MESA, Ariz. - Santiago Casilla does not expect to pitch in the World Baseball Classic, the reliever told The Chronicle on Wednesday.
Casilla, signed as a free agent during the winter, reported to the A’s camp three weeks late because of visa issues in the Dominican Republic that arose from the face that he didn’t sign until Jan. 20. So leaving the A’s early next week for as many as 11 days - when Casilla hasn’t even appeared in a game with his new team yet - didn’t make sense.
“I’m not going, I need to be here with this team,” said Casilla, who initially had planned to join the Dominican for the second round, which begins Tuesday in San Diego, if the team advances.