NEW YORK, N.Y. - Fred Claire can see the day when Major League Baseball teams open academies for prospects in Cuba.Its absolutely a natural, just as the Dominican was and Venezuela. You go to where the talent is, the former Los Angeles Dodgers general manager said Wednesday. The high talent level for Cuban players is still there.That talent has faced obstacles getting to the U.S. since 1961, when the United States terminated diplomatic relations with Cuba. President Barack Obama said Wednesday that the two nations were re-establishing relations.The path to the major leagues for Cuban players has often involved smugglers who bring them out of the island nation for a price. Its hard to foresee exactly how that will change in the short-term, or whether MLB teams will be allowed to invest resources in the communist country.While there are not sufficient details to make a realistic evaluation, we will continue to track this significant issue, and we will keep our clubs informed if this different direction may impact the manner in which they conduct business on issues related to Cuba, MLB said in a statement.Twenty-five Cuban-born players appeared in the major leagues this year, a group that includes outfielders Yasiel Puig and Yoenis Cespedes, and hard-throwing reliever Aroldis Chapman. There have been 59 since 1995, according to STATS.Many have received large contracts, topped by a $72.5 million, seven-year agreement in August between outfielder Rusney Castillo and the Boston Red Sox. Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu was voted AL Rookie of the Year this season after agreeing to a $68 million, six-year deal with the Chicago White Sox. Yasmany Tomas, an outfielder who may be shifted to third base, signed $68.5 million, six-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks this month.Because of the American trade embargo, a player who defects from Cuba has to obtain a license from the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control to unblock him before he can sign with a major league organization. It would take congressional action to lift the embargo.We remain hopeful that todays announcement will lead to further positive developments, the Major League Baseball Players Association said in a statement.The Cuban government has approved a policy allowing athletes to sign in foreign leagues and pay tax on their earnings, but the U.S. embargo prevents American teams from employing Cuban residents. Well regarded outfielder Alfredo Despaigne agreed this year to a contract with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japans Pacific League.Defecting players have established residency outside the U.S. in order to become free agents and not be subject to MLBs amateur draft. But free-agent riches could come to an end in 2017, when MLB teams hope to start an international draft.Under MLBs collective bargaining agreement with the players association that runs until December 2016, Cubans and others who reside outside the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico are included in each MLB teams international signing pool unless they are 23 or older and have played as a professional in a professional league for at least five seasons.Teams are penalized for exceeding their signing bonus pools. The New York Yankees, Boston and Tampa Bay have forfeited their rights to give any international player a bonus over $300,000 in the next two signing years, which start each July 2.MLB and the union instituted similar signing pools in 2012 for players covered by the amateur draft each June. But Cuban defectors remain exempt from those limits for now.Frankly, American players, many of them have a lesser standard than whats offered international players, said agent Scott Boras, who has criticized restraints on contracts for players in American high schools and colleges. Weve really got to review what were doing with our draft and our international players to really say what we do with the Cubans. Maybe it will prompt a broader discussion to revamp the entirety of the system. Air Max 270 Pas Cher Homme . - The Seattle Sounders busy off-season continues with the team acquiring defender Chad Marshall from the Columbus Crew in exchange for a 2015 third-round pick and allocation money. 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Basketball fans around the globe will be watching as Kobe Bryant makes his season debut - 240 days after tearing his left Achilles - against Toronto, a team he has used as his own personal punching bag.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants offence is seemingly going to go in a new direction. The Giants on Tuesday hired Green Bay Packers quarterback coach Ben McAdoo as their new offensive co-ordinator after a quick two-week search. The hiring of the 36-year-old McAdoo is a strong indication that there will be changes next season after the offence underperformed under long-time co-ordinator Kevin Gilbride in missing the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons. "I think this is the best coach for the job," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "With his experiences, I think he brings a lot to the table. Our players are going to be exited to hear what he has to say." McAdoo has spent the past eight seasons mentoring under Mike McCarthy and his uptempo offence. The first six years were as the tight ends coach and the last two working with the quarterbacks. "We have a great opportunity in front of us and I cant wait to get started," said McAdoo, who interviewed for the job on Monday. "This is obviously a big step. Its also another step in the progression of a coachs career. Its a golden opportunity for me. Its an opportunity I feel Ive been groomed for. And I look forward to it." While the Giants werent afraid to go for the big play under Gilbride, they were a very traditional offence, stressing the run and a balanced attack. It did lead to two Super Bowl titles, but it looked stagnant this past season with an injury plagued offence line and sub-par season by two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning. Gilbride retired after the season, insisting the poor season did not influence his decision and that he was not forced out. The Giants ranked 28th in the NFL in both yards (307.5) and points per game (18.4) in 2013. Green Bays offence was third in the league in yards a game (400.3) and tied for eighth in scoring (26.1 points a game). "Ive heard a lot of good things about Coach McAdoo," Manning said. "I was able to talk to him over the phone last week and we had a great conversation. Obviously hes had a ton of success in Green Bay and I look forward to working with him and improving our offence." The Packers won the NFC North despite having quarterback Aaron Rodgers missed seven games with a broken leftt collarbone.dddddddddddd After Rodgers was injured, McAdoo had to work with three different starters -- Seneca Wallace, Scott Tolzien and Matt Flynn, who started four straight games before Rodgers returned for the regular-season finale against Chicago and the playoffs. "Think about what they overcame this year in Green Bay," Coughlin said. "One of them (Flynn) wasnt even on their roster to start the season. And they still got in the playoffs. We beat them when Tolzien was in there. Then Flynn came in and they won a critical, critical game with him at quarterback in Dallas. They lost to the Steelers when they could have cushioned their opportunity a little bit. The ball was down in close and it just got away from them. But then they beat Chicago (in Week 17 in a winner-take-all game." The Giants interviewed four candidates in their search and many believed the job would go to former Giants quarterbacks coach and recent Tampa Bay offensive co-ordinator Mike Sullivan, However, his ties to the past might have worked against him with team co-owner John Mara looking for changes. New York also interviewed former Tennessee Titans offensive co-ordinator Dowell Loggains and former Houston Texans quarterbacks coach and UCLA coach Karl Dorrell. "Hes a very detail-oriented, meticulous teacher, a fundamentalist, first and foremost," Coughlin said. "I was very, very impressed by the presentation that he made, in terms of the fundamental details of his presentation, whether it is quarterback fundamentals, offensive philosophy. I was just very, very impressed with that." McAdoo has also worked with the Niners and Saints and coached in college at Fairfield, Stanford, Akron, Pittsburgh and Michigan State. Manning has played in the same offensive system during his 11 seasons with the Giants, so this will be a learning year. "Heres what I expect," Coughlin said. "I think the players will respond to this. Were going to try to compromise the system with what we have here. However, there will be change. And that change will be very positive and very well-received by our team and our players. And if our players are scrambling around to learn a new system - good. Thats another fire in their rear end." ' ' '