Baseball stars did not know that insurance would stand between them and the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Stars like Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa have already faced the wrath, and the latest addition to this list is Miguel Rojas. But, he is not someone to stay silent.

Rojas, the Dodgers’ World Series Game 7 hero, can’t play in the WBC because he didn’t get the insurance he needed for his MLB contract. The Venezuelan shortstop showed his frustration when he was at the Dodgers’ Fanfest on Saturday.

“Definitely disappointed,” said Rojas. “I didn’t know that my chance to go represent my country for the first and only time, probably as a player, was gonna get blocked because of an insurance problem. Even though we know we have to be ready for the season and we have to play and be healthy for our contract, we didn’t know all those restrictions were gonna be in place the way they are right now.”

Rojas turned 36 in February, and his recent injuries worked against him; he was on the injured list in both 2023 and 2024, which made insurers less likely to offer coverage. The timing makes things even more annoying. This is the second time he’s missed out on an opportunity, as he couldn’t play in the 2023 WBC because of roster needs. For a player in his last season, this denial means he will never get to wear Venezuela’s colors on the international stage again. Rojas hit.262 with seven home runs in 114 games last season. He wanted to end his career with one meaningful international appearance.

Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa had the same problems when they played for Puerto Rico. Lindor, who was named captain after hitting .450 in the 2023 WBC, had surgery on his right elbow that raised red flags with insurance companies. Correa, who makes $31.5 million a year in Major League Baseball, thought it was too risky to play without insurance because of his history of injuries and games missed. José Berrios and Emilio Pagan also dropped out, which hurt Puerto Rico’s team even more. The federation’s leaders have talked about completely pulling out of the tournament in public, which shows how bad the damage is and how it goes beyond losing individual stars.

This is what bothers Rojas the most: the pattern seems to only affect Latin American players. This isn’t happening to stars from the US or Japan. Rojas has been very vocal on social media, asking MLB leaders for answers. Altuve and Narvaez from Venezuela were also turned down, and Puerto Rico is thinking about pulling out completely. The insurance system that was supposed to protect teams now seems to be going after certain countries.

Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers move forward while other teams get stuck

This is where the real problem starts to show. Japan will announce its full roster on February 6 without any problems with insurance. They have Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and a full lineup ready to go. At the same time, Puerto Rico is considering leaving the group altogether. One country is losing stars because its insurance claims are being denied, while the other country is moving forward without any problems.

Ohtani is going to Japan to play as a hitter, not a pitcher. Alden Gonzalez of ESPN says that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “Shohei Ohtani will not be pitching for Japan in the tournament.” Ohtani chose this; it wasn’t something that was forced on him. It’s a smart choice for him to manage his workload because Japan has a lot of arms. Latin American countries didn’t get that.

Japan declared Seiya Suzuki from the Cubs, Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto, and free agent Tomoyuki Sugano. Their roster is so full that losing one player wouldn’t hurt their chances.

The best players from each country should be in the tournament. Instead, it’s turning into a contest to see which countries can get around insurance rules. Japan keeps its title by keeping its dream team together. Fans in the Caribbean and Latin America watch their best players stay home. The system was meant to keep MLB teams safe, but it’s actually helping some countries and hurting others.