CUBAN BASEBALL PLAYERS DEFECT IN PR

From ABC News:

Two Cuban baseball players in Puerto Rico for the Caribbean Series
apparently have abandoned their team mid-tournament, Cuba's team
said Wednesday. The missing players were identified as 19-year-old
pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez and 29-year-old shortstop Dainer Moreira.
Gutierrez had not yet played in the series, while Moreira batted in
Cuba's only run against the Dominican Republic.

Cuba was scheduled to play against Puerto Rico Wednesday night after
losing its first two games against the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
The players' apparent decision to abandon their team to stay on
American soil comes amid moves to improve US-Cuba relations, with the
MLB on Tuesday eliminating its requirement that Cuban players obtain
a license from the U.S. government before they are eligible to sign
with big league teams...[MORE]