The current status of Cuban baseball player Edgar Quero is well known. A native of Cienfuegos, he is part of the Chicago White Sox organization, with two seasons of experience at this level, according to the specialized website Baseball Reference. His path to the Major Leagues involved turning down a $500,000 offer from the New York Yankees.

However, his earlier history in Cuba, and the circumstances surrounding his departure from the island, are not as widely known. That changed on October 28, when the catcher gave an exclusive interview to our media outlet, Swing Completo.

Edgar Quero recalled that he stood out from the very beginning of his baseball career in Cuba, earning the chance to wear the national team uniform in international tournaments for the U-12 and U-15 age groups. His final appearance came in 2018, marking the end of his time with the national program, as he left for the Dominican Republic just months later. He was only 15 years old at the time, and initially, he was not keen on the idea, for one specific reason.

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Pormenores de la salida de Cuba

"I didn't make the decision alone. It was a family-wide decision. My mom, who was living in Spain, traveled to Cuba to pick us up, and we all left for the Dominican Republic. As a kid, I didn't really want to leave because I was in the middle of a national championship. I wanted to finish playing in it before heading out. I was already ranked in Cuba, having been named the All-Star catcher at the U-15 World Cup. I brought my whole family, and my coach, with me to the Dominican Republic," he said.

Arriving in a new country marked the beginning of a grueling journey, filled with sacrifices, as he pursued the chance to land a contract with an MLB franchise. Edgar Quero revealed to Swing Completo that, after participating in numerous tryouts, two teams in particular showed interest in signing him: the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels.

He and his agent weighed the decision very carefully. Ultimately, they chose to prioritize building a solid future over securing the largest possible signing bonus.

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When money wasn’t the primary motivation

"The Yankees offered about $500,000, and the Angels offered $250,000. My agent told me, 'If it were just about the money, you’d be better off signing with the Yankees, but the path is clearer in Anaheim. You’ll get less money, but I think you should sign there.' He would also end up with less money, but that path offered me a faster route to progress. We made our decision and signed," he recounted.

On July 26, 2023, after making a significant impact within the Los Angeles organization’s minor league system, Edgar Quero moved on to the Chicago White Sox. The trade placed the Cuban player within a franchise that was undergoing a rebuilding process and looking to bring in young talent. His long-awaited MLB debut took place on April 17, 2025, the realization of a goal he had pursued for a long time.

His journey into the world’s premier baseball league is remarkable, but it all began back in 2019, when he left Cuba. The path he traveled to get here is deeply significant, and the player himself reflected on it in an exclusive interview.

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