Two events this past week pointed to the deteriorating (economically speaking) state of sports and athletes in Cuba. A situation that is not new, but that repeats itself year after year without a medium or short-term solution.

This time, the National Baseball Series faced a new crisis after several players from the Ciego de Avila Tigers team resigned, deciding to step away from the tournament due to low salaries.

According to the Facebook page Tigres Avileños, this week it was revealed that important figures from the Ciego de Ávila team announced their decision, stating that their departure from the team was not due to differences with the team management, but because they could not financially support their families with their current income.

Among the players who requested to leave was Osvaldo Vazquez, a veteran catcher for the Tigers and a former member of the national team.

The Avileño catcher stated, “I’m not leaving because of issues with the team, on the contrary, I extend my sincerest respect to the management and especially to Dany Miranda. I’m very sorry not to have continued with the Ciego de Ávila Tigers, but I am retiring from Cuban baseball due to salary issues.”

In a conversation with the magazine Pelota Cubana, the experienced catcher explained that his monthly salary of 3,500 Cuban pesos ($10 USD) was insufficient to cover his family’s needs.

“Without baseball, which is the only thing I enjoy, I could help out in the province or with something related to this sport. In the end, I can earn more and be closer to my family,” he added.

Yes, you read it correctly, 3,500 Cuban pesos is the salary of an active athlete in the National Series, the country’s main sporting event.

In other words, the talent of a baseball player on the island is worth just a little more than a carton of eggs, which currently costs around 3,000 pesos on the informal market.

Another notable case is that of Gustavo Brito, a young prospect for the team, who also publicly announced his resignation. Brito said his decision was not related to internal conflicts within the team.

“It’s just the salary issue, which doesn’t get us anywhere, and I have a family to support. It hurts me for the team and for the management that gave me their trust, but that’s beyond their control,” he added.

Pitcher Luis Marrero joined the critical voices, stating, “It’s true that it’s not easy to maintain a home and a family with just 3,500 pesos. I know it’s a hard decision because separating from baseball hurts.”

The departures of these players are not an isolated case.

In 2023, talented player Yasiel Andy Gonzalez from Holguin left the National Series for similar reasons and later emigrated to the Dominican Republic in search of an opportunity in Major League Baseball.

That same year, Cuban umpire Reynol Alfonso also left his position in national baseball due to poor salaries.

“The salary of an umpire is very low… in the playoff between Industriales and Santiago de Cuba, I was paid 50 pesos for working home plate, and no one is concerned about fixing this. With the current situation in our country, 50 pesos won’t buy you anything. They never worry about the salary of the umpires, and they know perfectly well that it’s very little,” Alfonso said to Tribuna de La Habana newspaper at that time.

Alfonso reported that his salary for that National Series was just 1,600 pesos per month ($5 USD), the same as the minimum pension for a retired Cuban.

This situation summarizes a structural problem in Cuban sports, where the salaries offered are not enough to retain talent. The issue affects not only the players but also threatens the future of baseball on the island, a sport that has been emblematic of the country for decades. Dreams and passion for baseball are not enough when the basic needs of the players and their families are at stake.

The other event that marked the week also had to do with the material discomfort of another athlete, the Olympic and world wrestling champion Luis Orta, who, in a conversation with the YouTube channel La familia cubana, revealed that he was still waiting for his house.

“Wrestlers deserve respect and treatment according to what we have achieved, and that’s not the case in real life. Individually, I haven’t received it. I need my house, which they haven’t given me,” he said.

This article was translated into English from the original in Spanish.