Photo/Illutration A cake that Chunichi Dragons players gave to Raidel Martinez on May 7 to celebrate his 100th save carries the message, “Never exile yourself.” (Provided by Nikkan Sports)

NAGOYA--A message on a cake from Chunichi Dragons ballplayers "advising" a Cuban teammate not to defect from his country has left a bad taste among netizens who were offended by the "joke."

The message, “Never exile yourself,” was written on a cake that fellow pitchers presented to Raidel Martinez, 26, on May 7 to celebrate his 100th save in Nippon Professional Baseball, according to a spokesman for the Nagoya-based team.

In March, overseas media reported that Dragons pitcher Yariel Rodriguez, also from Cuba and 26, defected from the country to seek a contract with a Major League Baseball club.

A photograph of Dragons players posing with the cake, which was also decorated with Martinez’s name, his likeness and the words “Congratulations on 100 saves,” appeared in the media. 

The team’s spokesman told The Asahi Shimbun that the players meant the message as a joke and wanted to tell him to continue playing together on the team.

But the reference to exile came under fire on Twitter.

“I have a serious question about their sensitivity to human rights,” one poster said.

“You can never write this off as a joke,” said another.

The Dragons said Martinez, who was accompanied by an interpreter, appeared pleased when the cake was gifted to him. 

“We think he understood what was intended, something that can best be described either as a joke or as humor,” the spokesman said.

Still, the spokesman added that the players should be more careful from now on even if something is meant as a joke.

The team said it had not known beforehand that the cake with the reference to exile would be handed to Martinez.

The Dragons said players have sometimes celebrated with a teammate on his birthday and other occasions.

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