Puerto Rico’s losses are led by team captain and Mets superstar Francisco Lindorwhose coverage was denied based on a minor elbow procedure he underwent in October. That denied coverage comes despite the fact that Lindor is expected to be ready for Spring Training and played in 160 of the Mets’ games last year. After injuries Edwin Diaz And Jose Altuve Going into the 2023 tournament, Drellich and Rosenthal report not only that insurance has become more expensive, but also that the league’s insurer has taken a tougher stance on which players they will and will not approve.
Recent surgeries and trips to the 60-day injured list typically result in disqualification from receiving insurance coverage, according to Drellich and Rosenthal, although they add that the league’s insurer evaluates each individual player on a case-by-case basis. ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez provides a little more detail about the standards of National Financial Partners, the insurance broker with MLB that handles the policy. Players classified as having “chronic” Personal injury is more difficult to get insured. Players who have been injured for 60 days or more in the previous season, who have missed two of their team’s last three games due to an injury in the previous season, who have undergone off-season surgery, had multiple surgeries during their career, or have been placed on the injured list on the last day of August or later in the previous season, can all be marked as having an injury. “chronic” injuries.
Another disqualifying factor is age, as Rosenthal and Drellich indicate that NFP will not cover players once they turn 37. Miguel Rojas only to be denied coverage before his 37th birthday on February 24, preventing him from competing on Team Venezuela. However, Rojas won’t be the only one denied coverage due to age, as Drellich and Rosenthal note that NFP is unlikely to also provide coverage for players who turn 37 during the period of coverage a team would receive if the player is injured. Insurance typically covers two years of salary for position players and four years of salary for pitchers.
It should be noted that denial of insurance coverage does not automatically disqualify a player from competing in the WBC. Instead, it then places the onus on the player’s MLB club to determine whether the team is willing to bear the risk of that player participating in the tournament while uninsured. It’s a rare but not unheard of move for a team to make. Rosenthal and Drellich note Miguel Cabrera‘s participation in the tournament in 2023 as an example of a player being allowed to play without insurance. Of course, it should be noted that Cabrera was heading into the final season of his Hall of Fame career and was already set to become a part-time player, so the risk to Detroit if he suffered a major injury was extremely low.
This isn’t just a problem that affects players with high salaries. Team Puerto Rico operations manager Joey Sola told Drellich and Rosenthal that even some Double-A players without MLB salary guarantees or invitations to big league Spring Training have been flagged in the insurance process. At the Major League level, a number of relievers and other players with relatively low salaries have been denied coverage, despite the significantly lower payout associated with them compared to the injury of a star player with a nine-figure contract.
As for Team Puerto Rico specifically, Gonzalez wrote that Victor Caratini, Carlos Correa, Jose Berrios, Emilio PaganAnd Alexis Diaz Besides Lindor, all are expected to miss the tournament. This also applies to Southpaw Jovani Moranas noted by Tim Healey of the Boston Globe. Drellich and Rosenthal write that Moran’s case is under investigation, as are the cases of right-handers Luis Quinones And Yacksel Rios. Puerto Rico, with only 3.2 million residents on the island, is particularly hard hit by these losses due to a lack of quality substitutes. Puerto Rico’s capital San Juan is expected to host one of the four groups in Round 1 of the WBC, joining Houston, Miami and Tokyo. Multiple reports have indicated that Team Puerto Rico’s statements regarding possible withdrawal from the tournament could lead to a less stringent approach to clearances for some of the team’s players.
Team Puerto Rico’s possible withdrawal isn’t the only controversy arising from the coverage denials. As noted by Drellich and Rosenthal, Rojas and some in the Puerto Rican media have criticized the process as particularly harsh on Latin American countries, with the United States and Japan receiving favorable treatment.
“My only question is: why is it only with our countries [in Latin America]like Venezuela, Puerto Rico, some Dominican players?” Rojas said, as relayed by Gonzalez. “I don’t see that happening with the United States or with Japan. And I’m not trying to attack anyone or attack what’s going on… but at the end of the day it feels like it’s only happening to the players who want to represent their country from Latin America. So there are a lot of things I would like to talk about with someone in charge, with someone from MLB.”
It’s not hard to understand that perspective, as Ohtani seems like a fit for a player with one “chronic” injury according to the process Gonzalez laid out after undergoing surgeries throughout his career. While Ohtani has been cleared to play as a DH for Team Japan, it is also important to note that he will not be pitching in the WBC and reports from Drellich and Rosenthal indicate he would likely not be cleared for coverage as a pitcher.
Another objection expressed about the process is the extremely short turnaround time for decisions. WBC rosters are expected next Tuesday, February 3 and will be announced on Thursday, February 5. Some cases are still being assessed and a number of decisions have been made in recent days, leaving WBC teams scrambling for replacements when their expected players unexpectedly receive cover.
“In some ways I think it’s a bit unfair,” Sola said, as relayed by Drellich and Rosenthal. “Especially when you’re three days away from submitting your final selection. Who in the world would think Lindor wasn’t on the (eligible) list? Are you waiting until the last weekend to get an answer about Lindor? Come on.”
It remains to be seen whether Team Puerto Rico will withdraw from the tournament, or whether a combination of players cleared for coverage after review and a collection of replacement players will be enough to allow them to be part of the tournament. With less than 48 hours to go until rosters are due, time is running out for the WBC, MLB, the MLBPA and NFP to resolve this issue.
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