White Sox Eying Next Big Cuban Star
The White Sox have always had a Cuban connection. This goes further than the Cuban talent that is currently on the roster. The connection began with hall of famer Minnie Minoso and later turned into guys like Alexei Ramirez and Dayán Viciedo. Through this, the White Sox have established a great connection with the talent from Cuba, and anytime there is a big name, the White Sox are always linked.
The Cuban Connection Is Strong
Whether it is recently with the signings of Oscar Colas and Yoelqui Céspedes or further back with Luis Robert and Jose Abreu, the White Sox always scouted Cuban talent. To this day, the Sox have continued with the acquisition of Cuban-born players. They even acquired many Cuban players through trade and free agency, like Yoan Moncada and Yasmani Grandal.
No matter how they are acquired, the Cuban connection is clear from the current personnel on the White Sox. They currently have four starters born in Cuba on their roster. They were also the first team to bat four Cuban-born players 1-4 in their starting lineup. This doesn’t account for the many players in the minor leagues that were signed out of Cuba as well.
This is in part to the tremendous work that Marco Paddy does for them in the international scouting department. He was even named the international scout of the year in 2022. This was well deserved as a lot of players who make a significant impact for the White Sox have been international signings or acquisitions.
A New Star Has Reached International Free Agency
Recently, a new name has emerged as a potential signing for the Sox, Yariel Rodriguez. It has recently been reported that he broke his contract with the Chunichi Dragons of the Nippon Professional Baseball League. He is now in the Dominican Republic looking to sign with a major league club.
This would be a big signing for the White Sox, as Rodriguez is a big-time pitcher. As showcased in the World Baseball Classic, he has a high 90s fastball with an electric slider. This would be a great addition to any bullpen. The White Sox currently have the most amount of money left in the international pool, so this is definitely in play for them if he is eligible to sign right away.
Rodriguez broke into the Cuban professional leagues at 18, and he went 31-26 with a 3.30 ERA. He then went on to sign with the Chinchuri Dragons in Japan. There he would pitch extremely well, as he had a 3.03 ERA over 79 games in three seasons with the club. He has both started and come in relief. Those are very good numbers for one of the best leagues in the world. He is still young as he just turned 26, so he has time to improve with major league instruction.
There Could Be A Big Delay…
Unfortunately, there may be a problem signing Rodriguez in the near future. While there have been reports that the Dragons have not been able to contact him since defecting to the Dominican, he is still under contract.
Since he is still under contract, the Dragons have to still allow him to become a free agent. For a player as valuable as Rodriguez, there is little incentive to do so for nothing in return.
A source that covers the Nippon Professional league also detailed how it could get more complicated than that. They said how “granting him an immediate release will piss off the Cuban Baseball Federation.” Apparently “Chunichi and the CBF are in good graces, and hurting that relationship will damage Chunichi’s Cuban pipeline. They don’t want to do that.”
They also said that if an MLB team does sign him, it would be taken to the Japanese courts, and they would likely rule in favor of the Japanese club and make the MLB team pay some extra compensation to make up for it.
This could become a messy situation for everyone involved, but if it all gets resolved, I imagine the White Sox will be all over it, as he could become a valuable pitcher for them in the near future.