’t lose.Send our best people as the college kids weren’t good enough.
That is such a piss poor attitude. The players care. Did you listen to them speak about the experience ?
Yeah, I know. They are just “other people” and what they would like doesn’t really count.
Why cant the player like Lindor ( who can afford it) insure themselves?
Why should owners step up even more after paying thwse guys multi generational money?
Thats not fair.
If Lindor really wants to represent his country, put his money where his mouth is.
For the aaa players not getting insurance is ridiculous
Lindor has a totally new infield this year and knows he needs to work with them. He’s getting older and his window for winning a title in his prime is closing quick. He very likely doesn’t want to go. All the Latin guys have already had the experience and feel tremendous pressure to participate. Insurance is a way out.
If insurance was really an issue, we wouldn’t be seeing Ohtani, Skubal and Judge.
People believe things way too often at face value these days.
Thank goodness MRSHOWTIME is here defending the poor owners who are being treated so unfairly, the ones who have so much wealth, no descendant of theirs should ever have to work again.
The owners control MLB, and MLB created the World Baseball Classic, so if they want players to participate and risk their health, thebowners should be willing to provide the insurance those players need.
Embarrassing? Steve Cohen’s customers do not want Lindor to leave and Lindor himself probably wants to work with his new infielders. Steve should be threatening Holmes with a bullpen role and Mclean with AAA if they leave camp for this nationalistic nonsense.
What obligation does Cohen have to intercede on behalf of Lindor? He’s given him a $340m contact, he doesn’t have to solve every baseball related problem he has too. Lindor can play uninsured and risk it. He’s not going to miss any meals.
I would be good with no WBC, don’t have to have players get hurt in a ramped up tournament during spring training.
The dilemma of international sporting events with players from professional team sports leagues. The players want to play, but they don’t want to get hurt, either.
In 2023, Edwin Diaz and Jose Altuve paid the price.
Injuries in WBC aren’t new with Diaz and Altuve though. I easily recall Mark Texiera also getting injured. I’m sure there were others. It’s a valid question why those two injuries resulted in this change.
I remember David Wright getting hurt during the WBC too.
The WBC was the brainchild of owners from 20+ years ago. Different set of owners, different mindset. I can tell you what they want. A mid-season tourament like the NBA, and expansion to at least 32 or even 36 teams.
Have the tournament in November immediately after the WS if you must have it. Yes it’s a long season but it makes sense. Non WS competing players have a little rest but are overall in better baseball shape than having the tourney in March.
They’d have to pay the players and MLB only shares the wealth if they have no choice.
Altuve didn’t pay the price: he just shy
Insurers rule the world.
No owners and players can take over the risk if they choose to. Not everything is insurable.
Rojas should also take note that the vast majority of PED suspensions also come out of those countries.
Obviously each country may not be using the same insurance, which could also be causing the locality issues
Everyone is using the same insurance company.
They are using the league’s insurer.
Insurance for players against injuries went from mainstream insurers to surplus lines insurers to syndicates (i.e. Lloyd’s of London). They’re in the business of making money like owners but over the years got burned and as a result, rates keep climbing. Rates also increase with the higher amounts of coverage needed to pay the salaries of today. There’s likely now high deductible policies meaning the teams and players in addition to paying high premiums, are probably also partially self-insuring.
Explain Shohei, Skubal and Judge getting insured.
Lloyd’s has been involved for a long time.
Explain why Judge didn’t play on the last WBC?
Shohei was only able to be insured as a batter this time around.
Was Barry Bonds from Venezuela? or Ryan Braun? Maybe Mark McGuire is Puerto Rican…
I guarantee I know who the guys making these comments voted for.
I’m not at all surprised that this is happening. Real world issues . People all over the world including the US are now being excluded from getting coverage either because of expanded health/injury reasons or by cost. Why should insurance companies be prohibited from doing what most companies are now doing…gouging the people.
Puerto Rico vs the Dominican during the last WBC was, by far, the best sporting event I’ve ever attended. The fans on both sides were a pure joy to be around. A real shame if such games get erased due to such money-related dealings.
Why not just have a winter ball tournament?
I blame the actuaries.
I blame the obscene cost of today that make it impossible for the typical family to attend a game like in prior generations.
Yes, I just don’t bother to go more than about once every ten years. We used to go to a lot of minor league games. On vacations, we’d find a team nearby, visiting the in-laws, going to our camp, whenever possible. We even went to a ballgame during our honeymoon. (It was right after baseball was invented.) But even going to Cooperstown we stopped for a jazz concert and spent more time there than in the Hall. The acceptance and virtual encouragement of PED use by the worst commissioner in the history of all sports completely soured me to baseball. The one flicker of excitement was when our nephew got drafted but his career barely got off the ground before two TJ’s and thoracic.
Why, I grew up going to a handful of major league games each season but went to the West Haven Yankees almost daily. I got to see Fred Lynn and Jim Rice in 73 I believe, just when they were starting to get attention as the “gold dust twins”. I just had to see the game when Bristol was in town.
There were only minor league teams near us later on. So I could go to Shea and root for the Mets or (once) go to the Yankees and root for the other team. The ultimate irony is that lots of Yankees players lived nearby. Todd and Mel Stottlemyre used to ride their bikes through my neighborhood on the way home from school. Now I live near Volpe’s family and where Derek Jeter’s parents used to live. I can’t get away from those damn Yankees.
If I were an MLB GM I’d never let my players/employees/commodities participate in the WBC or even the ASG. Why risk injury?
Yep. That’s why the NFL made the Pro Bowl safer than ballet.
Does anyone watch the NFL’s flag football? If I were on a board, I’d fire the genius who purchased the rights to that game. As big as football is, the only ones watching are degenerates who bet on a fake game.
Flag football is in the next Olympics, so they’re making a push for now. Will be interesting to see how it performs.
Also, NFL has been promoting flag football for decades (I helped referee an NFL event 24 years ago when I was in high school) with children.
Rosenthal and Drellich note Miguel Cabrera’s participation in the tournament back in 2023 as an instance where a player was permitted to play uninsured.
==========================
Poor example. Miggy’s career effectively end after 2016.
I think it’s insane for MLB teams to allow their players to participate in the WBC or the Olympics.
Its insane for an employer to allow an employee to do something outside their job.
Are they slaves?
How is this any different than coverage for an AS game? Granted that is one game and some exhibition events, but still players have been injured in AS games as well.
My only guess is that teams’ policies on players generally covers the AS game, spring training, postseason in the language. But the WBC is not named on the policy so they have to buy a policy specifically for that event?
WBC had some momentum after the last tournament. It’d be disappointing if the league can’t figure this out.
The All Star Game is an official MLB event, the WBC is not.
Guys are already ramped up during the All Star Game.
Checkmate
Puerto Rico should drop out and decline to host the event as well.
The flip side of the coin is that this tournament has also given some players a second chance. Players from a variety or countries have shown enough in the tournament to get MLB contracts (and not just Latin countries but from Asia, Europe, Australia).
Why are baseball players being told not to play baseball?
This is a rhetorical question that has zero right answers. This is so f***ing stupid. Just play.
This is why insurance needs to be called “in case s***”. In case s*** happens. There’s no reason why any player should be denied insurance coverage.
No insurance should be called “we only cover things that won’t happen so we can rake in profits.” Insurance companies have no interest in providing their own service and do everything they can to avoid it.
The point of what I said was part of a Chris Rock stand up bit. It’s a IYKYK type of thing. He also used it in one of his movies “Down to Earth”
.
Disagree: ,
All that being said, I fully expect this years Olympic hockey to break all sorts of Olympic viewership records, especially if the US and Canada meet.
Ice dance and 4 man luge
I think all the WBC teams should also withdraw in solidarity. Then I don’t have to worry about any of my team’s players getting hurt in these meaningless exhibition games before they even have a full spring training.
You could simply not watch and cross your fingers. Plenty of players and their fans find these games meaningful.
Whether I watch or not (I never have) doesn’t change the fact that my team’s soon-to-be 38yo closer is going to be used for leverage innings in February. Silly me, I’d rather he be healthy in September and October.
Just as likely to be injured walking to the mound to face a AA player in February spring training game
That doesn’t seem accurate. Players aren’t putting out the same level of effort against a AA player in February as they do in this silly tournament.
Intensity of environment is different but pitch mechanics and intensity is the same. Pitchers don’t ’hold Back’ in spring training, that would cause more injuries
No Whammy no Whammy! Stop. We have a winner. $20K!!
I would suggest these are clearly not meaningless games to the players
I don’t really care if they’re meaningful games to the players or not. They’re under contract to play in the MLB, which is the premium baseball entertainment product, and the one that fans follow year over year.
I don’t even know how to reply to that comment, it’s borderline insane
The mlb directly benefits from baseball being a global game and these tournies help that
Me me me me me.
If it’s truly just a Latin countries being affected by this, then yes… the insurance company or however that works needs to be reviewed and held to the highest standards of the law. That said, if it’s all fair without racial prejudice, then yes, the insurance company can accept or deny coverage of whoever based on their algorithms which are usually highly sophisticated. Key word is usually..
Wonder if there are any programs or little short 30 second infomercial that could direct some info or shed light on this insurance thing. Maybe ill turn on the telly while pondering
If players are insurable insurance companies have nothing to gain by not insuring them. The idea that someone thinks this is a racial issue is a joke. As someone who works at a F250 insurer there is zero chance of this being anything but an issue that would impact the insurers bottom line.
Wow. I actually have plans to be in Puerto Rico during the tournament and plan on attending several games. This would definitely put a damper on things. The tournament’s in San Juan, for Christ’s sake. How do you do it without the Puerto Rican team?
Talk to my friend Jake, Rico. He get you good discount double check
Here’s a brilliant idea…. do this in the off-season and pay the players to participate. We know insurance is the excuse so players don’t lose face and the reason teams and fans have a problem with the tournament is because it happens in Spring Training.
This is when players will participate and not get paid, so I understand why the league loves this, but maybe losing teams will help them change their mind.
Paying them to play in-season doesn’t resolve the issue that some players will remain uninsurable for the WBC and any injuries occurred won’t be covered under their MLB insurance.
I didn’t say in-season; after the season like those Japan tours they used to do. If insurance was really the issue, we would see US and Japanese players opting out for the same reason too., How did guys like Clayton Kershaw, Aaron Judge and Joe Ryan get insured?
If you look at the US roster, it’s full of hard core Christians, Those guys are obsessed with nationalism, so magically insurance isn’t an issue anymore. They’re putting ‘merica ahead of their teams. Nolan McLean and the two aces pitching before their big paydays is absolutely nuts.
Exactly. The idea that the issue is the players not really wanting to play in the WBC is a terrible take. Miguel Rojas for one said he was very disappointed.
I agree with Miguel Rojas, insurance is unfairly denied for Latin players. I propose Nolan McLean and Clay Holmes be denied coverage too, as a show of good faith. :)-)
Should be like buying rental car insurance in TJ when you cross over from San Ysidro. Your insurance is no good here: so buy this to tie you over for the next 6 hours of mayhem
Players get hurt, but the WBC is good global visibility and important to fuel to the sport.
Hockey and Basketball has the olympics, baseball is also an international sport and needs the tournament to match. If the player wants to play and the mlb team approves, then the insurance provider should do their job and make it happen not stand in the way
Players can just as easily get hurt during spring training or the first game of the year, it is what it is
Feel like this just opens the bidding for the WBC to find a more liberal insurer. We’ve seen what happens to these games when the stars don’t play.
This would be sad.
I liked the first time they had this, but don’t think I’ve cared about it since the first one was held. Kind of like how I never thought American Idol needed to have more than one season to crown a new idol every year.
With the insurance industry in deep crisis, a lot that used to get coverage no longer does. Just ask anyone who has tried to get homeowners insurance in a part of the country that has experienced major disaster losses in recent years. This problem will probably only get worse.
The WBC needs to be rethought in this environment. Perhaps the entire tournament can be self-insured by MLB. If the owners really want the event, they can assume the risk.
Also: the word “chronic” shouldn’t be in quotes. It isn’t a euphemism. Any doctor will use this word to describe a persistent or long-term condition. Obviously, insurers are going to be more concerned with extending coverage to players with chronic (as opposed to acute) conditions.
There is one way to fix this: let MLB (and other investors) self-insure. They’re rich enough to do this.
The only reason an insurance company insures someone in this tournament is because they think they can turn a profit in the aggregate, so in theory MLB insuring those same players would be more profitable for MLB. The only drawback to this is that when MLB chooses not to insure a player, they won’t have the 3rd party to the offset blame. I’m sure Manfred has thought this through.
I’m theory MLB (and investors) could self-insure everyone, but that would cut into their profits.
MLB isn’t an insurance company and the owners have nothing to gain by insuring players to play in an event that negatively impacts the contracts they have to play for the teams they own. This isn’t an owners problem, it’s a players problem. Let the players union fund the insurance, they can afford it. If they can’t, they can form a captive to handle it.
MLB is a cartel of MLB owners and the primary driver of the world baseball classic. The owners can, and have at times in the past, individually backed the player contract so they can play (Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers is first instance off the top of my head). But that’s rare because it puts them at a competitive disadvantage to each other while risking their own money, which they don’t want to do.
MLB would not put on this tournament at all if they had ‘nothing to gain’ by the players playing in the tournament. Top players playing in an international tournament in order to grow the sport and increase long-term revenue is the whole point.
If you think it’s the MLBPA problem, then you’ve been drinking some of that Kool-Aid the owners have been serving. Insuring these contracts takes real money, and if that solely comes from the players, for a tournament put on primarily by the owner backed MLB, then that’s a huge win for the owners.
But just like everything else between the MLB and MLBPA this has to be collectively bargained. They can create a panel which oversees which players are approved, and not approved, to be insured. If that player is injured, they can use a joint fund to reimburse the player/team at a % that is agreed upon (100% would be ideal) and completely cut-out the insurance. This would be to the benefit of all sides in theory, but getting these two sides to agree on things is not easy.
Very wrong. This is mostly an owner’s problem. The entire purpose of this exhibition tournament is to build the worldwide audience for baseball, primarily to the benefit of those who own the business of baseball. The players are paid their salaries whether they participate or not, and the prize money for the winning teams is comparatively very nominal. Further, injured players are also paid their salaries. The team (or their insurer) takes the entire loss.
Self-insuring does not make anyone “an insurance company.” What this means is they are assuming their own risk, either by themselves or in a pool with others who are not otherwise conventionally insured. This is done all the time.
In this case, it would require MLB (and probably the MLBPA through the WBCI) to commit a certain amount of reserve funds to pay the salaries of players who are injured in the WBC. The WBCI could then rate the risk and length of coverage for players themselves in a consistent way, instead of farming this decision-making out to underwriters who do it in whatever way that satisfies their business interests. In fact, I am willing to bet that if this event ever occurs again, some version of self-insurance is exactly what will happen.
I love the WBC tournament and my island of Puerto Rico not competing in it would be a real bummer for me.
Writers never miss an opportunity to glaze Ohtani…even in an article about Team Puerto Rico
Ohtani vs Trout to end the WBC was one of the most fun things to watch during the tourney.
It’s a cool event and the players love it. But to be honest, it doesn’t mean a lot in the grand scheme of things.
It means alot to some countries. It just doesn’t mean much to most fans in the United States as we have 29/30ths of MLB and expect ALL of the best players in the world to be playing here.
If other countries had similarly strong leagues as compared to MLB then it would likely be much different.
As a met fan who saw the season come to an end before it even began when Edwin Diaz was injured in the tournament. I’d love to see the whole thing just go away.
I have an idea…
Every three years, cancel the Allstar game and 5 games on either side.
Players will be in season shape, the Allstar nonsense will be eliminated, and the winning team roster votes on who gets home field advantage in the World Series that year.
Players and owners give up salary for those 10 missed games. US divided into five zones for the tournament. West, Midwest, Northeast and Southeast, Puerto Rico.
Maybe I’m just reading this wrong… but doesn’t this also potentially have an impact in upcoming negotiations between MLB and MLBPA?
If certain injury prone players are harder to insure than there is an extra hurdle for them to be signed by MLB teams, even for incentive laden deals. If there are future insurance issues I have to imagine MLBPA will want assurances that players aren’t going to get set aside just because of injuries.
If.. the Puerto Rican players can’t get Insurance, they ( individually) will have to pay for their own.
Question remains..
The players on this team are part of MLB teams and are insured.. but, can’t get insurance for the Tournament??
I guess that we will find out more..about this..
I personally think the Autumn would be a much better time for the classic. Too many injuries occur in the Spring. Players go all out before they are in 100% playing shape. Miguel Cabrerra was never the same player after a back injury he sustained in the WBC. Every Classic some players ends up missing the season due to injuries.
Just my two cents.
I always thought the WBC was kind of stupid. I don’t blame insurance companies for not covering some of these players. How can Ohtani get paid $70 million a year and have the Dodgers risk losing him to some freak injury in the SBC? Same with some of these other players.
The tournament cant lose Puerto Rico, Cuba or the D.R., three of the most important teams.
The insurance issues are due to the exorbitant salaries the players make in MLB. They will need to institute a rule change. Players making over 5M in the subsequent season will be ineligable for the tournament. That keeps all the MLB rookies and young players eligible for the tournament and likely solves any inequities that arise as a result of insurance issues.
Is it the big stars that sell the tournament or the international competition? I think it is the international competition.
The WBC was born out of the Olympics cancelling baseball from its schedule of events. It now stands alone and in my opinion is right up there with the World Cup.
I would be as excited for the tournament with the minor leaguers and young major leaguers. Baseball is bigger than Ohtani, Bobby Witt Jr. and Frankie Lindor.
No WBC would be no big loss, except perhaps to Latin American countries
I curious how the revenue is allocated. Whoever gets the money should pay the insurance.
Let the players union fund the insurance. This is a players problem not a league or owners problem.
It’s a league problem as well when owners want to reap the benefits of using these players to market and increase the int’l exposure of MLB.
The WBC should not be played during spring training.
Start MLB season the last week of March.
Keep the same All-Star break, but start up the WBC that Friday.
MLB season ends in the first week of October.
Cut the number of games in a WBC season to 156.
World Series starts November 1st.
Wow, lots of people hating on the WBC. I hate this for Puerto Rico and general baseball fans. I love the WBC. There is an energy to it that we just generally do not get. If the tournament is going to keep growing, they are going to have to figure this out.
MLB OR WBC it doesn’t matter. Money? We all know about the business every sports had become. For me the baseball game
it’s the must important thing. I just love the game since I was a boy. I am not in the business.
I just want to enjoy baseball.
I support every effort or league that can open others doors. I pretty sure we all will enjoy a final championship game between the USA and JAPAN. The best from each country face to face in real game. We will not see that in the MLB.
If we really love our game of baseball we can’t just support MLB. After all good or bad, are we going to depend on others to
protect our game? Are we going to depend on people who make decisions just money?
What we need to do is to protect our game. PUERO RICO had gave us so many superstars and great moments. MLB and insurance companies had won a lot of money for years.
We had lived so many emotions from those players.
I want everybody to do what is needed to have a great and fair WBC tournament. That’s what I think it’s important.
BUT IF YOU JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT MONEY WELL…IF THE WBC TOURNAMENT DOESN’T GO AS IT SHOULD BE, MLB, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, IT MAY SUFFER FROM AN ECONOMIC POINT OF VIEW; And more importantly, we, as baseball fans, also lose.
MLB should be ashamed of themselves.
Last I checked, Puerto Rico is part of the US so why are the teams separated? They should play for the US team.