White Sox to sign Luis Robert: What to know about the Cuban outfielder
The Chicago White Sox have agreed to a deal with Cuban outfielder Luis Robert, according to FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman and FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
The deal is reportedly worth more than $25 million and with the bonus could be close to $30 million.
The St. Louis Cardinals were the other major contender to sign Robert. The San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics had expressed interest.
At 19 years old, Robert could see his first professional action in the United States at the high Class A level.
He joins a team that has signed many Cuban baseball players over the years from Minnie Minoso to Jose Abreu.
What to know about Luis Robert:
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 174 lbs.
Stats: Robert has hit .314 in more than 192 games and 711 plate appearances for the Serie Nacional with Ciego de Avila and the Can-am League.
Watch Robert in action: Baseball America has a video of Robert hitting and playing defense.
How the signing works: The Robert deal puts the White Sox over the international bonus pool for the 2016-17 signing period and so now the team can sign players for $300,000 or less for the next two signing periods. The next signing period is the 2017-2018 period on July 2.
Where does he fit in the White Sox organization? Robert could be the team's No. 3 prospect behind Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech. Both players were acquired in the blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox for Chris Sale.
Scouting Report: "At 6-foot-3, Robert has a strong but extremely lean, athletic frame, standing out for his physicality, athleticism, tools and track record of performance, both against his peers and older competition," writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. "He’s a righthanded hitter with a good set up, premium bat speed and a fairly sound, compact swing. When Robert connects, he drives the ball with high exit velocity and plus raw power."
