Andy Morales

Career

Morales played for La Habana in the Cuban National Series. He also played the Cuban national baseball team in an exhibition series against the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball, hitting a three-run home run in the game held in Baltimore.

Morales attempted to defect from Cuba in June 2000 with the help of agent Gus Dominguez. Caught at sea by the United States Coast Guard along with 30 other Cubans seeking asylum in the United States, he was returned to Cuba under the "Wet feet, dry feet policy". He was allowed to return home, but was not considered for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Morales successfully defected from Cuba later in 2000 and established his residency in Peru.

Declared a free agent, Morales signed with the New York Yankees in February 2001 to a four-year contract worth US$4.5 million. After batting .231 with one home runs in 48 games for the Norwich Navigators of the Class AA Eastern League, the Yankees placed him on waivers. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Norwich. The Yankees attempted to void his contract when it discovered that he had underreported his age. The Yankees released Morales on July 31, and he played for the Sonoma County Crushers of the Western Baseball League for the remainder of the 2001 season. Morales signed with the Boston Red Sox for the 2002 season, and he played for the Trenton Thunder of the Eastern League.

Personal

When Morales defected, he left behind his wife Daiyana and their seven-month-old son. They obtained visas in order to join Andy in the United States.