The Cleveland Guardians are still dealing with big-picture questions at the major league level, but the organization keeps feeding the lower end of its system with young talent. This week, Cleveland officially added another arm to that pipeline by signing 17-year-old left-handed pitcher Nerio Reyes out of Venezuela.
Reyes trained at CJB Academy in Maracaibo, and his first pro season is slated for 2027 in the Dominican Summer League. That has become the standard starting point for international signees in the Cleveland system, a place where players begin adjusting to pro ball before advancing to the Arizona Complex League and then the full-season affiliates.
“Cleveland Guardians have officially signed 17-year-old LHP prospect Nerio Reyes out Venezuela. Reyes trained out of CJB Academy in Maracaibo. He will make his pro-debut during the 2027 season in the Dominican Summer League,” Guardians Prospective posted.
Cleveland #Guardians have officially signed 17-year-old LHP prospect Nerio Reyes out Venezuela.
Reyes trained out of CJB Academy in Maracaibo.
He will make his pro-debut during the 2027 season in the Dominican Summer League. #StandGuard pic.twitter.com/3Xu1a1ODHS
- Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) October 26, 2026
Reyes fits right into the organization’s recent international trend, especially when it comes to Venezuela. When the 2026 international signing period opened in January, the Guardians brought in 22 players, with 12 coming from Venezuela.
That group was led by Dominican shortstop Svert Reinoso, who was ranked among MLB.com’s top 50 international prospects, and it also included five right-handed pitchers from Venezuela. Reyes gives that class another left-handed option.
The Guardians have also shown they know how to turn Latin American signings into real big league pieces. Brayan Rocchio, a Caracas native, signed as a teenager and became one of the most valuable shortstops in baseball this season, finishing with 15 home runs and elite defensive numbers at his position.
José Ramírez is another reminder of what Cleveland can do with an overlooked international signee. Ángel Genao and Welbyn Francisca are two more young examples moving through the system.
Reyes will be working inside a pitching development machine that has become one of Cleveland’s biggest strengths. The Guardians’ recent success has been built on homegrown arms, with Gavin Williams leading the American League with 248 strikeouts and Parker Messick earning an All-Star nod as a rookie. Pitching coach Carl Willis is back for another season, and the club’s ability to mold raw arms into major league pitchers has been a big reason it keeps competing without spending like the league’s heavyweights.
For Reyes, the climb is just beginning. He’s 17, the road is long, and the big league conversation is years away. But for a team that keeps building its staff from the ground up, this is exactly the kind of move that fits.
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