masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgIn case you missed it in the comments section, left-hander Wesley Wright is scheduled to take his physical Thursday morning in Baltimore. His signing could be announced later that day or Friday, depending how quickly the results come back.

Major League Baseball issued the following statement this afternoon regarding President Obama’s announcement that the United States will restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba and open an embassy in Havana for the first time in more than a…In case you missed it in the comments section, left-hander Wesley Wright is scheduled to take his physical Thursday morning in Baltimore. His signing could be announced later that day or Friday, depending how quickly the results come back.

Major League Baseball issued the following statement this afternoon regarding President Obama’s announcement that the United States will restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba and open an embassy in Havana for the first time in more than a half-century:

wesley-wright-cubs-sidebar.jpg“Major League Baseball is closely monitoring the White House’s announcement regarding Cuban-American relations. While there are not sufficient details to make a realistic evaluation, we will continue to track this significant issue, and we will keep our clubs informed if this different direction may impact the manner in which they conduct business on issues related to Cuba.”

The Orioles currently have four Cuban defectors in their system: outfielders Henry Urrutia, Dariel Alvarez and Elier Leyva, and pitcher Lazaro Leyva (no relation). Today’s news must especially interest a front office that might already be plotting how many scouts to send to the island country and whether to open up an academy.

It’s a real game-changer.

It would be more significant if the Orioles grew to become bigger spenders on the international market. They gave Urrutia $778,500, Alvarez $800,000, Lazaro Leyva $725,000 and Elier Leyva $180,000.

We’re not talking the kind of money thrown at Yoenis Cespedes ($36 million), Yasiel Puig ($42 million), Jose Abreu ($68 million), Yasmany Tomas ($68.5 million) and Rusney Castillo ($72.5 million).