Former Industriales catcher from last season, Oscar Valdés Nogueira, has arrived in the United States through a family reunification process, according to sports journalist Francys Romero.
Romero shared a photo of Valdés with his father at Miami International Airport alongside the announcement.
According to the Cuban Baseball Federation statistics, Valdés has played in ten National Series seasons, including both regular and postseason games. During the 2018-2019 season, he was a reinforcement for the Sancti Spíritus team. Additionally, he wore the Portuarios uniform in the first Cuban Elite Baseball League and continued with Industriales in the second edition.
Key Contributions to Industriales
In the latest National Series, Valdés was a significant contributor to Industriales' offense, scoring 46 runs, hitting 79 times, including eleven home runs, twelve doubles, and one triple. "I'm not a home run hitter, but when I connect, the ball travels all over the field," Valdés told the state-run Radio Rebelde.
Return to Cuba and Career Challenges
In December 2016, Valdés returned to Cuba after spending over a year in the Dominican Republic. He seized the opportunity provided by injuries to Frank Camilo Morejón and Lázaro Ponce, who were the starting catchers at the time, to secure a spot on the capital's team. "It has been challenging to find my rhythm due to the lack of game time. I trained a lot but played very little, and gradually I've been improving," Valdés told CiberCuba during those days.
In the Dominican Republic, he only managed to play in the Dominican Summer League with Bonao.
International Appearances and Future Prospects
Valdés was part of the Cuban national team in tournaments like the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, where the team finished in sixth place. Romero mentioned that he aims to join an Independent League or circuits like those in Mexico in the future.