José Berríos Among Players Denied Insurance Coverage for WBC

[Leo Morgenstern]

Several players who were planning to suit up for this year’s World Baseball Classic have been forced to withdraw from the tournament, just days before final rosters are due. The (frustrating and disappointing) reason? Insurance. 

To participate in the WBC, MLB players must be approved for an insurance policy – unless their team is willing to absorb all financial risk in case of injury. If granted, these policies cover up to two years of salary for position players and up to four years for pitchers (per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich). 

The list of names that have dropped out of the WBC includes, among others, Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, and Toronto Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos. Berríos is a true veteran of the tournament, having pitched in each of the last three Classics. While he hasn't had much individual success (13.98 ERA in five WBC appearances), he was a member of the runner-up Puerto Rico teams in both 2013 and 2017. His insurance case is currently under review, according to Puerto Rico’s operations manager Joey Sola, but right now, it’s looking like he’ll have to sit out the WBC for the first time in his career. It seems unlikely the Blue Jays would be willing to let him play without insurance.

Berríos has long been one of MLB’s most durable arms, but he landed on the injured list last season for the first time in his career. The Blue Jays placed him on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation on September 25, and he was unable to pitch in the playoffs. He later told MLB Network that he suffered through elbow and biceps issues “all year long,” clarifying that it was biceps tendon inflammation that ultimately forced him to the shelf. Thankfully, the righty described the issue as “nothing major.”  

Indeed, GM Ross Atkins told reporters in November that Berríos would have a “completely normal offseason.” The Blue Jays expect him to be at 100% in spring training as he competes for a job in their starting rotation.

Until recently, it seemed like a given that a healthy Berríos would also pitch in the World Baseball Classic. A strong performance might have even helped him earn a rotation spot. 

“I want to pitch in the WBC,” he said in his December appearance on MLB Network. “That's my goal right now.”

Puerto Rico has been hit harder by insurance rejections than any other team, leading José Quiles, president of the Puerto Rico Baseball Federation, to contemplate pulling his team from the tournament. He told journalist Jay Fonseca that no final decision has been made, but he does not want to participate if his team does not have a fair chance to win.

This news is especially disappointing considering that Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan is set to host Pool A for the first round of competition.  

Venezuelan infielder Miguel Rojas, another would-be participant who was denied insurance, voiced his displeasure that insurance rejections have impacted Latin American teams, like Venezuela and Puerto Rico, more than any others. 

“There's a lot of things I would like to talk about with someone in control, with someone from MLB,” the veteran told ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez.

Hopefully, MLB, the MLBPA, and the WBC will find a solution that allows more players to participate and prevents Puerto Rico from exiting the tournament. However, the clock is ticking. Official rosters are due February 3, and they will be formally announced on February 5. Pool play is scheduled to kick off a month later.

Blue Jays who are still expected to play in the WBC include Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Dominican Republic), Alejandro Kirk (Mexico), Kazuma Okamoto (Japan), Ernie Clement (USA), Yariel Rodríguez (Cuba), Adam Macko (Canada), and Leo Jiménez (Panama). George Springer was named to Puerto Rico's preliminary roster but later backed out due to minor injury concerns of his own.

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