White Sox sign outfielder Luis Robert to a minor-league contract
The Chicago White Sox have signed free agent Cuban outfielder Luis Robert to a minor-league contract, which includes a $26-million signing bonus.
Robert, 19, has played the last four seasons (2013-16) for Ciego de Ávila in the Cuban Serie Nacional (Cuban National Series), Cuba's top-level league. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Robert made his debut with the team in 2013 at age 16.
Including the postseason, Robert has hit .315 (206-655) with 28 doubles, six triples, 20 home runs, 92 RBI, 156 runs scored, 29 stolen bases, 82 walks, a .402 on-base and .467 slugging percentage in 210 career games with Ciego de Ávila. He is a two-time Cuban Serie Nacional champion, winning the league title in 2015 and 2016.
"We are excited to add Luis - another young, extremely talented and impactful prospect - to the White Sox organization," said White Sox senior vice president/general manager Rick Hahn. "Luis has the potential to be a dynamic, five-tool player at the major-league level, and we look forward to watching him develop in our system over coming seasons. Luis will immediately be viewed as one of the top prospects in baseball, and his signing adds to the growing depth of quality young players within our organization."
Robert, who bats and throws right-handed, hit .401 (73-182) with 12 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, 40 RBI, 51 runs scored and 11 steals over 53 games in 2016, his final season with Ciego de Ávila.
The Ciego de Ávila, Cuba native played in 16 games with the Cuban National Team from June-July 2016 in the Canadian-American Association, a professional, independent league in the Northeast United States and Eastern Canada, hitting .286 (18-63) with two doubles, one triple, one home run, eight RBI, 12 runs scored and three stolen bases in 16 games.
Robert played for Cuba's U-18 National Team from 2014-2015, making appearances at the World Cup (2015) and Pan American Games (2014). He was teammates with White Sox and baseball's No. 1 overall prospect Yoán Moncada in 2014. Robert also played for Cuba's U-15 National Team in 2012.