For one year, at least, Nippon Professional Baseball has been the prime destination for Cuban ballplayers wishing to play overseas legally, but those days may be numbered.

Following Thursday’s sudden policy shift by the United States toward normalizing relations with Cuba, the possibility looms that Cuba’s prized stars will soon find it easy to play in Major League Baseball, a goal that for 50 years required them to flee their homeland and go into exile.

Yomiuri Giants president Hiroshi Kubo, whose team signed superstar outfielder Frederich Cepeda as well as 20-year-old right-hander Hector Mendoza and a Cuban coach, said, “We don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ll wait and see, but we’re planning to contact the Cuban authorities before long.”

Cepeda was one of three big-name Cuban players to come to NPB, the first since Cuban legend Omar Linares wrapped up his storied career in 2004 after three unimpressive seasons with the Chunichi Dragons. Infielder Yulieski Gurriel joined the Yokohama BayStars, while outfielder Alfredo Despaigne moved to the Chiba Lotte Marines.

The BayStars said Monday they had reached an agreement in principle with Gurriel, although the player said he has yet to sign anything in a post on his Twitter account.

“As of now, our goal is to continue getting good players,” Yokohama general manager Shigeru Takada said. “When it (normalization) comes, then we’ll deal with it.”

The Marines may be in the best position, having already signed Despaigne to a two-year contract after he hit 12 home runs, scored 26 runs and drove in 33 in the course of just 182 plate appearances.

“If there are no regulations, there’s a good chance it (Cuba) will just become a public hay field, where the majors reap all the talent and carry it off,” said Marines president Shinya Yamamuro. “Despaigne is highly regarded in the majors, so I’m glad we’ve got him for two more years.”