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Pirates Announce First Signings of International Signing Period

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Jan 16, 2026 7:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates made the most of the first day of the International Signing Period, bringing in new players from all over.

The Pirates announced that they made 25 signings on first day of the International Signing Period on Jan. 15, coming from six different countries.

Pittsburgh got most of their talent from the Dominican Republic, with 14 of those players, but also had seven players from Venezuela. Cuba, Nicaragua, Brazil and Panama each had one player the Pirates signed.

The Pirates will hope that at least one or more of these players pan out and become starters in the major leagues.

Pirates Sign Two Top Prospects

The Pirates had two of the top signings in this International Class, both of whom received big-time signing bonuses and hail from the Dominican Republic.

Shortstop Wilton Guerrero Jr. is the top get for the Pirates, signing him for $1,950,000. Ben Badler of Baseball America ranks him at 19th and MLB Pipeline has him at 17th on their big board.

Guerrero is the son of former MLB player Wilton Guerrero Sr. (1996-2004), with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals. He is also the nephew of Hall of Famer Vladmir Guerrero Sr.

He stands 5-foot-10, 165 pounds and turns 17 years old on May 29 and is a right-handed batter.

Guerrero has incredible speed, with MLB Pipeline giving him a "70" grade, which is "well above average. He also reportedly has gotten to first base in 4.1 seconds and his quickness makes him a better defensive shortstop.

He shows good contact already and has the potential to develop his power. He'll also look to improve upon his arm strength to become an even better fielder.

The Pirates also signed outfielder Jeancer Custodio for $900,000, their second biggest signing so far.

Custodio was 54th on Baseball America, but MLB Pipeline has him at seventh overall and their fourth best outfielder.

He stands 5-foot-10, but 185 pounds, and is a strong hitter, with MLB Pipeline giving him a "65" hit grade and a "55" power grade.

Custodio featured with the Dominican Republic at the U-18 World Cup Americas Qualifier in 2024. He slashed .333/.429/.375 for an OPS of .804, with four stolen bases, eight hits, a double and three RBI.

His best skill set right now is his approach to hitting, with good vision that makes him a hitter that can go for power. Scouts see this as an area that, if he works on, will become a top bat for the future.

Rest of the Signings

Shortstops

Player	Height/Weight	Nationality	Signing Bonus
Angel Gabriel Álvarez	5-foot-10, 145 pounds	Venezuela	N/A
Wilton Guerrero Jr.	5-foot-10, 202 pounds	Dominican Republic	$1,950,000
Anyelo Jean	6-foot, 187 pounds	Dominican Republic	N/A
Adrian Martinez	5-foot-10, 159 pounds	Dominican Republic	N/A
Alexander Pio	6-foot-3, 207 pounds	Dominican Republic	$450,000
Freilyn Rodriguez	5-foot-11, 166 pounds	Dominican Republic	N/A

Pio is the most important name outside of Guerrero and Custodio from this signing period, as the Pirates signed him for a reported $450,000.

He is a promising bat and could eventually transition to third base due to his strong arm.

Outfielders

Player	Height/Weight	Nationality	Signing Bonus
Jeancer Custodio	5-foot-10, 202 pounds	Dominican Republic	$900,000
Juan Andres Figueroa	6-foot-2, 177 pounds	Venezuela	N/A
Dionys Leyba	5-foot-11, 180 pounds	Dominican Republic	N/A
Rothemnay Marquetti	5-foot-11, 152 pounds	Cuba	$40,000
Carlos Tejera	6-foot-1, 193 pounds	Dominican Republic	$95,000
Fernando Triana	5-foot-10, 172 pounds	Venezuela	N/A

Right-Handed Pitchers

Player	Height/Weight	Nationality	Signing Bonus
Derek Garcia	6-foot-1,193 pounds	Dominican Republic	N/A
Pietro Pires	5-foot-10, 167 pounds	Brazil	N/A
Enrique Quintana	6-foot, 161 pounds	Venezuela	N/A
John Reynoso	5-foot-11, 164 pounds	Dominican Republic	$135,000
Dennison Rodriguez	6-foot-5, 195 pounds	Dominican Republic	N/A
Ronaldo Serrano	6-foot-1, 206 pounds	Dominican Republic	N/A
Fredery Solano	6-foot-3, 157 pounds	Dominican Republic	N/A
Neomar Urbina	6-foot-3, 217 pounds	Venezuela	N/A

Left-Handed Pitchers

Player	Height/Weight	Nationality	Signing Bonus
Micael De La Cruz	6-foot-2, 177 pounds	Dominican Republic	N/A
Miguel Molina	6-foot-1,165 pounds	Nicaragua	$40,000

What is the International Signing Period?

This includes players that are already 16 before they sign and not older than 17 before Sept. 1 of the next year, meaning they have to be born between Sept. 1, 2008 to Aug. 31, 2009.

MLB teams have a certain amount of money to spend, a bonus pool, based on a variety of factors like revenue, market size and money earned from trades. Teams can only spend what they're allotted pool and nothing more.

The Pirates have the highest pool of $8,034,900, which the Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals all have as well.

Deals for $10,000 or less don't count against the bonus pool, so teams can use that money on just one player, like the Los Angeles Dodgers did with Japanese right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki.

Both top prospects for the Pirates last season in outfielders Esmerlyn Valdez and Edward Florentino were both signed during this period from the Dominican Republic in 2021 and 2024, respectively.

Some of the better players for the Pirates have come from international signings, like catcher Manny Sanguillen, outfielder Starling Marte and third baseman Aramis Ramírez.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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