Yahoo! December 20, 2000
SYRACUSE, N.Y. 19 (AP) - Pitcher Mayque Quintero and infielder Evel Bastida
have defected from Cuba and soon plan to work out for major league teams, agent
Joe Kehoskie said Tuesday night.
Kehoskie said the players defected last week, but declined to give further
details. He said they hoped to show off their talents for clubs in early
January, and said they would not be subject to the big league draft.
Quintero, 22, and Bastida, 23, were teammates on the Havana Industriales,
Cuba's top team. Both were suspended by Cuban officials in September for "suspicion''
of a desire to defect, Kehoskie said.
"Because of their suspensions, they're working out now and getting
ready for the showcase,'' Kehoskie said. "We hope to hold it somewhere in
the United States.''
Quintero, a right-hander, was 10-5 with a 1.90 ERA this season in his fourth
year with the Industriales.
Bastida was a shortstop and leadoff hitter in Cuba. He has a career average
over .300, Kehoskie said.
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