Chicago Cubs Make Announcement on 17-Year-Old Pitcher

The Chicago Cubs have assigned right-handed pitcher Maykoll Jaspe to their Dominican Summer League Cubs Blue affiliate, according to the MiLB transaction log.

The move places the 17-year-old Venezuelan on the roster of the Rookie-level club based in Boca Chica.

Jaspe, whose full name is Maykoll Xavier Jaspe, was born January 29, 2009, in Bejuma, Venezuela. Listed at six foot, 200 pounds, he bats and throws right-handed.

The Cubs signed him to a minor league contract as a free agent on October 2, 2026, as part of an early offseason wave of international talent additions.

That signing group included several other prospects, with four of the five additions coming from the pitching side.

The moves align with president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer’s stated emphasis on bolstering pitching depth heading into the offseason.

For a player of Jaspe’s age, the immediate next step is the Dominican Summer League, where young international signees typically begin their professional careers under the Cubs’ two DSL affiliates (Blue and Red).

Scouting notes on Jaspe remain limited given his recent signing and lack of professional statistics, but early reports highlight his physical tools.

Observers point to his arm angle and projectable frame as factors that could help him reach the mid-90s consistently with his fastball—an attribute the Cubs have prioritized. He also works with a slider and curveball, giving him a solid three-pitch foundation to develop.

At this stage, his long-term role (starter or reliever) remains unclear, and any impact is years away; international free agents of this age typically require three to four seasons of development before contributing at higher levels.

DSL Cubs Blue, managed by Enrique Wilson, serves as one of the organization’s primary entry points for young Latin American talent. The league runs during the summer months, so Jaspe’s assignment positions him to prepare for the 2027 campaign in the Cubs’ complex in the Dominican Republic.

Like most players at this stage, he will focus on building strength, refining command, and adapting to professional routines rather than producing immediate statistical results.

The assignment is a routine developmental step, but it continues the Cubs’ pattern of investing in international pitching depth early in the offseason.

With the 2026 major-league campaign recently concluded, such moves help replenish the lower levels of a system that has drawn attention for its pitching pipeline in recent years.

Jaspe joins a cohort of new signees expected to progress gradually through the minor leagues, with the earliest realistic contributions likely not arriving until the late 2020s.