PORT CHARLOTTE — Led by Evan Longoria and Chris Archer, a handful of Rays stopped by Kevin Cash’s office in recent days and lobbied for outfielder Dayron Varona to be included in next week’s trip to Havana, Cuba.
Varona, a native of Havana who defected to Haiti three years ago with his mother, is a minor leaguer and not a member of the Rays’ 40-man roster. So, the Rays didn’t have to include him in the traveling party.
Cash released the travel list Tuesday and it included one non-roster player: Varona.
“It means the world to me that (the players) did that,” Varona said through an interpreter.