The World Baseball Classic is quickly approaching, and Panama is starting to get a clear idea of what their team will look like.
Recently, it was announced that Logan Allen of the Cleveland Guardians would be pitching for Panama in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. His mother is Panamanian and Panama’s general manager, Dámaso Espino, spoke on Allen and the process of getting him on the team.
“We knew Logan had the eligibility to play for Panama for a while because his mom was born in Panama and grew up in Panama, so we knew that for a while, even when he was in college at Florida International University,” Espino told World Baseball Network. “The last classic, I believe, the team tried to contact him, but it was a complicated situation. He was kind of up and down for the big leagues, or was still getting his foot in the door there.”
Panama finished 2-2 without Allen in the 2023 World Baseball Classic without Allen. However, Allen has since then established himself as a key player for the Guardians, making 73 starts over the last three seasons. This time around, Espino made sure to get in contact with Allen early.
“But this time around, since the beginning of March, I started contacting him and trying to get a sense of his interest in playing. Since the beginning, he has shown an interest in playing. His family has told me they’re very excited for him to represent Panama,” Espino told World Baseball Network. “And, uh, you know, finally, at the end of November, José Mayorga, who is our manager, and Julio Rangel, our pitching coach, and myself, had a meeting with him, and were able to explain with more detail his role, and what we expect from him. He called us a few days later to say that he was in. He was excited to play, and the process to MLB has been very positive with him.”
Allen had a 4.25 ERA in 156 2/3 innings over 30 games last season. He set a career high in innings pitched and strikeouts, helping the Guardians win the American League Central. However, it will take more than just Allen to help Panama make a run. Espino spoke on where Panama is in the process of getting a roster finalized.
“Well, the 1st step was notifying MLB of our 35-man roster at the beginning of this month,” Espino told World Baseball Network. “We’re excited because we feel comfortable and we’re good with that roster. We talk to all those players, and they all have an interest in playing, and they’re all excited about Panama. So all that is positive. The next step is getting the permissions and the insurance from the players and from the teams. And that’s the step we are in.
“We were able, we were able to already confirm the players that we have, that are in the Asian leagues in Japan and Korea, and we’re excited about those pitchers. We’re still waiting on the majority of our big league players. We have faith that we’re gonna get permission, so we’re gonna have a very complete roster.”
In 2023, Panama earned its spot in the tournament by winning the qualifier tournament. They did not need to play in a qualifier this time around and are in Pool A in San Juan with Canada, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Cuba.
Photo: Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Logan Allen delivers against the Texas Rangers during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
