For all their faults, the White Sox have historically done very well in international free agency. Their biggest free agent signing came in the form of Jose Abreu, who was the best player on the White Sox for almost a decade. On top of Abreu, the White Sox have done well with other names such as Luis Robert Jr. and Alexei Ramirez.
Recently, the international free agency period opened, with top prospect Roki Sasaki signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite having a presentation for Sasaki prepared, it didn't seem like the White Sox were ever real players for him.
Even though they missed out on Sasaki, the White Sox put together a very solid international free agent class, headlined by a power hitting infielder and a player they were able to steal from the Dodgers.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) January 15, 2025
This is a very solid list, as not only is Orlando Patino, the player they stole from the Dodgers highly ranked, infielder Alejandro Cruz is ranked higher, as he commanded a signing bonus north of two million dollars. MLB Pipleline had him ranked as the 33rd best prospect in the class.
The #WhiteSox have agreed to a $2 million deal with Cuban 3B Alejandro Cruz, No. 33 on the Top 50 International Prospects list.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) January 17, 2025
More on Chicago's international signings: https://t.co/6pMcHklqMQ pic.twitter.com/xl7qntXQhC
This is what MLB Pipeline had to say about Cruz:
"A hitter who shows advanced aptitude in using his weight to help him generate power from his short right-handed swing, Cruz profiles as a middle-of-the-order bat in the future. His home run power is currently primarily to his pull side, but with line-to-line ability and a simple approach that doesn’t need many tweaks, there’s reason to think there is a lot more pop to be unlocked. At 6-foot-3, evaluators believe his current 180-pound frame could hold 20+ pounds or more, which would not hamper his simple hitting approach due to his already better-than-average eye at the plate."
MLB Pipeline
Unfortunately, fans won't see these players in the minor leagues for a few years as most of them are 16 or 17 years old. It is likely that they play in the White Sox Dominican Summer League for a few seasons before eventually making it over to the United States to play in the minor leagues.
Cruz is the best prospect here, as scouts hold him in high regards. However, Patino is also a very promising prospect.
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
While international prospects are typically a crapshoot, the White Sox have completely revamped their international scouting department, so hopefully that will translate to a more consistent pipeline of talent from these international classes.
