The last week of the baseball offseason is being dominated by something as mundane as a simulated game, and as complicated as trying to figure out how to watch games in the streaming era: Insurance.
When rosters are announced for the upcoming World Baseball Classic this week, Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor won’t be among the players included on the Puerto Rican roster, while his teammate right fielder Juan Soto is expected to be on the list of players who will represent the Dominican Republic. Over the weekend, it was announced that MLB’s insurance partner was declining to insure Lindor in the game’s premier international event this year because of the clean-out procedures he has had on his right elbow in recent seasons, including one immediately following the 2025 season.
Sources told the Daily News that they remain confused by the decisions, but also acknowledged that since the WBC is only played every 3-5 years, the process isn’t well understood. A little transparency could go a long way in the future, especially if MLB allows participation in the 2028 Olympic Games.
According to various Puerto Rican outlets, there is still a chance Lindor gets approved to play if a private insurer agrees to cover him.
Several other high-profile players from Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic were also denied coverage, leading to allegations of bias against the Latin American countries by MLB. The United States and Japan aren’t having the same issues, which puts the league in a tough spot. It’s tough to prove implicit bias, but without Lindor, Puerto Rico’s captain, or Carlos Correa, Jose Berríos and Javy Báez, the team is forced to put a lesser product on the field. It’s especially unfortunate given that Puerto Rico is one of the host countries.
The first round will be hosted at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan. Local fans have waited 13 years for the tournament to return to the country that has been one of the hosts on three previous occasions, and now they can’t even see the best talent the island has to offer. Team Puerto Rico was expected to be among the contending nations, but with such a small talent pool compared to other teams, replacing key players won’t be easy.
Once again, the Mets and the Houston Astros are at the center of the controversy. During the 2023 WBC, former Mets closer Edwin Diaz suffered a season-ending knee injury, and Jose Altuve missed the start of the season with a fractured thumb. Diaz might be the most famous example of why insurance is necessary for the event. When he was forced to miss the entirety of the 2023 season, the Mets didn’t lose any money because of the insurance policy.
MLB and the Player’s Association co-own the tournament, and according to The Athletic, they use National Financial Partners to insure the contracts of WBC players who are on 40-man rosters. As contracts have increased in value, so too has the cost of insuring those contracts. Teams can allow their players to participate without insurance, so long as they’re willing to take the hit on the salary. Most large contracts are already insured for at least a portion of the salary.
Injuries are what typically lead to an insurer denying coverage, but this is where some have deemed the process as unfair. Players who have extensive injury histories have been approved to play for Team USA and Team Japan. Shohei Ohtani was approved to hit, but not pitch, for Japan. Players who spent time on the injured list last season, like Aaron Judge and Alex Bregman, were approved by the insurance company.
Soto and Lindor both played the same amount of games for the Mets last season (160 each), yet only Soto was approved. Lindor hasn’t spent time on the injured list since 2021, and has never once been placed on the 60-day IL, so a small procedure on his elbow being the reason for a rejection seems strange.
Rosters were due Tuesday afternoon, and will be announced Thursday on MLB Network.
BELTRÁN TO REPRESENT METS IN HOF
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced Carlos Beltrán’s decision to be enshrined this summer as a Met. The outfielder, who is currently a special assistant to the president of baseball operations, previously said he would wear a Mets cap if he was voted into the Hall, and intends to make good on his promise.
“I didn’t do this alone,” Beltrán said in a statement. “Every team I played for shaped my journey, and I’m grateful to all of them. With the Mets, I experienced my greatest individual growth and success. I’m honored that my Hall of Fame plaque will feature the Mets logo, and I’m proud that every team I played for will be listed on the plaque.”
Beltrán played for seven teams over 20 seasons, spending seven with the Mets. He will be inducted alongside Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent in Cooperstown on July 26, becoming just the third player to have a plaque with the Mets logo (Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza).
EARLY WORK
Several players have already reported to Port St. Lucie for spring training, including pitchers Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, Christian Scott, Freddie Peralta and Clay Holmes.
