Cuba has announced its roster for the upcoming Premier12 Tournament, and some changes were made from the preliminary roster that was put out this past July. Infielder Yoan Moncada was selected on Cuba’s roster but will not be playing in the Premier12, as reported by Francys Romero. Romero believes it is very likely Moncada will play winter ball in Venezuela. Here is who will be joining Cuba’s roster, led by manager Armando Johnson:
PITCHERS:
- – Livan Moinelo
- – Raidel Martinez
- – Yoennis Yera
- – Yoan Lopez*
- – Geonel Gutierrez
- – Yankiel Mauris
- – Frank Alvarez
- – Dario Sarduy
- – Yusniel Padron
- – Ronald Bolaños*
- – Leodán Reyes
- – Andy Vargas
- – Frank Medina
- – Raymond Figueredeo
CATCHERS:
- – Andrys Perez
- – Andy Yaniel Cosme
INFIELDERS:
- – Erisbel Arruebarruena*
- – Christian L. Rodriguez
- – Roberto Baldoquín
- – Yadil Mujica
- – Ariel Martinez
- – Jean Walters
- – Yoan Moncada* (will not play)
OUTFIELDERS:
- – Yoelkis Guibert
- – Lazaro Armenteros
- – Alfredo Despaigne
- – Roel Santos
- – Yadir Drake
*—denotes MLB experience
Livan Moinelo looks to be the ace of Cuba’s rotation this November. The 28-year-old southpaw pitched phenomenally this season with NPB’s SoftBank Hawks, posting an 11-5 record, a 1.88 ERA in 25 starts, striking out 155 batters in 163 innings. Moinelo made the transition to a starter after the 2022 season.
Another intriguing name in Cuba’s bullpen will be Raidel Martinez. Martinez pitched in NPB this season with the Chunichi Dragons. In 60 appearances out of the Dragons bullpen, he went 2-3, posting a 1.09 ERA and collecting 43 saves while punching out 59 batters in 58 innings. Francys Romero also reported that Martinez will stay in Japan for the 2025 season, where he could potentially transition to the MLB in 2026.
Since Yoan Moncada will not play this November, the team carries three players with MLB experience. Yoan Lopez, Ronald Bolaños, and Erisbel Arruebarrena have all played in parts of MLB seasons in the past few years. Lopez pitched with the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets from 2018-2022, going 3-8 in 121 games, striking out 92 batters. Bolaños pitched with the San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals from 2019-2022, making five starts in 18 appearances, striking out 43 batters during his big-league tenure. Arruebarrena made a brief appearance in the MLB with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014. The infielder hit .195 in 22 games, collecting eight hits, one double, and four RBIs.
Cuba will kick off their competition on November 13, where they will be hosts to the Dominican Republic. The game will be at Taipei Tianmu Baseball Stadium in Taipei City, Taiwan. The first pitch is set for 5:30 AM EST.
