Pittsburgh Pirates just added 19-year-old LHP Yorgenson Artigas from Venezuela to their international signing class. Here\u2019s some video from a recent throwing session that I was able to get pic.twitter.com\/Z42IVjWL41<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 John Dreker (@JohnDreker) February 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Santos is 16 years old, but has already shown great potential, with top speed and impressive bat power, plus great athleticism, which is important for a shortstop to have. <\/p>\n He stands 6-foot-2 and should stick at shortstop for his future, with a strong arm needed for the position. <\/p>\n Pirates signed 16-year-old shortstop Jhoendris Santos today. He\u2019s very athletic, with some 100+ MPH exit velocities already, as well as 6.4 60 speed. He\u2019s a big signing in this current int\u2019l class, even though he\u2019s been under the radar. Here\u2019s some great video I received today pic.twitter.com\/UOh2hMCfqh<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 John Dreker (@JohnDreker) February 5, 2026<\/a>Other Important International Signings for Pirates<\/p>\n Pittsburgh made an initial 25 signings<\/a> on the first day of the International Signing Period, but two of those players stand out and both hail from the Dominican Republic.<\/p>\n Shortstop Wilton Guerrero Jr. is the top get for the Pirates, signing him for $1,950,000. Ben Badler of\u00a0Baseball America<\/a>\u00a0ranks him at 19th and MLB Pipeline\u00a0has him<\/a>\u00a0at 17th on their big board.<\/p>\n Shortstop Prospect Wilton Guerrero Jr. Signs with the Pittsburgh Pirates on the First Day of the International Signing Period on Jan. 15, 2026. | Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Pirates <\/p>\n 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 Vladimir Guerrero Sr.<\/p>\n He stands 5-foot-10, 165 pounds and turns 17 years old on May 29 and is a right-handed batter.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Pirates also signed outfielder Jeancer Custodio for $900,000, their second biggest signing so far.<\/p>\n Custodio was 54th on Baseball America, but\u00a0MLB Pipeline<\/a>\u00a0has him at seventh overall and their fourth best outfielder.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Understanding the International Signing Period<\/p>\n The International Signing Period 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 for the Class of 2026.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Pirates\u00a0had the highest pool<\/a>\u00a0in 2026 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.<\/p>\n 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\u00a0Dodgers<\/a>\u00a0did with Japanese right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki.<\/p>\n Both top prospects for the Pirates last season in outfielders\u00a0Esmerlyn Valdez<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Edward Florentino<\/a>\u00a0were both signed during this period from the Dominican Republic in 2021 and 2024, respectively.<\/p>\n Nov 9, 2025; Mesa, AZ, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Some of the better players for the Pirates have come from international signings, like catcher Manny Sanguillen, outfielder Starling Marte and third baseman Aramis Ram\u00edrez.<\/p>\n![\"Shortstop](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/01kf2a7gk51vxvdd2wq2.jpg\" "\\"Shortstop")
<\/p>\n![\"Pittsburgh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/01khg9e31vrmb9vvdfss.jpg\" "\\"Pittsburgh")
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