▁ ▁Mov ing ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁By ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁Cuba ' s ▁national ▁team ▁and ▁the ▁Indust ri ales ▁b anned ▁Mor ales ▁from ▁their ▁teams ▁for ▁discipl inary ▁reasons ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁belief ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁met ▁with ▁people ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁fle e ▁the ▁nation . ▁Mor ales ▁den ies ▁this ▁accus ation , ▁telling ▁a ▁rep orter ▁" That ' s ▁not ▁true . ▁I ▁never ▁talked ▁to ▁any ▁agent . ▁But ▁from ▁that ▁moment ▁on , ▁I ▁just ▁wanted ▁to ▁leave . ▁I ▁tried ▁to ▁do ▁it ▁several ▁times ▁without ▁success , ▁occasionally ▁ending ▁up ▁in ▁j ail ." ▁He ▁escaped ▁on ▁a ▁ra ft ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁to ▁the ▁sh ores ▁of ▁southern ▁Florida , ▁his ▁e ighth ▁attempt ▁at ▁escape . ▁ ▁But , ▁as ▁is ▁the ▁usual ▁practice ▁of ▁def ectors , ▁he ▁chose ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁country ▁to ▁establish ▁foreign ▁res iden cy ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁avoid ▁the ▁ML B ▁draft . ▁He ▁left ▁once ▁again , ▁this ▁time ▁to ▁the ▁Domin ican ▁Republic , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁priv ately ▁sc out ed ▁by ▁several ▁Major ▁League ▁teams . ▁Pr eston ▁Gó mez , ▁in ▁his ▁role ▁as ▁consult ant ▁to ▁Ang els ▁general ▁manager ▁Bill ▁St on eman , ▁ended ▁up ▁signing ▁him ▁to ▁a ▁six - year ▁deal ▁worth ▁$ 3 ▁million ▁dollars ▁up ▁front ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁Mor ales ▁played ▁winter ▁ball ▁for ▁the ▁Est rell