The 2026 World Baseball Classic hasn’t even started yet, but for Team Puerto Rico, the tournament is already under intense pressure. Not because of the opponents. Not because of their form. But because of a factor entirely outside the baseball field: insurance.
According to the latest reports, Puerto Rico has submitted a 30-player roster but deliberately left three spots vacant — an unusual detail at this stage. Those three names are no strangers: Francisco Lindor, Javier Báez, and especially José BerrÃos. All three are still awaiting the final ruling from the WBC’s insurance company.
The issue isn’t about the desire to play. It’s about the financial risk.
The World Baseball Classic has a very clear insurance mechanism: if a player is injured during the tournament, the insurance will cover their entire salary — two years for a position player, four years for a pitcher. In BerrÃos’s case, that’s a significant amount. For the 2026 season, he will receive $19 million. If he suffers a serious injury, insurance companies could face at least $76 million, possibly even more considering the opt-out clause and subsequent years.
And that’s why BerrÃos is such a “sensitive case.”
At 31, a pitcher, and having just gone through a rocky season—his ERA increased from 3.60 to 4.17, he finished the year above 1L due to right elbow inflammation, and he was once pushed into the bullpen—BerrÃos has hit enough “red spots” that insurance companies are particularly wary of. Even without a history of long-term injuries, his overall risk profile alone is enough to make insurance companies hesitant.
It’s worth noting that this decision didn’t come from the WBC. According to Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich (The Athletic), the organizers didn’t intervene. The power of life and death rests in the hands of insurance companies—companies that have become extremely cautious after the 2023 WBC, where Jose Altuve and Edwin DÃaz suffered serious injuries, directly impacting their entire MLB season.
For Puerto Rico, this isn’t just BerrÃos’s story.
The team already has a more limited player pool compared to powerhouses like the US or Japan. Losing several key players simultaneously—even just due to paperwork—could disrupt the team’s structure. There have even been suggestions that Puerto Rico might consider withdrawing if they can’t field a competitive roster.
For BerrÃos, the situation is no simpler. He has the option to opt out after the 2026 season. A successful WBC could increase his value and solidify his position. But an injury—even a minor one—could change the entire trajectory of his career. And if the insurance says “no,” all personal choices become meaningless.
What makes this story so haunting is that international baseball is clashing with the economic realities of modern MLB. With rising player salaries and extended contracts, every pitch in an unofficial league like the WBC becomes a huge risk calculation.
José BerrÃos is currently… waiting. Not waiting for the first pitch. Waiting for an email, a phone call, a cold, impersonal decision from the insurance company. And along with him, Team Puerto Rico is hanging in the balance—between national pride and an unnamed worry.
The 2026 WBC may be exciting. But for Puerto Rico, the most important game may have already taken place… in the insurance company’s boardroom.
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