Baerga stated that Lindor and Correa have obtained insurance, but their teams have denied their participation eligibility.

This year’s WBC has faced multiple players unable to compete because their contracts could not secure insurance, notably Puerto Rican stars Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa. Former Puerto Rican star Carlos Baerga revealed today that famous rapper Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (stage name "Bad Bunny") was willing to cover the insurance costs, but the Major League teams they belong to still refused to release them.

Although some Puerto Rican players eventually secured insurance for the tournament, Lindor from the New York Mets and Correa from the Houston Astros were still unable to participate. Correa has a history of injuries, including playing only 86 games in 2024 due to plantar fasciitis; Lindor underwent right elbow surgery after last season ended.

Earlier reports indicated that an investor was ready to pay a high insurance premium for both players to help them join this Classic, but due to paperwork delays, they were not included in the 30-man roster announced on February 6.

Baerga, who once coached the Puerto Rican national team, disclosed on a podcast today that the investor is Puerto Rican rapper "Bad Bunny," who will headline the NFL Super Bowl halftime show this year. He was willing to pay the insurance for Lindor and Correa. According to Baerga, their inability to play was due to the Mets and Astros refusing to release them, although this claim has not yet been confirmed.

According to regulations, players on the 40-man MLB roster must have their contracts approved by the insurance broker NFP, designated by the league and players’ union, to be eligible for the World Baseball Classic. Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that injuries to high-profile stars like Edwin Díaz and José Altuve in the previous tournament caused significant losses to insurance companies, leading to stricter insurance evaluations this year and causing many MLB players’ contracts to fail the insurance review.