Speed is currency in baseball—it plays on both sides of the ball
From the eastern tip of Cuba, a seventeen-year-old named Rodelvis Santiesteban has taken the first formal step in a journey that thousands before him have attempted and few have completed. His signing with the Chicago Cubs for twenty thousand dollars is modest in dollar terms but immense in meaning — a young man from Guantánamo trading the familiar for the possible, joining a quiet but steady exodus of Cuban talent that continues to reshape the landscape of professional baseball.
- A teenager with elite speed — 6.3 seconds in the 60-yard dash — caught the attention of one of baseball's most storied franchises, turning raw athleticism into a professional contract.
- Santiesteban's path required leaving Cuba in June 2024, uprooting himself to train at a Dominican academy under a former Cuban player, navigating the uncertain limbo between prospect and signee.
- The Cubs are not dabbling — they have built a pipeline, signing at least seventeen Cuban players in this international period alone, spending aggressively from a $6.679 million pool.
- A $20,000 bonus places Santiesteban at the humbler end of the market, a reminder that entry into the system is only the beginning of a long, unforgiving climb through the minor leagues.
- By April 2026, seventeen Cubans had signed with MLB organizations this cycle, each one a data point in a migration driven not by crisis alone, but by the enduring pull of a dream.
Rodelvis Santiesteban, seventeen years old and from Guantánamo, signed with the Chicago Cubs during the 2025-2026 international signing period for twenty thousand dollars. He had left Cuba in June 2024 and made his way to GT Baseball Academy in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, where he trained under Jorge Luis Toca, a former Cuban player turned coach. It is the well-worn path: leave the island, find an academy, get evaluated, and hope a scout sees something worth betting on.
What the Cubs saw was speed. Santiesteban covers sixty yards in 6.3 seconds, placing him among the fastest prospects of his age group. He also projects as a super utility infielder, capable of playing multiple positions — a quality that gives organizations flexibility as a young player develops and finds his footing.
The Cubs have been among the most active teams in the Cuban market this cycle. They signed shortstop Jaims Martínez for nine hundred thousand dollars and added pitcher Naikys Piedra in April 2026, who became the sixteenth Cuban signed by Chicago that period. Santiesteban's twenty-thousand-dollar bonus reflects his early stage — young prospects without deep competitive résumés typically enter at the lower end of the range, while more established names command millions.
His story is one thread in a larger pattern. By early April 2026, seventeen Cuban players had signed with major league organizations during this international window. The flow is steady and has been for years — young men leaving, training, signing, beginning the slow ascent through the minor leagues. At seventeen, Santiesteban stands at the very bottom of that climb, with everything still ahead of him and nothing yet decided.
Rodelvis Santiesteban was seventeen years old when he signed with the Chicago Cubs for twenty thousand dollars. He is from Guantánamo, Cuba, and he left the island in June of 2024 looking for a chance to play professional baseball. The signing came during the 2025-2026 international period, a window when major league organizations can add young talent from outside the United States.
Before the Cubs came calling, Santiesteban spent his preparation time at GT Baseball Academy in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, training under Jorge Luis Toca, a former Cuban player who now coaches prospects. This is the familiar path: a young player leaves Cuba, moves to an academy in the Dominican Republic or Mexico, gets evaluated by scouts, and if he shows enough, signs with an organization. Santiesteban followed it exactly.
What caught the Cubs' attention was his speed. He runs the sixty-yard dash in 6.3 seconds, a time that places him among the fastest prospects of his generation. Speed is currency in baseball—it plays on both sides of the ball, in the field and on the basepaths. Beyond that, Santiesteban is classified as a super utility player, meaning he can play multiple infield positions. That versatility adds value; it gives a team options as he develops.
The Cubs have been aggressive in the Cuban market during this signing period. In the same window, they signed shortstop Jaims Martínez for nine hundred thousand dollars and pitcher Naikys Piedra in April 2026, who became the sixteenth Cuban to sign with Chicago that cycle. The organization had a pool of 6.679 million dollars to spend on international signings in 2025-2026, the budget allotted to teams in large markets. A twenty-thousand-dollar bonus for a prospect like Santiesteban sits at the lower end of the range—typical for young players without extensive competitive history. The more established prospects command millions.
Santiesteban's signing is one data point in a larger pattern. By April 7, 2026, seventeen Cuban players had signed with various major league organizations during this international period. The flow has been steady for years now: young talent leaves the island, trains abroad, gets discovered, and enters the minor league system. It is a migration driven by opportunity and the dream of reaching the majors.
At seventeen, Santiesteban is at the beginning of a long climb. He will move through the Cubs' minor league system, starting at the lowest levels, working toward higher classifications if his development continues. The organization is betting that his speed and versatility will translate into a useful player. Whether he reaches the majors—whether he becomes one of the few who make it all the way—remains an open question. For now, he has signed his name and begun.
Notable Quotes
Super utility player, meaning he can play multiple infield positions— reporting on Santiesteban's classification
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a seventeen-year-old from Guantánamo leave Cuba to train in the Dominican Republic? Why not stay?
Because there is no professional baseball in Cuba the way there is in the United States. The island has its own league, but the real opportunity, the real money, the real path to the majors—that's all in America. So you leave, you train, you get seen by scouts.
And twenty thousand dollars—is that a lot for a kid his age?
It depends on what you're measuring. For a family in Cuba, it's substantial. For a major league organization, it's a small bet on a prospect with potential but no track record. The shortstop they signed for nine hundred thousand—that's a different tier entirely. Santiesteban is unproven.
What makes him worth betting on at all?
Speed. In baseball, speed is one of the few things you can't teach. He runs 6.3 seconds in sixty yards. That's elite. It means he can steal bases, cover ground in the field, create chaos. The Cubs are gambling that the rest—the hitting, the baseball IQ—will develop.
How many kids like him don't make it?
Most of them. The minor leagues are full of fast, talented seventeen-year-olds. Only a fraction reach the majors. But that's the bet everyone takes when they sign.
Why is the Cubs organization so active in Cuba right now?
They have the budget, and the talent pipeline is open. Cuban players are hungry, they're skilled, and they're available. It's a market advantage if you work it well.
What happens to him now?
He reports to the Cubs' minor league system, probably to their lowest-level affiliate. He plays, he develops, he either gets better or he doesn't. In two or three years, you'll know if the bet was right.