White Sox To Sign Cuban OF Luis Robert

(CBS) The White Sox have landed a key piece that they'd targeted amid their organizational rebuild.

Chicago has signed 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Luis Robert, a source told 670 The Score's Bruce Levine. On the international free-agent market, Robert was considered the equivalent of adding a top-five first-round talent in the amateur draft. Alongside Japanese pitcher/outfielder Shohei Otani -- who's expected to be posted to MLB in 2018 -- Robert was considered one of the two top international players available in the foreseeable future.

Saturday was the first day Robert could sign with an MLB team. The deal is expected to be worth in the vicinity of $25 million, a source told Levine. With overage taxes, the total cost if likely to be around $45 million for the White Sox, the Chicago Tribune reported. Because the White Sox went past their allotted pool of international money, they can't sign an amateur international free agent for more than $300,000 for the next two years, per reports.

The other finalist that Robert was seriously considering was the Cardinals. The Robert sweepstakes set social media ablaze earlier Saturday when the avatar of an Instagram account believed to be Robert's was changed to a photo of him wearing a White Sox hat.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and Jon Heyman of MLB Network were the first to report that Robert was finalizing a deal with the White Sox.

"He's an extremely talented young man who is going to have an impact on whatever organization he winds up joining," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said of Robert earlier in May.

Robert will join a White Sox organization that has long had relationships with some of the best Cuban players who ever played in the big leagues. They traded for legend Minnie Minoso in 1951, thus beginning their Cuban connection. It has followed more recently with the signing of first baseman Jose Abreu ahead in late 2013 and the acquisition of infielder Yoan Moncada in the Sale trade with the Red Sox.

Robert is likely to report to White Sox camp in Arizona and then move onto rookie ball when it starts in June.