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The Cuban right-handed pitcher Naikys Piedra, former player of the Cocodrilos de Matanzas, officially signed with the Chicago Cubs this Thursday, making the leap to professional baseball in the United States at the age of 23.
The news was reported by journalist Francys Romero, who confirmed that Piedra will report directly to the Cubs' complex in Arizona.
The pitcher from Matanzas -according to Romero- stands out for a fastball that reaches between 96 and 98 mph, giving him the profile of a bullpen pitcher with the potential to advance in the organization's minor league system.
The journey of Piedra is that of a prospect who did not give up in the face of adversity. He emigrated from Cuba in 2019 after going through the high-performance pyramid of the EIDE and participating in national championships. He settled in the Dominican Republic, where he was declared a free agent by the MLB Commissioner's Office in December 2020.
However, he was unable to finalize a contract at that time, when his fastball was clocked between 90 and 93 mph. He returned to Cuba in 2022 and rejoined the Cocodrilos de Matanzas in the National Series, where in two seasons he recorded four wins, five losses, two saves, and an earned run average of 4.55.
In November 2023, he participated with the Cuban under-23 national team in the Pan American Championship in Nicaragua. In January 2024, he signed with the Bravos de León in the Mexican League, although he did not make his debut with that team.
The increase in speed of Piedra—from 90-93 mph in 2020 to 96-98 mph in 2026—is one of the factors that explains the renewed interest from MLB teams in his profile, and ultimately opened the doors for him to join a Major League organization.
Piedra becomes the 16th player born in Cuba to sign during the 2025-2026 international period, a particularly active cycle for Cuban baseball in which more than forty players from the island have signed contracts with MLB organizations.
The Cubs had already invested in Cuban talent during this period by signing shortstop Jaims Martínez for a bonus of $900,000, demonstrating the Chicago organization’s ongoing interest in the island's international market.
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