Many players will have restrictions in their contracts for the kind of stuff they can do outside of team activities. 

> 500M star getting hurt 

yeah, this is a valid point. Unlike Cricket leagues, MLB is a long season. It's opposite in Cricket where players skip these leagues for fear of injury if a major international tournament is on the horizen.

Coinsreporter

World Baseball Classic is an amazing event. The US team will be packed with stars but Japan is always tough to beat.

MLB and MLBPA will not allow players to play in international matches other than WBC and Olympics. Too much money on the line. You don't want your 500M star getting hurt and ruining your season because he played in an international event.

But they make a couple exceptions to grow the game globally.

Stacker_Sports

Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. to again play for U.S. in 2026 WBC

World Baseball Classic is an amazing event. The US team will be packed with stars but Japan is always tough to beat. 

MLB and MLBPA will not allow players to play in international matches other than WBC and Olympics. Too much money on the line. You don't want your 500M star getting hurt and ruining your season because he played in an international event. 

But they make a couple exceptions to grow the game globally. 