After making two major trades earlier this offseason the Chicago White Sox have laid low, holding on to their assets rather than moving them. While many have claimed that the team has been trigger shy, it appears that the South Siders have their eyes set on another bright young star.

Ben Badler of Baseball America has recently been tracking and documenting the status of Cuban prospect Luis Robert.

The 19 year old outfielder is arguably the best international free agent on the market. One American League scout went as far to call Robert, “the best player on the planet.”

Robert showed off his abilities in 2016-17 playing for Cuba’s Serie Nacional. He hit .401/.526/.687 with 12 home runs and 11 stolen bases over 232 plate appearances. He lead Serie Nacional in both slugging and on base percentage when he left the league in November.

Serie Nacional is essentially Cuba’s version of the MLB. It’s important to note that Robert’s impressive stat line came against players who are much older than him.

Badler touched on Robert’s potential in his latest piece, saying:

Robert has the talent of a first-round pick if he were in the draft. After he signs, he should be ready for an assignment to a low or high Class A affiliate. He has a strong, lean frame at 6-foot-3 with broad shoulders, a wide back and quick-twitch athleticism. A righthanded hitter with excellent bat speed and a sound swing, Robert has plus power with room to continue filling out and increase that in the future.

The Cuban prospect seems like the real deal. He needs more time in the minors, but he should be an impact bat in the major leagues. If he continues to build on his already impressive strength he could hit 30+ home runs in the MLB. Add in his growing speed and strength and Robert begins to look like the next great Cuban import.

When it’s all said and done, perhaps he could be the best.

From Cuba To The South Side

The White Sox already have two impressive Cuban players in Jose Abreu and Yoan Moncada. According to Badler the team is looking to add another and are considered one of the favorites to land Luis Robert.

Badler wrote:

The team that comes up the most in discussions of where Robert might land, however, is the White Sox. The Cubs, Dodgers, Giants and Royals are automatically out, since they each exceeded their pool in 2015-16 and as a penalty can’t sign anyone for more than $300,000 in either this signing period or the next one. Then most other teams are unofficially out of the mix because they have millions of dollars committed to players who will sign on July 2 in the 2017-18 signing period. If one of those clubs were to sign Robert before June 15 and blow past its bonus pool, that team wouldn’t be able to sign anyone for more than $300,000 in 2017-18. They can’t sign Robert without those commitments evaporating. And if for some reason Robert isn’t cleared until after June 15, those teams have already tied up a huge chunk of their pool space anyway.

The White Sox, though, are different. They have been laying low for the high-priced talent in the 2017-18 signing period. If Robert is not cleared until after June 15, the White Sox would have more room than most in their bonus pool to sign him. Even if Robert is cleared during the current signing period, the White Sox might just blow through their bonus pool to sign him anyway, since it wouldn’t affect their July 2 plans.

To summarize, the White Sox will have some one of the highest bonus pools during the June 15th signing. If Robert is cleared before June 15, which he is expected to be, the White Sox would be one of the team’s that could offer him the most money.

Badler goes on to say that if by chance Robert isn’t cleared by June 15th, the White Sox are willing to use most of their July 2nd pool towards the Cuban prospect.

Basically, Badler reports that whenever Robert is cleared, the Chicago White Sox will be one of his biggest suitors.

Perfect Fit (For The White Sox)

In the White Sox trades of Adam Eaton and Chris Sale, the team landed top pitching prospects in Michael Kopech, Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito. Of course Chicago landed Yoan Moncada and Luis Basabe, but overall the team’s farm system is seriously pitcher heavy.

According to MLB Pipeline of the team’s top 10 prospects, only three are hitters. Now obviously a pitching surplus is a good problem to have, but the White Sox need to work on balacing their young core.

A lineup featuring both Moncada and Robert with a pitching rotation of Kopech, Lopez, Giolito, Rodon and Fulmer could make the White Sox a deadly force in the American League.

As for Robert’s production, the international prospect would likely hit third or fourth in the lineup. With players like Moncada, Tim Anderson and Charlie Tilson ahead of him, Robert should be able to be a run producer for the Sox. Robert is an offensive juggernaut and would be quite the weapon in the middle of the team’s lineup.

Perfect Fit (For Luis Robert)

Robert should have plenty of suitors, but it should be hard for him to pass on an opportunity with the White Sox.

For one, Chicago offers him the best opportunity to make the most money. If the White Sox are serious about their interest they’ll pay whatever it costs to land him. Robert could make serious dough on the South Side.

The team also has two Cuban born players in place with Abreu and Moncada. Abreu’s presence was a big reason Moncada was brought in. Having two players of Cuban decent would help Robert’s acclimation to the MLB easier. His comfort level should be a big factor when he is picking his team.

Furthermore, at just 19 Robert will be spending atleast the next few years in the minor leagues. Let’s say he is ready for the MLB by the 2019-2020 season. The Chicago White Sox should be contenders by 2019 if they continue to rebuild properly. If Robert wants to play for a winner, the South Side could be his best bet.

Tons of cash, familiarity and a chance for a World Series ring may be too good to pass up for Robert.

Overall

The Chicago White Sox are considered one of the favorites to land top international free agent Luis Robert.

If he is deemed a free agent prior to the June 15th deadline, Chicago will have the ability to sign him for close to the highest amount possible. Regardless of when Robert is cleared by the MLB, the White Sox seem willing to spend what it takes to sign him.

The Cuban prospect has legit power and could hit 30+ home runs in the MLB. He would be an impact bat and a massive contributor once he reaches the MLB. Pairing him with Yoan Moncada and Jose Abreu could give the White Sox the most dominant 3-4-5 hitters in the MLB.

The White Sox seem like a logical fit for the 19 year old. While it would be a few years before he reached the MLB, there’s a good chance that the South Side ends up being Luis Robert’s MLB home.

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