LAKELAND, Fla. — Earlier this month, Detroit Tigers infielder Andy Ibáñez packed his bags, left the spring training facility and boarded a flight.
He ended up across the Pacific Ocean in Taichung, Taiwan.
His absence takes place amid an intense battle for a spot on the Opening Day roster. The Tigers need a right-handed hitting third baseman to platoon with left-handed hitter Nick Maton. Ibáñez, a pure contact hitter who avoids strikeouts, is one of a few players in the mix for the job.
“I feel very good, and as of now, everything that has happened is what I was expecting,” Ibáñez said, with Tigers bilingual media coordinator Carlos Guillen interpreting. “The coaches have talked to me, and my teammates have talked to me, and they’ve made me feel very good.”
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For now, Ibáñez isn’t focused on competing for one of the coveted roster spots in the big leagues. He will be away from the Tigers’ facility for at least one more week, and possibly longer depending on the results of a much-anticipated international baseball tournament.
It’s all about the World Baseball Classic.
For Ibáñez, it’s all about Team Cuba.
“I’m pretty excited,” Ibáñez said. “Having this opportunity is pretty amazing. Having the opportunity to represent my country, because I am Cuban, and the place where my family is, it’s a privilege.”
Ibáñez, born in La Habana, defected from Cuba in November 2014 to jumpstart his MLB career. He agreed to a minor-league contract ($1.6 million signing bonus) with the Texas Rangers in July 2015, made his professional debut in April 2016 and reached the big leagues in May 2021.
Five years ago, he got the Cuban flag tattooed on his left arm.
Ibáñez was the youngest player — at age 19 — with Team Cuba in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, but he wasn’t allowed to play in the 2017 edition for one reason: He defected to the United States. For the 2023 edition, the U.S. has allowed Cuban players in MLB to represent their home country.
“We fully support it, and especially for someone like Andy Ibáñez,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “His life story is a lot different than a lot of guys in that clubhouse. For him to be able to represent Cuba, for him to represent his ancestry, it’s such an important aspect of these players’ non-baseball lives that comes into baseball life.”
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Ibáñez is now playing on the same field as third baseman Yoán Moncada and center fielder Luis Robert, both members of the Chicago White Sox, as well as Yoenis Céspedes and close friends from his childhood.
They all keep in touch through a group message on WhatsApp.
“It will be a nice experience having the opportunity to play with them again,” Ibáñez said. “I played together with them in Cuba, and now playing abroad and representing the national team, it’s going to be a nice experience for us. I’m going to be participating with teammates that are still playing in the Cuban league.”
Team Cuba is in Pool A with Chinese Taipei, Netherlands, Italy and Panama. The five teams are playing at Taichung Stadium in Taiwan from Wednesday-Sunday. The top two teams advance to the single elimination bracket back in the United States.
Team Cuba’s first game in the WBC came Tuesday night against Team Netherlands, though Ibáñez didn’t play due to a sprained finger. It’s not believed to be much of an issue, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Jonathan Schoop, a veteran infielder for the Tigers, is the everyday second baseman for the Dutch team.
Team Cuba’s next game is against Team Italy at 6 a.m. Thursday.
“I realize there are at-bats that are lost, and there are looks that are lost,” Hinch said. “If he’s the best option, we certainly will still give him every opportunity to make our team. It illustrates the point that we are going to take evaluations much deeper than a spring training performance.”
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Before leaving camp, Ibáñez hit .286 (2-for-7) with one walk and zero strikeouts in four spring training games. Once he returns, his mindset will shift back to his goal of making the Opening Day roster.
The two other players in the mix for a platoon role at third base are Tyler Nevin and Ryan Kreidler, also right-handed hitters. César Hernández, a switch-hitter, could play the hot corner, too, but he profiles better as a second baseman.
Ibáñez has been in this situation before, becoming the Opening Day third baseman for the Rangers last season, and brings a calm but confident demeanor to the clubhouse. He has a career .304 batting average against left-handed pitchers and is an above-average defender at third base, first base and second base.
He appears to fit perfectly.
That’s why the Tigers are giving him a chance, even despite his absence.
“I’m doing my best and working very hard,” Ibáñez said. “I want to be a part of the Detroit Tigers. I want to help the team win games. But at the end of the day, I’ll leave the decisions to the front office.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.