Dodgers' Friedman: MLB has 'failed Cuban players'
Andrew Friedman thinks Cuban baseball players shouldn't have to go it alone.
The Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations believes baseball hasn't done enough to help ease Cuban players' transitions to life as high-profile athletes in America, where the media spotlight shines bright.
"I feel like as an industry we've failed the Cuban players," Friedman told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. "We sign them for a lot of money and fast-track them to the major leagues (because of the money invested) and just the raw talent. We don’t necessarily take the time to help with the assimilation to this style of play, this culture.
"And there are so many things that are so different from their experiences also in a professional league that differ from here that we take for granted. ... As an example I think they show up at 6 o’clock for a 7 p.m. game (in Cuba). It’s just totally different."
Friedman specifically cited the case of his own Cuban import, outfielder Yasiel Puig, as an example of the system's failure. After signing a big-money deal and bursting onto the scene in 2013, the 25-year-old spent last season answering questions about his attitude, maturity level, and even his standing with Dodgers teammates. He also faced domestic violence allegations over the winter, though he was not charged over the alleged incident.
Puig appears to have put his frustrating 2015 behind him, and is off to a red-hot start this year. He's also shown signs of personal growth, including being the first to arrive at the team's charter flights.
It was an interview Puig gave to ESPN Deportes in February, where he said he didn't know how to be a good teammate, that made Friedman believe his outfielder had finally turned a corner in understanding American baseball culture.
"When I heard that in February, it was really encouraging to me for numerous reasons - one of which was the vulnerability it showed," Friedman said. "It's not easy to say I don’t know how to do something."