out as a Class-A player. After signing with the Red Sox, Viera had a falling out with his agent, reportedly due to Viera's reluctance to pay any of the agent's fees or the costs of the lawsuit. Viera's trainer raised similar allegations against him, stating that Viera had failed to fully compensate him for the costs he had incurred on his behalf. Viera started with the Trenton Thunder, the Double-A affiliate of the Red Sox, in the 2002 season. He was promoted midseason to the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. His season began strong but his performance dipped towards the end, which he and the Red Sox international scouting coordinator attributed to his need to adjust to the more intensive American training schedule, particularly since Viera had missed a year playing. Due to his disappointing performance, the Red Sox released Viera from his contract after 2002, giving him the free agent status he wanted in the first place. Viera then played for the unaffiliated Newark Bears in the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Viera subsequently played for the Elmira Pioneers—a team in the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball—and was recognized for player of the week two weeks after he had joined the league. He also played for the York Revolution of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. External links Cuban Player Denied Free Agency, by Amy Armond. Mark's Sports Law News, June 6, 2001. Red Sox Draft Rolando Viera, by Jimmy Golen, Associated Press Sports Writer. Yahoo! Cuba News, June 6, 2001. Cuban defector comes to contract terms with Red Sox, by Tom Farrey and Wilie Weinbaum. ESPN.com, July 30, 2001. Viera starts over again, by Tom Farrey. ESPN.com, November 11, 2002. Cuban baseball players 1973 births Living people Minor league baseball players Sarasota Red Sox players Pawtucket Red Sox players Trenton Thunder players Newark Bears players Elmira Pioneers players Olmecas de Tabasco players Brockton Rox players Camden Riversharks players York Revolution players