Glew: Quantrill to start for Canada against Cuba
Terriers alum Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) talks to reporters on Tuesday ahead of his World Baseball Classic start today against Cuba. Photo: YouTube
March 11, 2026
By Kevin Glew
Canadian Baseball Network
It’s a win or go home game for Canada and manager Ernie Whitt is handing the ball to Cal Quantrill.
The veteran right-hander will start against Cuba today at 3 p.m. E.T. at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico in the final game of Pool A play.
Both Canada and Cuba have 2-1 records and the winner of the contest will advance to the quarterfinals along with Puerto Rico, whom Canada defeated 3-2 on Tuesday night. With a victory, Canada would advance to the second round of the tournament for the first time.
Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), who lasted just 2/3 of an inning against Great Britain in his first WBC start in 2023, believes that experience will help him today and he’s looking forward to facing the Cubans.
“At the time [in the 2023 WBC], I was coming off a ton of innings and probably wasn't where I needed to be,” Quantrill reflected at a press conference on Tuesday. “I'm ready to rock this time. I got started earlier. I know this is a big opportunity for Baseball Canada and want to put our best foot out there. Ready to go, and it will be a blast.”
Cuba will counter with ace lefty Livan Moinelo who pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings for them in their WBC opening win over Panama on Friday. The 30-year-old Moinelo has been a dominant pitcher in the Japan Pacific League for close to a decade. Last season, he went 12-3 with a 1.46 ERA in 27 games for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.
Quantrill, who signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers in January, owns a 47-46 record and a 4.35 ERA in 187 games in parts of seven big league seasons with the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves. He realizes the stakes are high today but he has tried to prepare for it like any other start.
“In terms of preparation, it doesn't change much,” Quantrill told reporters on Tuesday. “You have a routine. It's the same routine as it is for a playoff game, as it is for a Spring Training game, as it is for the WBC. I'll go through my regular approach, and I think that's the best you can do to be prepared for something like this.”
In a battle to make the Rangers’ big league roster, Quantrill prioritized pitching for his country this spring.
“I think you only have so many opportunities in this sport to represent your country,” Quantrill told reporters on Tuesday. “I've played in the big leagues for a long time now. I think that they're well aware of what I'm capable of. Any risk of coming here, I think is outweighed by the joy of to get to wear that ‘Team Canada’ on my chest . . . I wasn't going to miss this opportunity, and I think the Rangers were understanding of that when they signed me. There was no problem.”
The 31-year-old Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) finished the 2025 season in the Rangers’ organization. It was the third team he played for last year. After signing a one-year, $3.5-million contract with the Marlins in February 2025, the 6-foot-3 righty proceeded to go 4-10 with a 5.50 ERA in 24 starts with them before being selected off waivers by the Braves on August 21.
The Ontario Terriers alum would make two big league starts with the Braves and then sign a minor league deal with the Rangers.
Despite his struggles in 2025, Quantrill still made 26 starts and pitched 117 2/3 innings – both of which ranked second among Canadian-born major leaguers. He has made at least 19 starts in each of the last five seasons.
A two-time silver medal winner with the Junior National Team, Quantrill will make the start today with his Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame father, Paul, looking on, as Canada’s bullpen coach. The younger Quantrill hasn’t had time to think of how special it is to share this tournament with his father.
“I don't think there's any legacy or something that we're thinking about,” Quantrill told reporters on Tuesday. “We're here to win baseball games. He's a very good coach, and I think I'm a good pitcher. We might look back in 20 years and say, oh, that was pretty cool.
“Right now we both have a job to do, and I think we're keeping this professional. If there's a time later that we can have a beer and talk about it, we will, but for right now it's business as usual. The fact that there's two Quantrills out on the field is just a bonus honestly for my mom more than anyone,” he added with a chuckle.
Canada notes
-With his six hits in this year's WBC, Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) has become the sixth Canadian player to have six hits in a single WBC, joining Michael Saunders (2013) and Tyler O’Neill (2023) who had eight, Justin Morneau (2013) and Edouard Julien (2023) who had seven and Adam Stern (2006) who had six.
-Caissie's three doubles at this year's WBC has tied a Canadian record for most doubles at a single WBC. Morneau had three doubles at the 2006 and 2013 tournaments and Saunders also had three doubles in 2013
-With his five walks at this year's WBC, Tyler O'Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) has tied his own record for most walks by a Canadian in a single WBC. He also walked five times in the 2023 WBC. He shares that record with Jason Bay (2009), Joey Votto (2013) and Julien (2023).