While the White Sox are not listed as a finalist for international superstar Roki Sasaki, the pursuit of the pitcher has already benefitted the White Sox in other ways.
Roki Sasaki will have to decide on a team by January 23rd, giving teams a few more days to give him their final pitch before he ultimately makes a decision. Since Sasaki is leaving Japan at 23 years old, he does not meet the posting system requirements, so he is considered an international free agent.
Since he is an international free agent, that subjects him to international bonus pool money, where teams only have a certain amount of money to spend in each period. So, a team interested in Sasaki is likely to use most of their pool money on him, to ensure that they get him to sign with their team.
However, most teams have already made commitments to other players in the this international signing period, including the ones that are in on Sasaki. To free up space, teams like the Dodgers are telling the players they had agreements with that they can either wait until the next signing period, or they are free to sign with any other team in this period.
The White Sox are one of the teams to benefit from this, as one of the former Dodgers signees has now agreed to terms with the White Sox, as the Dodgers are laser focused on their pursuit of Sasaki.
According to Baseball America, the White Sox have flipped outfielder Orlando Patiño.
The Dodgers have lost another potential Jan. 15 signing.
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) January 14, 2025
The White Sox flipped Orlando Patiño, a 6-foot-2 outfielder originally set to sign with LA when the signing period opened.
Details via @BenBadler: https://t.co/OdoSOJ6LTE pic.twitter.com/1FL3lXDjTF
This is what Ben Badler of Baseball America had to say about Patiño:
"Patiño is 6-foot-2, 203 pounds and extremely strong for his age with big righthanded power. There isn’t much physical projection left with Patiño, but he already drives the ball with impact in a swing geared to lift the ball. He’s a corner outfielder with a plus arm to fit in right field."
Ben Badler, Baseball America
This is a very good signing for the White Sox, as any day you can steal a player from the Dodgers is a good day, as they have done a very good job at identifying young talent. Patiño has a bunch of upside and now it is up to the White Sox to develop that talent.
I can confirm that OF Orland Patiño, who had an agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers for tomorrow’s International Signing Process, will now sign with the Chicago White Sox for $570,000, a source says. pic.twitter.com/tY0yMb1yhM
— Marcos Grunfeld 🇮🇱 / Sígueme en YouTube (@TheBeatwriter) January 15, 2025
For all the faults of the White Sox, they have actually done a pretty good job of developing international talent, as they have had many guys come through the system through international free agency. Bryan Ramos is one of their more recent success stories, as he looks like he has a good chance to be an everyday third basemen in the major leagues.
We won't see Patiño in the minor leagues for at least a few seasons, but he could be a quick riser through the White Sox international farm system, making his way stateside soon. The White Sox still have some money to play with in the international market, and if the Dodgers continue to negotiate with Sasaki, they may have a few more players up for grabs.
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