Former White Sox Shortstop Makes Surprise Return to Cuba’s WBC Team

White Sox fans may soon see a familiar face back in action on the world stage.

According to baseball reporter Francys Romero, former White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramírez has been added to Cuba’s preliminary roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. 

Ramírez suited up for Cuba in the inaugural 2006 tournament in Puerto Rico when he was just 24 years old. Two decades later, the 44-year-old infielder is making a return to the World Baseball Classic. 

Ramírez spent eight of his nine Major League seasons with the White Sox, posting a .273/.310/.399 slash line on the South Side with 115 home runs, 143 stolen bases, and 590 RBIs. During that span, he won two Silver Slugger Awards and earned an All-Star selection in 2014.

Ramírez burst onto the scene in 2008, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting after batting a career-high .290 with 21 home runs and 77 RBIs in 136 games. He helped lead the White Sox to the postseason that year, highlighted by a clutch grand slam against the Detroit Tigers that forced a winner-take-all Game 163 against the Minnesota Twins.

Ramírez’s inclusion on the preliminary roster comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding Cuba’s national team selection process. Some players, including Luis Robert Jr., have publicly stated they will not represent Cuba until the national program changes its rules to allow all Cuban players an equal opportunity to participate.

Robert did play for Cuba during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, made possible by a rule change from the Cuban Baseball Federation that allowed select MLB players to join the team.

Under former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, players who left the island to pursue professional careers abroad were barred from returning and labeled traitors. For many athletes seeking a chance at Major League Baseball—or simply a better life—the only option was to flee the country, often risking their lives in dangerous sea crossings.

In November, the Cuban Baseball Federation loosened its restrictions further, reaching out to a limited number of MLB players about representing the national team. However, several of the game’s biggest Cuban stars were not invited. Ultimately, Robert, Yoán Moncada, Roenis Elías, and Yoenis Céspedes were the only four MLB players who agreed to participate.

That decision drew significant backlash, particularly from Cuban exiles. Castro outlawed professional sports in 1961, forcing athletes to survive on modest state salaries—one of the primary reasons many players chose to leave the island. Cuba’s national teams have also long been used as political propaganda, with on-field success often leveraged to distract from broader issues facing the country.