Ridiculous insurance issues keep former, current Twins out of Puerto Rico’s WBC roster

While Team USA and the Dominican Republic appear to be the early favorites to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC 2026), Puerto Rico also appeared to be loaded with All-Star talent. However, insurance issues are preventing some of the area’s biggest stars from being approved to take part in the highly anticipated tournament.

Ridiculous insurance issues keep former and current Twins, including Carlos Correa and José Berríos, out of Puerto Rico’s WBC roster

Notable former Twins who were denied insurance coverage to play for Team Puerto Rico include Correa, Berríos and Emilio Pagán, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. Twins catcher Victor Caratini also has no coverage. Even more notable, future Hall of Fame shortstop Francisco Lindor was also denied coverage.

Because of these ridiculous insurance issues, Team Puerto Rico operations manager Joey Sala has threatened to withdraw the team from the tournament, despite the U.S. territory hosting Pool A, which includes Cuba, Canada, Panama and Colombia, at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan from March 6 to 11. Because Puerto Rico has a much smaller population than the larger countries participating in the tournament, the territory would have a much harder time replacing its stars than its competitors.

However, some good news has recently emerged about the unfortunate situation in Puerto Rico. According to Gabriel Quiles of El Vocerois the president of the federation of the area, Dr. Jose Quiles, optimistic that some of the players’ denials will be overturned before Tuesday’s deadline.

MLB would be making a big mistake if they don’t cover the insurance of denied Puerto Rican players for WBC 2026

Technically, a denied insurance policy does not disqualify a player from competing in the WBC. But if an uninsured player is injured during the tournament, his MLB team must pay a salary without insurance.

The Puerto Rico Baseball Federation is looking for private insurance alternatives, according to Gabriel Quiles. In addition, the Players Association and MLB, co-owners of the WBC, are trying to get insurers to change their decisions, according to The Athletic. If the insurers won’t do that, MLB should step in and insure the players for their teams. It’s unfair to put that pressure on players’ teams, but MLB certainly has the power and financial resources to offer clubs insurance for players who are denied coverage.

If the WBC has every team at full strength, the MLB will reap the benefits. Of course, by allowing players without coverage to play in the tournament and offering teams insurance, MLB will lose some money if someone sustains an injury. However, insuring those players would likely still be a good investment for MLB, as the tournament would generate more revenue and create more excitement for the 2026 season.