The Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB) has revealed that they have added all their top professional players on to their preliminary roster for the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Xander Bogaerts (Boston Red Sox), Didi Gregorius (New York Yankees), Kenley Jansen (currently Free Agent, formerly Los Angeles Dodgers), Jurickson Profar (Texas Rangers), Jonathan Schoop (Baltimore Orioles) and Andrelton Simmons (Los Angeles Angels) have made the team alongside former Major Leaguers Shairon Martis, Jair Jurrjens, Rick van den Hurk, Wladimir Balentien and Yurendell De Caster.
The roster needs to be cut from currently 50 to 28 by the end of January. However substitutions are still possible and WBC has created new rules for the appearance of pitchers, which could lead to further additions to the roster.
The Netherlands face Korea, Chinese Taipei and Israel during first-round play next March. Their pool will be played at the new Dome in Seoul, South Korea. In 2013 the Dutch team reached the semi-final at the WBC one and a half years after winning the 2011 Baseball World Cup in Panama.