Nippon Professional Baseball’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have signed 18-year-old Cuban Jonathan Moreno to a developmental contract with a $100,000 bonus, the club announced Tuesday.
Cuban shortstop prospect Jonathan Moreno (18) has signed with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks for a $100,000 bonus.
Moreno impressed many MLB scouts at the last U-18 World Cup with his premium, Gold Glove–caliber defense and his potential as a future AVE-type hitter. pic.twitter.com/Fts36FJ5x7
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) December 9, 2025
Moreno served as Cuba’s starting shortstop at the U-18 World Cup in Okinawa this past September and stood out with a .348/.393/.435 line and four stolen bases across eight games. Insider Francys Romero praised him as a “premium, Gold Glove-caliber” defender with the upside to grow into a quality contact hitter.
“I am very happy to be able to sign with the best team in Japan,” Moreno told Japanese media. “The Hawks were the first to talk to me, and I was motivated when they came to see me play in international competitions and the Cuban League.” He added that playing in Japan has been his dream since childhood.
Moreno is expected to begin his career on SoftBank’s third and fourth squads, with hopes of earning a future promotion to the NPB roster in several years as he develops. The Hawks have a long track record of success with Cuban talent: sluggers Yurisbel Gracial and Alfredo Despaigne were central to the club’s dynasty in the late 2010s, and pitcher Livan Moinelo just captured the 2025 Pacific League MVP award.
SoftBank, alongside the Chunichi Dragons, has continued to strengthen its Cuban pipeline over the past decade, helping make NPB a premier destination for top Cuban players who choose not to defect from their national program in search of opportunities in Major League Baseball.
WBN Japan: https://worldbaseball.com/league/japan/
Photo: Federación Cubana de Beisbol y Softbol @CubanaBeisbol
