I wrote about the latest international prospect to defect from Cuba and how it relates to the White Sox: https://www.futuresox.com/2020/10/26/white-sox-reportedly-interested-in-16-year-old-cuban-of-luis-pino/

Glad to hear they are still heavily involved in Colas and Cespedes. Those guys have to like this club given the Cubans here and the hole in RF. I'd be surprised if we don't land one of them. 

If they were to add this Pino kid, I would think that means they have a bigger plans for RF this offseason.  Otherwise just sign a stop-gap so you have a cheap RF option potentially ready by 2022 in Colas or Cespedes.

3 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

If they were to add this Pino kid, I would think that means they have a bigger plans for RF this offseason.  Otherwise just sign a stop-gap so you have a cheap RF option potentially ready by 2022 in Colas or Cespedes.

Well who knows how it will shake-out as his intro is pretty late into a largely accounted for period. Maybe they could get one of Colas/Cespedes + Pino or are seeing if they can. The article didn't have us as the front-runner.

3 minutes ago, bmags said:

Well who knows how it will shake-out as his intro is pretty late into a largely accounted for period. Maybe they could get one of Colas/Cespedes + Pino or are seeing if they can. The article didn't have us as the front-runner.

That would be fantastic.  Pretty wild there has been no major movement on Cespedes.  We are basically 80 days from the official signing period start date and there hasn’t been much noise at all.  At least with Colas we know he’s got some contractual stuff to work out.

Just now, Chicago White Sox said:

That would be fantastic.  Pretty wild there has been no major movement on Cespedes.  We are basically 80 days from the official signing period start date and there hasn’t been much noise at all.  At least with Colas we know he’s got some contractual stuff to work out.

Well I have no idea. In my head it seems unlikely there are teams with a lot of budget left in the 2020-21 period, but who knows, or if there is any space to trade for this period.

1 hour ago, Chicago White Sox said:

That would be fantastic.  Pretty wild there has been no major movement on Cespedes.  We are basically 80 days from the official signing period start date and there hasn’t been much noise at all.  At least with Colas we know he’s got some contractual stuff to work out.

 

1 hour ago, bmags said:

Well I have no idea. In my head it seems unlikely there are teams with a lot of budget left in the 2020-21 period, but who knows, or if there is any space to trade for this period.

I think it's just a matter of teams not having money to give him. He was planning on signing for real money. Nobody really has it available. He'd be better off playing 3 years in Japan and signing a big league deal at 25 honestly. Also, teams aren't allowed to trade for space during the next two periods. Some clubs are really hurt by this because they're overcommitted. San Diego for example has had to renege on a few offers because they won't have the money. 

1 hour ago, bmags said:

Well I have no idea. In my head it seems unlikely there are teams with a lot of budget left in the 2020-21 period, but who knows, or if there is any space to trade for this period.

IIRC, there are no slot trades during this international period. 

5 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

 

I think it's just a matter of teams not having money to give him. He was planning on signing for real money. Nobody really has it available. He'd be better off playing 3 years in Japan and signing a big league deal at 25 honestly. Also, teams aren't allowed to trade for space during the next two periods. Some clubs are really hurt by this because they're overcommitted. San Diego for example has had to renege on a few offers because they won't have the money. 

Poor kids.

I wonder what Japan pays someone like this. It looks like Colas only got 140k to go to Japan and he was older. I wonder if 100-200k get him over. Just awful circumstances for him.

10 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

 

I think it's just a matter of teams not having money to give him. He was planning on signing for real money. Nobody really has it available. He'd be better off playing 3 years in Japan and signing a big league deal at 25 honestly. Also, teams aren't allowed to trade for space during the next two periods. Some clubs are really hurt by this because they're overcommitted. San Diego for example has had to renege on a few offers because they won't have the money. 

I know your article mentioned we probably still have $2M+ to spend in the upcoming period, but any chance it’s closer to $3M?  Seems like we’d have a much better chance of adding one of Colas or Cespedes + Pino if that were the case.

Are any of these young Cuban outfielders  better prospects than our own Ben Bailey?

1 hour ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I know your article mentioned we probably still have $2M+ to spend in the upcoming period, but any chance it’s closer to $3M?  Seems like we’d have a much better chance of adding one of Colas or Cespedes + Pino if that were the case.

This is what the White Sox have committed: 

Norge Vera RHP Cuba ($1.5 million)

Victor Quezada 3B DR ($525K)

Manual Guariman C Ven ($475K)

Dario Barrero OF Ven ($350K)

Adrian Gil RHP Ven ($250K)

Gabriel Rodriguez OF DR ($100K)

Antonio Jimenez OF ($90K)

That's just over $3 million and the club has $5,398,300 total to spend. 

 

18 minutes ago, oldsox said:

Are any of these young Cuban outfielders  better prospects than our own Ben Bailey?

All three are better prospects than Bailey 

34 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

All three are better prospects than Bailey 

Wow, really? Bailey really wowed me with his numbers at such a young age. I suppose these guys are much more advanced.

1 minute ago, Yearnin' for Yermin said:

Wow, really? Bailey really wowed me with his numbers at such a young age. I suppose these guys are much more advanced.

I like Ben Bailey but his biggest skill was walking a lot in the DSL vs teenagers. He's never even played stateside. Yes, these guys are all better than him. 

Best case scenario is that Cespedes can be convinced to sign in this class, and Colas gets pushed back to the next one.  Pino might mean that neither is willing/able to sign in this class.

1 hour ago, southsider2k5 said:

Best case scenario is that Cespedes can be convinced to sign in this class, and Colas gets pushed back to the next one.  Pino might mean that neither is willing/able to sign in this class.

I disagree. The next period doesn't start until January 2022. Colas is 22 years old already. Why would they want to wait? Just land Colas in this period whenever he gets freed up IMO. 

If Colas isn’t freed up when the signing period starts do we push for Cespedes or do we wait for Colas?

16 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

I disagree. The next period doesn't start until January 2022. Colas is 22 years old already. Why would they want to wait? Just land Colas in this period whenever he gets freed up IMO. 

If it it this coming period, they pretty much have a monetary choice between Cespedes and Colas.  Do they have room for both?  I can't see both coming for $2 million-ish.

1 hour ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

I like Ben Bailey but his biggest skill was walking a lot in the DSL vs teenagers. He's never even played stateside. Yes, these guys are all better than him. 

Uh oh, the double B-hive bout to blow up James mentions.

7 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

If it it this coming period, they pretty much have a monetary choice between Cespedes and Colas.  Do they have room for both?  I can't see both coming for $2 million-ish.

I think they prioritize Colas and Cespedes goes elsewhere. He'll go somewhere where he can get to the majors quickly. I don't think that's in Chicago. 

Sign... every... Cuban.... possible..

5 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

I think they prioritize Colas and Cespedes goes elsewhere. He'll go somewhere where he can get to the majors quickly. I don't think that's in Chicago. 

That makes sense to me, but it would be awesome to have a path to both.  Any feel on when the contract dispute in Japan will be cleaned up?  Any feel that Cespedes could be ready to play RF for a major league team in 2021? 

3 minutes ago, ShoeLessRob said:

Sign... every... Cuban.... possible..

Sounds great in theory but it's not possible under the rules 

29 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

I think they prioritize Colas and Cespedes goes elsewhere. He'll go somewhere where he can get to the majors quickly. I don't think that's in Chicago. 

What's your timeline for Colas?