Inside the halls of 25 Main Street, Cooperstown, N.Y., sits the Hall of Fame plaque of Minnie Minoso, the most storied Cuban player to ever suit up for the White Sox. He forever has etched into his hat the club’s interlocking logo.
The franchise has since added to that Cuban lineage this century with the international signings of José Abreu, Luis Robert Jr., Bryan Ramos and others. Joining that group via the 2025 international class is third baseman Alejandro Cruz, who ranks as the No. 33 prospect in this year’s crop per MLB Pipeline.
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• Each team's top international prospect
Cruz’s deal is worth $2 million. He was announced Wednesday as part of the team’s 16 international signings, featuring six right-handed pitchers.
David Keller, the White Sox special assistant to the general manager, completed his first period in charge of the South Siders’ international scouting after being hired in late September. He spoke of these signees during a Zoom Wednesday afternoon.
“We took a look at the marketplace and tried to identify opportunities where we could take advantage of having dollars remaining to spend in our budget,” Keller said. “I think that that’s something we did.
“I’m particularly excited about the crop of pitchers we were able to acquire. We have a number of exciting arms. Pitchers that display not only starter traits and characteristics, but the stuff and secondary weapons to back that up that will hopefully eventually turn them into legitimate prospects for the White Sox organization.”
Cruz boasts an extensive track record of success on the international stage as an amateur, having won tournament MVP at the 15U world qualifier in Venezuela in 2022 before appearing for Cuba in the 15U world championship in Mexico. His competitiveness and off-the-field acumen earn him high praise as well, leading many evaluators to believe he’s uniquely prepared for the rigors of pro ball.
At 6-foot-3, Cruz uses his frame to help him generate power from his short right-handed swing. He profiles as a middle-of-the-order bat in the future, with his defensive home at the hot corner giving him plenty of leeway to mash his way up through the system.
For a means of comparison, Cruz and Ramos (the White Sox No. 16 prospect) have intriguing parallels: Both left the island, signing with the White Sox as teenagers whose bats would quickly move them up the ladder, while also drawing praise for their makeup away from the diamond. Ramos never truly tore through any one stop in the club’s Minor League system and he still managed to make his Major League debut this May at age 22.
It’s a reminder that for all of Cruz’s natural offensive gifts, he’ll still need some seasoning at the club’s complex in the Dominican before carving out a niche stateside.
“It’s a tall, athletic, lean frame, one that has room to add strength,” said Keller of Cruz. “He’s a polished defender at third base. And I think the thing that stands out in my short period of time watching him play is that he puts together professional at-bats.
“We are going to find out very quickly how that translates into the DSL and into pro baseball. But obviously it’s our hope those things carry over and allow him to be successful on the field.”
This offseason’s trade of Garrett Crochet to Boston helped replenish the White Sox farm system, as they rank second in all of baseball with six Top 100 prospects (Cubs have seven). The path back to contention in the American League Central certainly runs through the player development of a diverse group that the club hopes all comes of age at the same time -- currently, seven of its eight top prospects are all 21 or 22 years old, with a handful of teenagers (Cruz included) potentially serving as the next wave.
An international player is eligible to sign with a Major League team between Jan. 15 and Dec. 15. He must turn 16 before he signs and be 17 before Sept. 1 the following year.
That means players born between Sept. 1, 2007, and Aug. 31, 2008, will be eligible to sign in the current signing period. Players must be registered with Major League Baseball in advance to be eligible to sign.
“As it stands for us, we do anticipate announcing some more signings and adding players to this class,” said Keller, whose team received $6.26 million in pool money. “We’ll see how that plays out in the coming days and weeks.”
Other notable White Sox signees and their bonuses:
Orlando Patino, OF, Venezuela -- $570,000
Cesar Familia, RHP, Dominican Republic -- $350,000
Alan Escobar, OF, Venezuela -- $350,000
Jefrank Silva, INF, Venezuela -- $350,000
Yordani Soto, INF, Dominican Republic -- $300,000
Jhonny Morao, RHP, Venezuela -- $300,000