The right-handed pitcher Richard Bouquet, 17 years old and from Holguín, left Cuba for the Dominican Republic, where he will seek to sign with a Major League Baseball (MLB) organization, according to the specialized journalist Francys Romero.
Bouquet arrives in Dominican territory with international credentials: he was part of the Cuban team that competed in the Under-18 Baseball World Cup 2025, held in Okinawa, Japan, in September of that year.
In that tournament, the player from Holguín performed in the game against Italy on September 6, 2025, and pitched two innings without allowing any runs or hits, a performance that bolstered his reputation as one of the most promising young talents in Cuban baseball.
The prospect is 1.90 meters tall and his fastball already reaches 90-91 miles per hour, impressive figures for a pitcher of his age.
In the Dominican Republic, Bouquet will be under the supervision of Bailli Baseball, an academy specialized in the development of international talent in preparation for professional baseball.
According to Romero, "with a couple of months of work, he will likely improve his skills and be close to jumping to professionalism by signing with a Major League franchise."
The path that Bouquet is following is the same one that dozens of Cuban prospects have traversed in recent years: to become eligible as international free agents and sign with MLB franchises, players from the island must establish residency in a third country, typically the Dominican Republic.
The flow of young Cuban talents toward that destination has intensified in 2026. Luis Manuel Hurtado, an 18-year-old pitcher, followed the same route last May, while Anyelo Fleitas arrived in the Dominican Republic in March with the same goal.
Other cases have reached a successful conclusion: Rodelvis Santiesteban agreed to sign with the Chicago Cubs in June 2026 after training in the Caribbean island, and Jonathan Torres signed with the Baltimore Orioles that same month.
In January 2026, five Cuban talents signed simultaneously with MLB organizations: Darián Rojas with the Athletics, Jordan Pérez with the Padres, Jaider Suárez with the Royals, Jack Valbrune with the Astros, and Joniel Hernández.
The official roster of the U18 World Cup 2025 lists Bouquet as a right-handed pitcher from Holguín, batting and throwing right-handed, under the full name Richard Bouquet Mulet.
Cuba finished seventh in that championship, achieving victories against South Africa (10-0), Italy (8-0), and Germany (4-3), while suffering defeats to Japan, Puerto Rico, and South Korea. Several members of that team have started to leave the island in search of professional baseball, with Bouquet being one of the most recent and notable cases due to his physical profile and pitching speed at the age of 17.
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