September has arrived, and with it come new stories and plenty of call ups and promotions to MLB.

Today, we will look at three players from different backgrounds and positions who traveled their own paths to the major leagues, and how different scouts found a way to see the talent before it was ready to emerge. We go deep behind the scenes of two spectacular MLB debuts, and all the work it takes to make it to the Show.

Thank you all for reading.

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As summer draws to a close, international showcase tournaments for future signing classes continue despite the uncertainty surrounding what could happen at the end of 2026. In Medellín, Colombia, more than 10 international directors attended the Copa Polidor, where several players from the 2027, 2028 and 2029 classes have already reached agreements, along with other events taking place in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

Despite the looming possibility of a postponement of signings and potential changes to the international system, most organizations have continued scouting and reaching agreements as if there were no tomorrow.

Welcome to another edition of International Notes.

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In August 2019, Guevara left Cuba for Guyana before eventually reaching Costa Rica, where he settled in hopes of securing an MLB contract. At the time, he was represented by Gustavo Dominguez.

That chapter, however, did not work out. One of the key moments came when Dominguez declined an offer of more than $300,000 from the Chicago White Sox. Two years later, Guevara and his parents moved their journey to the Dominican Republic in search of another opportunity.

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August always marks the point of the season when the playoffs contenders begin to separate themselves from the teams that are no longer in the race. The Rays, White Sox, Braves, Brewers and Dodgers have maintained their position at the top of their respective divisions, but despite months of stability, one bad week of baseball can completely change the reality of an entire season.

Behind the paywall, I examine the possibility of an international signing period taking place in 2026–27 amid a very likely lockout, based on several conversations with industry leaders. Also: the story of a pitcher looking to return to his former level and a rookie prospect who made an immediate impact but will now have to make the necessary adjustments to remain successful at the Major League level.

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As of July 31, a total of 888 players have already been reported as signed, with all 30 organizations spending just over $196 million to recruit these talents.

Let’s see what use every team made out of that cash.

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After a few days dominated by the intensity of the MLB trade deadline, this marked my fifth year covering baseball's busiest stretch as a reporter, navigating the nonstop flow of breaking news and the relentless pace of social media. In this week's The Insider FR, we'll examine some of the key trends that shaped this year's deadline, take a closer look at the significant velocity jump of a Padres pitcher, and explore the development that helped one of the Guardians' young talents reach the major leagues.

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Sánchez, 20, is one of the highest-upside players currently eligible to sign. More than 15 MLB organizations have shown interest in the Santiago de Cuba native, according to industry sources.

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In this week's The Insider FR, I'll break down two intriguing stories from the most recent MLB Draft, along with an in-depth look at how organizations structure deals to extend players and secure financial flexibility. We'll also examine the strategies clubs use to maximize value, manage risk, and position themselves for long-term success.

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The summer heat continues to blanket baseball fields around the world, but even the soaring temperatures haven’t slowed the international signing market. We’re back with another edition packed with news, notes, and behind the scenes information, much of it hidden beneath the spotlight of the MLB season, the FIFA World Cup, or simply never making its way into the public eye.

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Hua, 17, reached an agreement after the Phillies acquired an additional $250,000 in international bonus pool money from the Cleveland Guardians in a trade.

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We’re back with Insider FR. If you’re a new subscriber, this is a weekly section exclusively for paid readers where I explore three different topics, mostly centered on Major League Baseball, a beat I’ve covered for more than a decade. I always aim to include original reporting, and this week is no exception, with a look at an organization that continues to translate success on the field while operating with limited resources.

Also in this edition: the expected return timeline of a player who entered 2026 hoping to rebuild his value, but whose season has instead trended in the opposite direction.

Finally, I take a closer look at the progress of a top baseball prospect and his chances of continuing to make adjustments that will allow him to reach the highest level as prepared as possible.

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The signing ceremony took place in Taiwan and was attended by Yankees international scouting director Mario Garza and Matt Slater, who oversees the club’s scouting operations throughout Asia.

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It requires a tremendous amount of effort, but it is also a goal I set for myself in 2025. So far, I have been able to maintain the consistency that is often the most difficult part of any profession.

This month, we bring updates on the signings completed in May, the remaining international bonus pool for all 30 organizations, and a special analysis of the international signing period and how it has unfolded so far.

Let’s get started.

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Caribbean Baseball Academy (CBA), me dice Cubas, cuenta con mas de 20 jugadores internacionales que buscarán firmar en el futuro con organizaciones de MLB. “Este proyecto es algo que siempre he querido hacer y que no lo logre hacer la primera vez que estuve activo”, confiesa.

Luego de varios años en que personas de su confianza le insistían sobre esta idea, él se mantenía en negativa. Sin embargo, el renombrado ex agente decidió que volvería al juego para ayudar en la firma y desarrollo de jugadores jóvenes.

La principal academia actualmente se encuentra en Bejuma, Carabobo, Venezuela. Desde hace unos meses CBA también tienen un programa completo funcionando en la República Dominicana donde, Cubas ha incorporado varios jóvenes cubanos pertenecientes a las clases 2028 en adelante.

“Veo una necesidad grande sobre todo con los cubanos”, dice.

Todos los dias Cubas leia y le llegaban historias sobre las adversidades de las familias cubanas en República Dominicana. Muchas veces cuando los jugadores no tienen el talento para firmar, llevan mas de dos o tres años estancados en el proceso de una firma o simplemente ya no son rentables, son desalojados y puestos en la calle por inversionistas y personas del negocio. Eso ocurre desde hace muchos años ya y Cubas, una persona bien informada y con experiencia, lo conoce. Me confiesa sentado en el sofa de su residencia en Miami que ya ha tomado algunos casos de jugadores abandonados.

“Hay un vacío muy grande y una necesidad de personas establecidas en esta industria. Creo que llegó el momento de salir públicamente y decir qué es lo que no se está haciendo”.

La academia ya cuenta con una estructura de reclutadores, entrenadores de pitcheo, bateo y Cubas menciona que en el caso de que los jugadores no tengan talento o no puedan firmar por la via internacional trabajara en la idea de conseguirles becas universitarias en los Estados Unidos.

“Yo pensaba que se habian olvidado de mi nombre”

En la decada de los 90 tuvo clientes importantes en el mercado cubano, como Liván Hernández, Orlando Hernández, Rolando Arrojo y Danys Báez. Decidió terminar su carrera como agente alrededor del 2006, segùn dice, pasar mas tiempo con su familia y concentrarse en el negocio de bienes raíces.

“No pude disfrutar la juventud de mis hijos porque siempre estaba fuera”.

Cubas fue un actor importante en garantizar derechos a jugadores cubanos que emigraban lo mismo por mar que abandonando delegaciones en el extranjero. Uno de sus mejores momentos fue la salida de Orlando “El Duque” Hernández en diciembre de 1997, quien fue desde Bahamas hasta Costa Rica para luego firmar con los Yankees de New York.

Ahora en una nueva y muy distinta empresa, Cubas espera obtener nuevos éxitos como hizo hace mas de dos décadas en el beisbol como agente certificado. Las épocas han cambiado mucho sobre todo en la comunicación. “Casi todo el mundo tiene telefono y a traves de Whastapp se comunican con nosotros”, dice.

Desde la fundacion de J.Cubas Caribbean Baseball Academy en julio de 2025 tiene jugadores elegibles, es decir, para firmar en el actual periodo que culmina el 15 de diciembre de 2026, y talentos que firmaran en las clases 2026-2027 y hasta 2030.

“Cuando comenzamos no quise asumir casos de jugadores que tenian contratos anteriores con otras academias”, explica. Mientras conversa conmigo su academia organiza un showcase en Bejuma, Venezuela con jugadores de las clases 2028 a 2030 y espera acordar muy pronto a los primeros jugadores.

Como reportero de mas de 10 años, veo una desesperacion mucho mayor en los últimos 3 años en familias que quieren salir de Cuba junto a sus hijos, jugadores de apenas 11 o 12 años, y buscar un subsidio en alguna academia hasta poder firmar. Estos casos son inversiones de alto riesgo y muchisimo tiempo que no todas las personas de la industria estan dispuestas a realizar. Le pregunto a Cubas sobre que si ayudará de alguna manera a estos tipos de casos y me responde sin rodeos: “Con mucho gusto le puedes dar la informacion de la academia y nuestros contactos”.

La Caribbean Baseball Academy ya tiene 12 jugadores en la sede de Republica Dominicana y 14 en Venezuela y dice Cubas que no quisiera pasar de 30-35 jugadores entre las dos, porque cree que el personal que tienen puede atender a todos los talentos por igual.

“Aqui estamos hablando de muchas cosas, primero es el desarrollo, luego la parte legal entre visas y agencias libres y luego la parte de mostrarlos a las organizaciones de MLB”.

Cubas, como cuando estuvo en la cuspide de la representacion, tambien entiende que buscara ser una academia de excelencia en nutricion, trato, preparacion fisica, preparacion mental y la firma con sus contratos. “Mi objetivo en esto, como en todo lo que hago, es ser dentro de un año el mejor de los mejores”.

Joe dice que es muy malo para venderse a el mismo, solo espera que sus resultados hablen por si solos como ha sido a lo largo de toda su carrera.

¿Volverá como agente certificado de MLBPA?, le pregunto finalmente.

“Ya yo creo que ese barco salio del muelle”.

According to Cubas, Caribbean Baseball Academy (CBA) currently has more than 20 international prospects who aspire to sign with Major League Baseball organizations in the future.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Cubas said. “It’s a project I wasn’t able to accomplish during my first stint in the game.”

For years, trusted friends and associates encouraged him to pursue the idea, but he repeatedly declined. Eventually, however, the longtime baseball agent decided it was time to return and contribute once again to the identification, signing, and development of young talent.

Now, through CBA, Cubas hopes to use decades of experience and relationships throughout the baseball world to help guide the next generation of players as they pursue professional opportunities both on and off the field.

The academy’s primary facility is currently located in Bejuma, in Venezuela’s Carabobo state. In recent months, CBA has also established a full-scale program in the Dominican Republic, where Cubas has incorporated several young Cuban prospects from the 2028 international signing class and beyond.

“I see a tremendous need, especially when it comes to Cuban players,” Cubas said.

Every day, Cubas says, he would read and hear stories about the hardships faced by Cuban families in the Dominican Republic. In many cases, when players are deemed unlikely to sign, remain stuck in the signing process for two or three years, or are no longer viewed as worthwhile investments, they are abandoned by investors and others involved in the business. According to Cubas, the practice has been occurring for years, and as someone with extensive experience and deep knowledge of the industry, he is well aware of the problem.

Sitting in the living room of his Miami home, Cubas told me that he has already taken in several cases involving abandoned players.

“There is a huge void and a real need for established people in this industry to step up,” he said. “I think the time has come to speak publicly about what isn’t being done.”

The academy has already assembled a network of scouts, pitching instructors, and hitting coaches. Cubas added that for players who ultimately lack the talent to sign professionally or are unable to secure an international contract, he plans to help them pursue college scholarships in the United States.

“Our responsibility goes beyond baseball,” Cubas said. “If a player’s path doesn’t lead to professional baseball, we want to make sure he still has an opportunity to build a future through education.”

“I thought people had forgotten my name”

During the 1990s, Cubas represented some of the biggest names to emerge from the Cuban market, including Liván Hernández, Orlando Hernández, Rolando Arrojo, and Danys Báez. Around 2006, he decided to step away from the agent business, choosing instead to spend more time with his family and focus on his real estate ventures.

“I missed out on my children’s younger years because I was always on the road,” Cubas said.

Cubas played a key role in securing opportunities and rights for Cuban players who left the island, whether by sea or by defecting from national teams while abroad. One of the defining moments of his career came in December 1997, when Orlando “El Duque” Hernández departed from the Bahamas to Costa Rica before ultimately signing with the New York Yankees.

Now, in a new and very different project, Cubas hopes to achieve fresh success, much as he did more than two decades ago as a certified baseball agent. The landscape has changed dramatically, particularly when it comes to communication.

“Almost everyone has a phone now, and they communicate with us through WhatsApp,” he said.

Since the founding of J. Cubas Caribbean Baseball Academy in July 2025, the program has assembled a group of prospects that includes players currently eligible to sign during the international signing period that runs through December 15, 2026, as well as younger talent projected to sign in the 2026-27 classes and through 2030.

“When we got started, I didn’t want to take on players who already had previous agreements with other academies,” Cubas explained.

As he spoke with me, his academy was organizing a showcase in Bejuma, Venezuela, featuring prospects from the 2028 through 2030 international signing classes. Cubas said he expects the program to reach agreements involving its first players in the near future.

As a reporter with more than 10 years of experience, I have seen a much greater sense of urgency over the past three years among families seeking to leave Cuba with their children, players as young as 11 or 12 years old, and find support from an academy until they become eligible to sign.

These cases require high-risk investments and a long-term commitment that not everyone in the industry is willing to undertake. I asked Cubas whether he would be willing to help families facing those circumstances, and his response was straightforward.

“You can gladly give them the academy’s information and our contact details,” he said.

J. Cubas Caribbean Baseball Academy currently has 12 players at its Dominican Republic facility and 14 in Venezuela. Cubas said he does not want the total number of players between the two locations to exceed 30 to 35, believing that the academy’s staff can provide equal attention and development opportunities to every prospect in the program.

“Here we are talking about many things. First comes development, then the legal side involving visas and free agency, and finally the process of showcasing them to MLB organizations.”

Cubas, as he did during the peak of his career in player representation, also understands that he aims to build an academy of excellence focused on nutrition, player treatment, physical preparation, mental conditioning, and contract signing.

“My goal in this, as in everything I do, is to become the best of the best within a year,” he said.

Joe says he is not very good at selling himself and prefers to let his results speak for themselves, as they have throughout his career.

“Will you return as a certified MLBPA agent?” I asked him at the end of the conversation.

“That ship has already left the dock.”

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Also in this edition: several breaking news stories published my platforms, particularly involving MLB promotions, including the intriguing case of a pitcher from a country not traditionally known for producing major leaguers.

I’ll also take a closer look at one of the prospects who has made the biggest leap from 2025 to 2026, as well as several players who have recently changed agencies.

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Both players were members of Team Cuba at the U-18 World Cup in Okinawa, Japan, held in September 2025.

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Eom, 17, can run his fastball up to 95 mph while also showing an advanced contact bat and elite defense for his age.

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This week, I visited a university to cover the appointment of a former MLB manager. We also witnessed the remarkable rise of an overlooked left-handed pitcher who spent eight years fighting his way to the major leagues. And finally, I sat down with one of the most influential baseball agents of the 1990s, who is making his return to the industry.

But, first, a word from my editor.

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