Edenis Cruz, a right-handed pitcher born in Camagüey, agreed this week to a contract with the Texas Rangers for a bonus of $145,000 during the current international signing period, as reported by sports journalist Francys Romero on his Facebook account.
The agreement, reported by Romero as pending official confirmation in the coming days, makes Cruz one of the fastest cases of a Cuban prospect entering the Major League system after leaving the island.
Cruz left Cuba in June 2026 along with his twin brother Edurman Cruz, who is also a right-handed pitcher and hails from Camagüey. Both settled in the Dominican Republic, a common destination for Cuban baseball players seeking to establish residency in a third country before negotiating with MLB organizations.
Since her arrival on the Caribbean island, Edenis trained at the Dan Reverte Academy, where she honed her skills until she caught the attention of the Rangers. The entire process, from leaving Cuba to finalizing the agreement, took just four months.
The young man stands 6 feet 4 inches tall and throws a fastball between 91 and 94 miles per hour with good control of the strike zone, characteristics that position him as a promising pitcher within the Texas minor league system.
Cruz joins the organization with a solid background in Cuban youth baseball. Before the Under-18 World Cup in 2025, held in Okinawa, Japan, he led the Cuban championship in his category with six wins, an ERA of 1.47, and 44 strikeouts in 38 innings.
In that world tournament, the player from Camagüey shone against Italy, allowing only one hit in five innings during a 8-0 victory for Cuba, a performance that solidified his reputation as one of the most interesting prospects of his generation.
The $145,000 bonus is relatively modest within the international MLB market, which is common for recently eligible prospects. Cuban prospects in the Major League system have followed a similar path in recent years, going through academies in the Dominican Republic before finalizing their contracts.
This case adds to those of other young talents who have chosen to leave Cuba in search of professional opportunities. Just this month, a 15-year-old Cuban pitcher from Villa Clara arrived in the Dominican Republic to prepare for the 2027-2028 international season.
"The signing will be official in the coming days," specified Romero, who is a member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) and one of the leading journalists tracking Latin prospects.
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