Cuban outfielder Alexei Bell, a former Olympian and longtime member of that country's national team, has left the island and is seeking a deal with a Major League club.
Bell, 32, has begun training in an undisclosed location for an open showcase for scouts in two or three weeks, according to his agent, Charisse Dash of DPX Sports.
Miami's El Nuevo Herald first reported Bell's departure.
Bell played 13 seasons in Cuba's Serie Nacional, the island's top league, primarily for Santiago and later with Matanzas in 2014. He also played 59 games for Quebec in the Canadian-American Association last season, hitting .317 with 14 doubles, two triples and two home runs. He drove in 23 runs.
For his career, Bell sports a .319 batting average with 138 home runs and 632 RBIs, with 187 doubles and 31 triples in 659 games.
In international competition, Bell won a silver medal with Cuba in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and was an integral part of Cuba's gold medal teams at the '10 International Baseball Cup, and the '14 Central American and Caribbean Games. Bell was also a member of Cuba's World Baseball Classic team in 2013.
Bell left Cuba legally, according to Dash.