Levine: White Sox Waiting On Luis Robert
By Bruce Levine--
(CBS) The rumor mill has begun to explode around the signing of 19-year-old Cuban free-agent outfielder Luis Robert. The bidding war has been up and running for months.
Saturday is the first time international rules allow Robert to sign with an MLB team. Robert posted an avatar wearing a White Sox hat on what was believed to be his Instagram account, an image that made its way through social media land. It wasn't confirmed if it was Robert's real account or what it might mean.
The highest bidders with the least encumbered international money to spend are rumored to be the Cardinals and the White Sox. Both teams are willing to use most of their international spending money to try and entice Robert to join their organization.
The bidding bonus to Robert could go upward of $25 million, sources said. The White Sox have been a strong admirer of Robert since it became known last fall that he would be free to sign in the United States.
The White Sox are in the right spot for a full-out push to land Robert, with two key Cuban players already in their organization. Infielder Yoan Moncada is arguably the top young player in the minor leagues, and veteran Jose Abreu is an establish player. The White Sox boast the right environment to make Robert feel at home with his countryman in Chicago.
The White Sox have long been a safe baseball bastion for Cuban players. They traded for Minnie Minoso in 1951, and he went on to become an iconic Chicago star. He was associated with the team as an ambassador from the early 1980s until his passing in 2015.
Other Cuban players like Jose Contreras, Orlando Hernandez, Alexei Ramirez and Alex Fernandez spent successful portions of their careers in Chicago.
An organization rebuild that could lead to a quick ascension to the major leagues may also be of interest to Robert. Agent Barry Praver is one of the representatives for Robert. He was lead agent for Abreu when he signed a six-year, $68-million contract with the White Sox before the 2014 season.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
