Cuban Pitcher Reportedly Is Defecting to U.S.
Cuban pitcher Rolando Arrojo has defected to the United States from Albany, Ga., where his nation’s team was preparing for this month’s Olympics, Miami television station WLTV reported Tuesday.
Arrojo, a right-hander said to be in his late 20s, left the team on Monday night. Joe Cubas, a Miami-based agent who said he is representing Arrojo, called the TV station and told them he was en route to Miami with the player.
Cubas has assisted in the defections of other Cuban baseball players, including Livan Hernandez, now in the Florida Marlin minor league system, and Osvaldo Fernandez, with the San Francisco Giants.
The TV station said Cubas hoped to hold a news conference within the next few days to reveal Arrojo’s plans.
The U.S. State Department said it had heard nothing about the reported defection and had no comment.
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