PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks announced that the team’s soon-to-open baseball academy in the Dominican Republic will be the host site for MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program showcases and events on a regular basis as part of a multi-year partnership set to begin in 2020. Digital renderings of the academy are attached.

“Our new academy in the Dominican Republic will be state-of-the-art and provide the perfect location for MLB to host various showcases of the nation’s top talent,” said D-backs President & CEO Derrick Hall. “We are in close proximity to the academies of 24 other organizations and as we build this facility, we continue to keep in mind that this can become a hub for all baseball activities in the Dominican Republic and Latin America.”

The new complex is located on the site of Las Américas, where the D-backs trained from 1996-2003. It will have three full fields, an agility field, covered batting cages, a classroom building, nutrition center, player and staff housing facilities and offices. The project was designed by San Francisco-based architecture firm jones ׀ haydu with Santo Domingo-based JMF Arquitectos serving as architect of record.

“Major League Baseball would like to congratulate the Arizona Diamondbacks on their new state-of-the-art training facility in the Dominican Republic,” said MLB’s Senior Vice President, League Economics & Operations Morgan Sword. “We are looking forward to working in conjunction with them in hosting showcase events through our MLB Trainers Partnership Program for all of our clubs to attend. 

The D-backs recently promoted Cesar Geronimo to Vice President, Latin American Scouting and Player Development while the team’s longtime Vice President of Latin Operations, Junior Noboa, was honored at MLB’s Winter Meetings this past Sunday night as the Sheldon “Chief” Bender Award winner, presented to an individual with distinguished service who has been instrumental in player development.

The academy’s groundbreaking ceremony was attended by numerous dignitaries including the country’s president, Danilo Medina Sanchez.

The Trainer Partnership Program is a new MLB initiative in collaboration with independent trainers in the Dominican Republic and other Latin American countries. The purpose of the program is to combat the use of performance-enhancing substances and provide a safe, healthy environment for amateur players in the Dominican Republic to develop their baseball skills. 

Players at Partner Trainer academies are enrolled in MLB’s drug testing program, receive educational seminars from MLB and enhanced playing opportunities in MLB leagues and showcases that are attended by all 30 MLB Clubs and are only available to players from Partner Trainer academies.