Tigers land trio of high-profile prospects among 2026 international signings

The Tigers will be heading to the Dominican Republic to play a pair of exhibition games on March 3-4 against the country’s national team ahead of the World Baseball Classic. But as the 2026 international signing period opens, the club continues to tap into its resources in the country to land premier outfield prospect Randy Santana.

It marks the second consecutive season Detroit has landed a 6-foot-3 right-handed-hitting bopper from the D.R. as its headlining signee (Cris Rodriguez, No. 4 international prospect in 2025). Santana, the No. 21 overall prospect, trained with Cristian Batista, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program who also oversaw the development of All-Stars Juan Soto and Elly De La Cruz during their time as amateurs.

The club received $7,357,100 in pool money this year, tied for the second-highest allotment in the league. Santana is one of three players -- alongside catcher Manuel Bolivar and shortstop Oscar Tineo -- to reportedly receive a seven-figure bonus among the team’s early signees.

Santana is from La Romana, the same city that produced one-time Tigers Andujar Cedeno and Jefry Marte. Santana has lots of bat speed in his right-handed swing and the ability to backspin the ball, making evaluators believe there’s even more home run power in the tank as he continues to fill out physically. He times all his levers up well with solid balance and shows aptitude for pitch recognition, traits that will aid him as he enters the pro ranks.

But where Santana stands to impact the game most is defensively, most likely in right field. He has a true howitzer for a throwing arm, having ripped off triple-digit throws from the grass with consistency. Equipped with a plus run tool as well, all the pieces are there for Santana to be a potential five-tool contributor if he continues on his current development track.

“We all strongly believe that he's going to be able to play center field, having a plus arm and plus speed,” Tigers director of Latin American operations Miguel Garcia said. “On top of that, he's got a good chance to develop power. Obviously, as a 17-year-old, we're hoping that he'll be able to be consistent with contact. … We're pretty excited about Randy's tools.”

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Bolivar is expected to have one of the highest signing bonuses of any catcher in the 2026 international class and it’s easy to see why with his above-average power tool. He landed just outside MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 International Prospects list, primarily due to concerns about making enough contact to be able to tap into that pop frequently enough. He features a long right-handed swing that some scouts believed would be challenged by professional breaking stuff.

Having played on Venezuela’s U15 World Cup club in Mexico in 2022, Bolivar has blossomed into a 6-foot-3 strong-armed backstop. While there’s little doubt he’ll have plenty of throwing arm for the position, he might eventually outgrow the spot and see time at first base. But Detroit has shown a track record of sticking with taller catchers, watching 6-foot-4 Josue Briceño (No. 3 Tigers prospect and MLB No. 33) and 6-foot-2 Thayron Liranzo (No. 5) emerge at the upper levels, in addition to drafting 6-foot-3 Michael Oliveto (No. 17) with the 34th overall pick last July.

“This kid has a tremendous set of tools,” Garcia said. “He's got a good body for his position, catcher, and the ability to develop some power down the road, having a plus arm and good defensive skills. We like his makeup, the way that he handles himself on and off the baseball field. We're pretty excited about Manuel Bolivar.”

Dating back to before the start of 2024, the Tigers have had a top-six farm system, according to MLB Pipeline’s rankings. In a recent poll of MLB executives, Detroit finished tied for third in having the best hitter development and overall system. Having made postseason appearances the past two years, the organization has begun to blend winning at the big league level with an immense talent pool to draw from. And now, even more is on the way.

An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. They must turn 16 before they sign and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year.

That means players born between Sept. 1, 2008, and Aug. 31, 2009, will be eligible to sign in the current signing period. Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance to be eligible to sign.