WBC 2026: How insurance mess shaped World Baseball Classic - ESPN

The star power in this World Baseball Classic is undeniable.

Team USA debuted a lineup Tuesday afternoon that featured, in order, Bobby Witt Jr., Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, Alex Bregman and Cal Raleigh, part of a group that amassed 15 runs and 19 hits in an exhibition blowout that saw Paul Skenes and Mason Miller pitch. Later that night, Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Junior Caminero all homered in the fourth inning in a tuneup for the Dominican Republic.

The WBC is now in its sixth iteration, and with every one of them, the rosters are more decorated, the buy-in more prominent. And yet, growing pains remain. When the tournament was first established, there was apathy from players, especially in the United States. Three years ago, a struggle to convince starting pitchers to commit in the middle of spring training dominated the early conversation. This year, the difficulty of getting contracts insured — and the players who are unable to participate because of it — has loomed over the tournament.

What's the issue, exactly — and what does it mean for the WBC? Let's tackle those questions and others.

Major league contracts are fully guaranteed — meaning players get paid — regardless of when an injury occurs. But teams want to be protected from having to pay players who get hurt specifically during the WBC, given the added risks of a high-pressure baseball tournament that does not impact the MLB standings.

Since the onset of the WBC, one insurance company, mutually agreed upon between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players' Association, has been willing to insure these contracts: NFP. Three years ago, the company essentially paid Edwin Diaz's 2023 salary — $17.25 million — when the then-New York Mets closer