In June 2012, then-21-year-old Yasiel Puig left his home in Cienfuegos, Cuba and boarded a boat that would take him across 350 miles of water to the Yucatán Peninsula. Once the smugglers—members of the murderous drug cartel Los Zetas—got him to Mexico, the man underwriting Puig's journey didn't come through with the money for three weeks, so Puig was held captive in a dirty motel room. For the baseball supertalent the New York Post deemed "L.A.'s International Man of Mystery," we like the idea of British actor John Boyega, who has a number of exciting projects on the horizon, including 2015's Star Wars Episode VII.

In addition to Yunior Despaigne, Puig's then-girlfriend Yeny also accompanied him on the fateful trip from Cuba to America (via Mexico), and we can think of no better actress for the part than Amiee Carrero. The up-and-coming Miami native recently landed two impressive TV gigs—an arc on FX's The Americans and a role on the forthcoming ABC family sitcom Young and Hungry. Not much is known about Yeny, but we know Carrero is more than capable of fleshing out a blank canvas and bringing her to life.

Bill Murray has been in the business of making movies for nearly 40 years, so really no justification is needed for us to cast him in the role of Dodgers' general manager Ned Colletti. Murray has been on a roll these past couple of years, with Moonrise Kingdom and Hyde Park on Hudson in 2012, and The Monuments Men, which was released earlier this year. Our confidence in his comedic ability is also unshakable, and this could provide some welcome occasional relief in otherwise (probably) quite dramatic film. 

In exchange for financing Puig's escape to the United States, Floridian crime figure Raul Pacheco was to receive 20% of all of Puig's future earnings. But when Puig arrived in Mexico, Pacheco was incapable or unwilling to pay the smugglers their fee, leaving Puig stranded with men threatening to give him a machetazo—that is, cut off his finger, hand, or arm. We think Mexican actor Demián Bichir would bring a lot to the role as Pacheco; though most of his work has been in Spanish and Mexican productions, Bichir was nominated for an Academy Award in 2011 for his role as an undocumented gardener in A Better Life. He then followed this up with 2012's Savages, 2013's The Heat and, of course, his FX show, The Bridge.

Octavia Spencer is probably best known for her Academy Award-winning turn as an outspoken maid in 2011's The Help, which she followed up with the equally powerful Fruitvale Station (2013). Spencer's warmth and emotional range is perfect for the role of Puig's mother, who left Cuba in December of last year to be near her son.

26-year old boxer Yunior Despaigne accompanied Puig on his journey from Cuba to the U.S., and was actually the one to approach Puig with Pacheco's offer (in return, he could come along for free). British actor Nonso Anozie has both the physical and theatrical presence needed for this role of Puig's troubled sidekick. Anozie began his career with a small part in 2007's Atonement; he has since been seen on five episodes of Game of Thrones in 2012, and is currently on NBC's Dracula, playing Dracula's sinister confidant and secret keeper.