14ymedio/Swing Completo, Havana, 27 August 2024 — Cuban baseball player Xian Vega, 21, has been in Nicaragua since last Monday. Born in Havana, his goal is to reach the United States to look for a job opportunity in a Major League professional team. Meanwhile, he trains at the International Baseball Academy of Central America, according to sports journalist Francys Romero.
It will be in September, at the academy facilities and under the gaze of the talent scouts, when Vega will show his skills. Talent, according to Romero, is not lacking: he was one of the members of the list of best Cuban U-18 baseball players drawn up by the reporter.
Vega was a key piece in the Cienfuegos team, in charge of the director Jorge Rodríguez, and he stood out for his level of play in the last three National Series. Last season, he had a batting percentage of .268/.333/.351, four home runs and 25 RBIs.
In addition, he was part of the national team that represented the Island in the Pan-American U-23 Championship that took place in Nicaragua in 2023.
Son of actor Herón Vega and grandson of one of the great figures of Cuban cinema, Daisy Granados, the young baseball player emigrates in a moment of weakness for the Cuban Baseball Federation, which is struggling to form a team of Cuban emigrants, who play in the Major Leagues, to participate in the international Premier 12 contest, which will be played from November 9 to 24 in the cities of Guadalajara and Tepic (Mexico).
The Federation received a resounding no from Chicago White Sox player Bryan Ramos, who in 15 games recorded an outstanding batting average. Ramos claimed that he is focused on his work with the team that in 2018 hired him on an entry bonus of 300,000 dollars.
The Federation’s invitation was also rejected by pitcher Denny Larrondo, who plays in the Minor Leagues as part of the Arizona Diamondbacks sports franchise. According to journalist Yordano Carmona, the “Villaclareño told them no, that he did not agree to play with them.”
Julio Robaina, Omar Estévez, Yosver Zulueta, Edgar Quero, Michel Baez and Elian Leyva are also on the list of players who have been invited and have declined.
The players who have accepted so far are Ronald Bolaños, Lázaro Armenteros, Yadir Drake, Darién Núñez, Ernesto Martínez Jr., Yusniel Padrón-Artiles, Yoan López, Roberto Sulivan Baldoquín, Alexei Ramírez and Yadil Mujica.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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