Luis Robert signed with the White Sox in May 2017. He only made his big league debut in July 2020.
Of course, a lot went into that. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed its appearance on the opening day with the White Sox by a few months last season. And ahead of time, if the White Sox were at a different point in their rebuilding process, he might make his debut at some point in 2019. Also remember that his development was delayed by an injury-ridden 2018 season.
Despite all this, however, Robert was not signed to be an immediate addition to the major leagues.
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The same goes for White Sox’s latest Cuban import, Yoelqui Céspedes, the leading player in this year’s international free agent class who signed with the South Siders on Friday.
But that does not mean the 23-year-old fielder is not near.
“When you talk about a player, you never want to set up a roster on his arrival. But from a baseball point of view, he’s very close,” said Marco Paddy, the White Sox’s special assistant general manager. operations, said a Friday conference call. “He is advanced, he knows how to play the game. Since he was 19 years old, he has been in the Cuban national team with a lot of international experience.
“Combined with his Cuban experience, he’s very advanced. It’s just a matter of adapting and doing the things he needs to do to move forward.
Paddy’s explanation reminded me of the White Sox’s last three concepts: Nick Madrigal, Andrew Vaughn and Garrett Crochet. With each choice, the White Sox selected advanced fellow players who might not need as many minor league seasonings and who could influence the league earlier than the alternatives.
Madrigal debuted in 2020, about two years after being the No. 4 pick in the 2018 draft, and it would have been less than two years had it not been for the pandemic. Vaughn, the number 3 pick in the 2019 draft, has yet to debut, but is already being discussed as a potential everyday solution to the designated hitter in a 2021 White Sox team with championship expectations. And Crochet introduced just a few months after joining the no. 11 pick was drafted, and knocked out major league beats after not hitting much in 2020 at all.
So perhaps Céspedes can be looked at in a similar way, not immediately offered to the majors, but also not destined for a long league stay. We’ll see.
“I can not tell you exactly how close or far I am to the majors, because I have never played here. I know the baseball, the quality, is higher than the baseball I played in Cuba earlier,” he said. Céspedes said by interpreter Billy. Russo on Friday. ‘But I think I will be able to develop over time in the minor years and show what I can do, and we’ll see how long it’s going to take. But I’m confident in myself. ‘
When projecting how Céspedes can fit into the current big leagues in the White Sox, many of which are under long-term contracts, all eyes must be on the right field. While Paddy Céspedes described Friday as a natural midfielder, Luis Robert’s presence there could cause a blockage. However, the right field may be vacant relatively soon.
The White Sox signed Adam Eaton this winter for a one-year free contract with an option for the 2022 season. Who knows if Céspedes will be ready next year, or even two years from now, for the first time, but Eaton’s contract allows the White Sox to set things up nicely if it works that way.
Of course, it’s all down the road. But for some reason Céspedes was MLB.com’s no. 1 player in this international free agent class. And the White Sox, with their long-term planning still in place, even though they see a chase in 2021, are looking forward to seeing it on the major league field one day.
“Since I was in Cuba, people have told me I’m a five-tool player, even though I did not have much power when I played there,” Céspedes said. ‘But now that I’m stronger, I think I’m a player with five instruments. And that’s what brought me to the White Sox. ‘
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