(KNX 1070) -- The Trump administration announced the cancellation of an Obama-era deal between Major League Baseball and the Cuban Baseball Federation Monday.
The simple explanation is that the federation is part of the Cuban government, meaning the agreement, is illegal under current law.
The deal was created to prevent Cuban players from attempting to make dangerous escapes to the U.S. and giving up their citizenships in order to play.
Additionally, players were allowed to receive 100 percent of their signing bonuses. The MLB agreed to pay 25 percent on top of the bonuses to the federation as a release fee for the player.
The players were required to pay Cuban income tax on foreign earnings.
According to the Washington Post, a senior Trump official equated the deal to "human trafficking," by the Cuban government.