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A report surfaced from MLB reporter Francys Romero that the Chicago Cubs plan on signing Cuban pitching prospect Brander Guevara. The reported deal is pending a physical per Romero. The 20-year-old righty has been away from Cuba for several years and has sought to sign with an MLB club for some time.
Source: Cuban RHP Brander Guevara (20) will sign with the Chicago Cubs. Deal is pending physical. Official sign is expected in one week.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) June 2, 2023
Finally, he will sign a contract after 4 years away from Cuba. Brander is well known for throwing 90 mph in a U-15 World Cup (2018). pic.twitter.com/93B1CAORvT
Back in 2018, Guevara threw a then-record-breaking 90 MPH pitch in the U-15 Baseball World Cup. Keep in mind he was literally a kid when he threw that pitch.
🇨🇺 Brander GUEVARA 145 Km/h - 90 MPH 🔥🔥🔥 Fastest pitch of the #U15WorldCup
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 16, 2018
LIVE: 🇵🇦 Panama v Cuba 🇨🇺: 📺 https://t.co/6z4vXW3MfE
📺 In Panama:@SertvDeportes @FedebeisOficial pic.twitter.com/PbZfsOaAwd
There is not a whole ton of information and details publicly available. Per Perfect Game, he is listed at 6-2, 215 lbs. MLB.com has a video of him throwing off a mound, describing him as having, "Good mechanics with a solid arm action and durability." Just based on watching the clip, the mechanics look fairly smooth.
This is definitely an intriguing story. The Cubs have put much focus and effort into building their pitching infrastructure over the past few years. If the Cubs indeed plan to sign this kid they clearly see something in him, he is only 20 years old, so there is hopefully some big potential in his arm. You can never have enough high-upside arms in an organization.