Publication Date: April 23, 2026, 05:12h.

Updated on: April 23, 2026, 05:12h.

• Yasiel Puig inks record deal with Toronto’s professional baseball team, setting a new milestone in Canadian Baseball League.
• Cuban national convicted in illegal betting scandal in Los Angeles earlier this year.
• Canadian Baseball League season set to launch in May.

Yasiel Puig, the ex-MLB outfielder, was found guilty in February of participating in an illegal betting operation in Los Angeles and has now secured a position with a professional team in Canada.

League’s New Star

The Toronto Maple Leafs, a team in the Canadian Baseball League, announced today that they have recruited Puig for the upcoming season.

Reports indicate that this contract is the largest in the league’s history. Previously named the Intercounty Baseball League, the CBL includes teams from various Ontario cities such as Barrie, Guelph, London, Brantford, Hamilton, Kitchener, Chatham, and Welland.

The season kicks off on May 10, featuring a matchup with the Kitchener Panthers at Christie Pits in Toronto, where Puig is expected to make his debut. This ballpark has a seating capacity of about 1,000, with many fans enjoying the games from the lawns surrounding the field.

Upcoming Legal Hearing

As part of the league’s rebranding to CBL, Puig is anticipated to take a prominent role as its figurehead.

However, he was convicted of obstructing justice and providing false information to federal authorities regarding an illegal betting operation earlier this year.

Puig faces a possible maximum of ten years in federal prison for the obstruction charge and up to five years for the false statement charge. Although he remains free on conditional release, he is required to attend a hearing set for May 26. Between July 4, 2019, and September 29, 2019, Puig placed nearly 899 additional bets on sports like tennis, football, and basketball (not including baseball). This period amassed almost $1 million in unpaid gambling debts.

Puig made a significant impact in MLB with the Los Angeles Dodgers in his rookie year of 2013, achieving a batting average of .319, along with 19 home runs and 42 RBIs across just 104 games. Over his seven seasons in MLB, he recorded a .277 batting average, 132 home runs, and 415 RBIs, coupled with 79 stolen bases.

After leaving MLB, Puig has also been active in professional baseball leagues in Mexico, Venezuela, and South Korea.