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Alden Gonzalez
Several authors
Star power in this area World Baseball Classic is undeniable.
The U.S. team kicked off training Tuesday afternoon that included, in order, Bobby Witt Jr.., Bryce Harper, Aaron judges, Kyle Schwarber, Alex Bregman And Cal Raleighpart of a group that racked up 15 runs and 19 hits in an exhibition outburst that saw Paul Skenes And Mason Miller not. Later that night, Juan Soto, Manny Machado And Caminero Junior all homered in the fourth inning on a tune-up for the Dominican Republic.
The WBC is now in its sixth iteration, and with each one, the lists are more decoratedTHE membership is more important. And yet, growing pains remain. When the tournament was created, players were apathetic, especially in the United States. Three years ago, the struggle to convince starting pitchers to commit in the middle of spring training dominated early conversations. This year, the difficulty of securing contracts – and players being unable to participate because of it – has dominated the tournament.
What exactly is the problem – and what does it mean for the WBC? Let’s address these and other questions.
So why do players disappear because of insurance?
Major league contracts are fully guaranteed – meaning players get paid – regardless of when an injury occurs. But teams want to be protected from having to pay players who get injured specifically during the WBC, given the added risks of a high-pressure baseball tournament that doesn’t impact MLB standings.
Since the inception of the WBC, an insurance company, mutually agreed upon between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players’ Association, has agreed to insure these contracts: NFP. Three years ago, the company was essentially paying Edwin Diazthe 2023 salary – $17.25 million – while theNew York Mets closer tore his patella tendon in the middle of an on-field celebration. When Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve missing the first seven weeks of this season due to a thumb injury suffered in the WBC, this covered that part of his contract.
Since then, the parameters of the NFP have become stricter, notably with the introduction of a new provision: no contract will be guaranteed once a player reaches the age of 37. This kept Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas to return to his native Venezuela before what will be his final MLB season as a player, a source of frustration for the 12-year veteran.
Aside from age, those who are classified as having “chronic” injuries by the NFP struggle to be insured. If a player was on the injured list for at least 60 days total in a previous season, was injured and unable to play in two of his team’s final three games of that season, had offseason surgery, had more than one surgery in his career, or was on the IL on the last day of August of the previous season, he is classified as “chronic.”
At this point, he must sign a HIPAA release form which gives NFP a more in-depth look at his medical history. It’s a long process, and if it doesn’t start early enough, even players who are ultimately deemed insurable could run out of time. The larger the player’s contract – and the more serious his injuries – the more unlikely it is that he will be covered.
Who are the most important players missing because of this? Which WBC teams are most affected?
Puerto Rico, which hosts one of the pool rounds, was hit the hardest, so much so that at one point officials threatened to pull out of the tournament. Francisco Lindor And Carlos Correawho would have accounted for the left side of the team’s infield, were denied coverage. So were a handful of lesser-known players who would have made the roster.
Altuve was denied insurance for Venezuela, as was Jose Alvaradoinciting a moving Instagram post from the Philadelphia Phillies reliever. Elly De La Cruz will not suit the Dominican Republic, although that has more to do with the Cincinnati Reds preferring not to play after a year hampered by quad problems.
Shohei Ohtanimeanwhile, would probably not be assured on the pitching side for Japan, sources said, although he probably would have only batted anyway. Another star refused insurance: Mike Troutcaptain of the American team in 2023. Famous, this tournament ended with Ohtani striking out Trout in the final.
Was there an attempt to get around the refusals and make them play?
A player who is denied coverage by NFP essentially has two options. The first is to convince your team to take the financial risk (as the Arizona Diamondbacks made with a 39 year old first baseman Carlos Santanawho will play for the Dominican Republic even if his salary of 2 million dollars is not assured). Another, more difficult option is to find another insurance company.
In the case of Correa and Lindor, Bad Bunny, the internationally renowned Puerto Rican artist, tried to get involved. Bad Bunny, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, offered to cover both superstars through a separate insurance company that was ultimately not approved by their respective agencies or teams.
Lindor was initially denied coverage because he had undergone cleanings of his right elbow twice in the past three offseasons, but Bad Bunny’s efforts became moot once the Mets shortstop was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left hamate bone early in spring training, leading to surgery.
What, if anything, is MLB planning to prevent this from happening in the future?
At this point, not much. (The league has officially declined to comment on the matter.) And in reality, there’s not much that can be done. Teams want assurance. MLB officials appear happy with NFP’s services and believe the company is exploring various ways to underwrite these policies.
Perhaps other options could materialize over the next three years, but the harsh reality is this: contract values continue to grow and the risk of injury has not diminished.
