🚨 JUST IN: A Name From the White Sox Past Is Shockingly Back on the World Stage ⚡.DD

As the 2026 World Baseball Classic approaches, roster announcements are generating excitement across Major League Baseball and beyond.

Aug 20, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez (10) in the dugout after scoring a run in the fifth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Several current White Sox players will represent different nations, highlighting the organization’s growing international footprint.

44-year-old Alexei Ramirez will play for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic

The infielder played for Cuba in the first WBC in 2006. He last played in MLB in 2016 pic.twitter.com/1ifoyvgprt

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 6, 2026

Kyle Teel and Sam Antonacci headline Team Italy, while Curtis Mead suits up for Australia.

Newly signed White Sox pitchers Seranthony Dominguez and Munetaka Murakami will represent the Dominican Republic and Japan.

One announcement, however, completely stunned White Sox fans and sparked instant nostalgia.

Former White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez has been named to Team Cuba’s World Baseball Classic roster.

At forty-four years old, Ramirez will return to the international spotlight nearly two decades after his first WBC appearance.

Ramirez last played Major League Baseball in 2016, making his inclusion one of the tournament’s biggest surprises.

White Sox fans remember Ramirez as a cornerstone of the team’s late-2000s and early-2010s rosters.

He debuted in 2008, slugged twenty-one home runs, and finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Ramirez remained Chicago’s everyday shortstop for years, earning Silver Slugger awards and an All-Star selection.

One of his most iconic moments came during his rookie season, delivering a decisive grand slam in a division-clinching scenario.

After leaving Chicago, Ramirez’s MLB career ended quietly following short stints with San Diego and Tampa Bay.

Since then, his baseball appearances have been limited, adding to the shock of his WBC return.

His role with Team Cuba remains unclear, but his presence alone carries emotional weight.

Seeing past and present White Sox players share the international stage adds intrigue to an already exciting spring.

For fans, Ramirez’s return feels less like a roster move and more like a time capsule reopening.