Which baseball superstars will miss the 2023 World Baseball Classic?

When Miguel Cabrera couldn’t get insurance to cover the World Baseball Classic, the Detroit Tigers waived the requirement and gave him the green light to compete. When the same happened to Clayton Kershaw, the Los Angeles Dodgers weren’t so generous.

Part of the reason for the difference is the position that they play: while Miggy is likely to appear as a DH, Kershaw would have been in the starting rotation. In short, the risk to the Dodgers was exponentially higher than to the Tigers.

And then you have the two careers themselves. Cabrera is in the middle of his swan song, likely making what will turn out to be his victory lap to cap his remarkable career, Kershaw is still a viable pitcher with several more seasons left in the tank.

But the difference in reaction to the two cases does highlight the way that the feelings of individual teams can impact the entire WBC tournament.

Ji-Man Choi was asked by the Pirates not to represent his country, a move which prompted a bitter response from Choi, who is recovering from a surgery on his elbow.

“I was healthy enough to take live batting practice recently,” said Choi. “I am extremely disappointed and deeply hurt, because I was building up nicely for the national team training camp in the middle of this month and the first round of the WBC.”

It is understandable from the Pirates end that the request be made, but it something of a bitter pill for Choi and the South Korean national team to swallow.

The Atlanta Braves had balked at the idea of Ronald Acuña Jr playing for Venezuela in the WBC, which elicited a biting response from Acuña saying that he wanted “to represent my country, but that’s not a decision I can make.”

In the end, the Braves relented and gave him the go-ahead, and Acuña was effusive in his reaction, saying, “It means everything to me. It means the same as being able to put a Braves jersey on every day. To be able to put that jersey on for the first time and represent my people, it means a lot.”

The Miami Marlins have exercised their right to prevent their All-Star second baseman Jazz Chisholm from representing Great Britain, given that he spent more than 60 days on the injured list last season. There is no word from Chisholm as to whether he agrees with the club’s decision or not, but given that he had previously announced his participation in the WBC, it is safe to imagine that he is disappointed at best.

Not every player will miss the event against their will, as some of the game’s biggest names have withdrawn for personal reasons.

Carlos Correa has announced that he will not represent Puerto Rico due to the expected arrival of his second child, a decision which the Minnesota Twins are keen to point out is an entirely family-oriented decision, made by Carlos and his wife, having nothing to do with them or the ongoing health concerns that have dogged the shortstop’s free agency.

Mets starter Kodai Senga is coy about whether or not he will play for Japan, neither confirming nor denying, a response that usually is a tacit denial. This is reportedly due to some ill will between him and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, his former NPB team, who were something of an obstacle to his leaving Japan for MLB.

Yankees southpaw Nestor Cortes will not participate due to a Grade 2 strain of his right hamstring. Although Cuban-born, he was due to pitch for Team USA. “I wanted to represent Team USA,” Cortes said. “It’s a country that has given me a lot of opportunity to do a lot of stuff that I’m doing today. I’m very disappointed and very sad that I can’t participate.”

Team USA will also be without Bryce Harper, who is recovering from elbow surgery.

Team Australia will head into Pool B against Japan, China, South Korea, and the Czech Republic without their ace closer Liam Hendriks, who will miss the tournament due to treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.