Berrios, Hern¨¢ndez and Miranda commit to Puerto Rico
With manager Yadier Molina now in charge, Puerto Rico's roster -- and its hopes for its first World Baseball Classic title -- just got a little more clarity. The team announced on Thursday that Blue Jays starter Jos¨¦ Berr¨ªos, Red Sox center fielder / multi-position super utilityman Kik¨¦ Hern¨¢ndez, and Twins first baseman Jose Miranda are all committed to Team Puerto Rico at next spring's World Baseball Classic.
Berr¨ªos (1-0, 6 2/3 IP, 8.11 ERA) and Hern¨¢ndez (4-for-15, 1 3B, 2 RBIs) both played for Puerto Rico at the 2017 tournament when the team finished as runners-up for the second consecutive time, while Miranda is new to the squad.
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"I¡¯m proud to be able to represent Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic,¡± Miranda said earlier this year. "It was a dream of mine. I can¡¯t wait to share the field with [Carlos] Correa and the rest of the team."
Though Berr¨ªos struggled this year en route to his worst ERA since his rookie season (5.23), and Hern¨¢ndez battled injuries for much of the season, the two are expected to be key contributors. Miranda, who hit 15 home runs as a rookie with Minnesota this year, will provide plenty of pop from first.
Rosters won't be official until later in the offseason, but the trio join Correa, Javier B¨¢ez, Edwin D¨ªaz, and even Marcus Stroman -- the '17 tournament MVP Award winner for Team USA -- among the players who have committed to the nation.
Though Puerto Rico are among the favorites to win the championship, it won't have an easy trip out of Pool D. The Dominican Republic and Venezuela -- two absolutely loaded powerhouses -- are joined by the 2017 Cinderella team, Israel, and a yet-to-be-determined qualified team in PR's pool.
The tournament begins on March 8, while Puerto Rico will kick off its tournament on March 11 in Miami, Fla.