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Can the USA’s Star-Studded World Baseball Classic Roster Bounce Back from Last Year’s Defeat?
- Updated Jan. 31, 2026, 1:45 p.m.: the World Baseball Classic will be without several top stars due to denied insurance coverage, though no players this year were prevented from joining Team USA for this reason.
- Major League Baseball requires all players on 40-man roster to have insurance, and insurers often deny coverage over prior injury history.
- Among individual exclusions, Puerto Rico federation president Jose Quiles said they couldn't insure Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, Jose Berrios and Emilio Pagan, and Jose Altuve was denied insurance after suffering a broken thumb.
- Tarik Skubal, two-time Cy Young winner , risks his free-agent value seeking over $400 million, while Clayton Kershaw, three-time Cy Young winner , joins this year’s USA team after retirement.
- Historically, WBC injuries have shifted financial responsibility to insurance policies, as Edwin Diaz, Puerto Rico reliever, missed the entire 2023 MLB season after a patellar tendon tear at the 2023 WBC.
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The president of the local Federation reacted upset to know that Francisco Lindor and other players are not allowed to play in the contest
·Puerto Rico
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The situation of ‘Team Rubio’ heading to the 2026 World Baseball Classic reached a critical point this Thursday, after the president of the Puerto Rico Baseball Federation, José Quiles, revealed that the entity is seriously considering withdrawing Puerto Rico from the tournament, given the repeated denial of permission for several star players to participate.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources22
Leaning Left1Leaning Right3Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Center
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
56% Center
11%
C 56%
R 33%
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