The Chicago White Sox have a long history of signing and developing Cuban players, and according to new reports, they have landed yet another big free agent from that nation.
According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the White Sox have struck a deal with free agent Cuban-born outfielder Luis Robert, one of the biggest prizes on this year's international free agent market.
The 19-year old has fantastic speed and a good arm according to scouts, and he can also hit for power as well. He has racked up 18 home runs and 82 RBI in 711 career plate appearances in Cuban leagues, and he also has 26 stolen bases as he deploys his speed at times as well.
The White Sox were reportedly in competition with several clubs for Robert’s services, including the St. Louis Cardinals. On Saturday, Robert changed his Instagram profile picture, and eagle-eyed fans will notice that he is indeed wearing a White Sox cap:
When Robert officially puts pen to paper, he’ll join a lengthy list of Cuban-born players to sign with the organization. Alexei Ramirez and Jose Abreu have been two of the more successful players to make the jump to the White Sox from Cuba, and Minnie Minoso is a team legend, playing 12 seasons with the White Sox over four different decades.
