Moreno and Perez on U.S. Soil?

I have another completely unsubstantiated report that two additional Cuban baseball players have defected to the United States, both from Isla de la Juvent: shortstop Juan Carlos Moreno and outfielder Felix Perez. Particulars and details are not available at this time.

Moreno lined up with the Cuban National Team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. He played in only one game, reaching via an error in his only plate appearance and scoring a run. A mainstay on the national team, he made his first appearance in an international tournament in 1998—when Cuba won the World Championship. Thirty-three years old, I could see him catching on somewhere as a utility player and spot starter. He boasts a lifetime batting average of .288 with 100 HRs. I don’t have enough info to calculate his OBP, but his K/BB ratio is 1.24.

Felix Perez is an unheralded outfielder for Isla de la Juvent. The most recent stats I could find on him (2006-2007) show him at .287 in 223 ABs with one HR and 24 RBI. His 52/17 K/BB ratio is somewhat alarming.

In 2008, Isla de la Juvent finished in second place in Group A with a 40-50 record.

I’ll post more as this story develops.