Today marked the opening of the international signing period, and the White Sox announced agreements with 18 players as David Keller completes his first full cycle as head of the team's international scouting department.
The class is headlined by the pair of ranked players long linked to the White Sox, catcher Fernando Graterol and outfielder Sebastián Romero. Both are 17-year-olds from Venezuela, and both signed for seven figures; Graterol signed for $1.6 million, and Romero $1.5 million. With such a Venezuela-heavy class, there's understandable curiosity on if the US military forcibly removing the country's president would cause any logistical issues for signing day. But Keller said there were pre-existing plans in place to have the entire class together in the Dominican Republic on Thursday, and that the ceremony came together without a hitch.
Graterol ranked 25th on Baseball America's Top 100 Bonus Board, with Ben Badler noting his raw power and surprising athleticism for a catcher. Romero came in four spots later, labeled as a center fielder whose hit tool is ahead of his power, but has room to add to his 6-foot-2-inch, 175-pound frame.
"[Graterol is] a catcher by trade, but he's more athletic than most catchers," Keller said. "We're talking about a guy who runs a 6.8 60(-yard dash). He's got plus bat speed, raw power is--I would say, especially for the position--is at the top of the class. We feel like he's one of the best catchers in the 2026 international crop. As for Romero, we're excited about him as well. He's a very fluid athlete. Another guy who has a good body, has a chance to defend the position, a premium position in center field, and consistently puts together good at-bats, makes contact."
This is technically Keller's second international class, but he joined the White Sox in September 2024, which more or less allowed him four months to augment the work he inherited from Marco Paddy before the first batch of 2025 signings were announced last January. It's still another year or two before the White Sox produce an international class that was entirely put together by their current scouting staff, and Keller revealed that the Sox were still adding to their group during this signing period. Among the key people Keller name-dropped, international scouting coordinator Devon Wright began in March and isn't even listed in the most recent Sox media guide.
If you're looking for further immediate signs of a new era, half of the 18 signings hail from the Dominican Republic, which is a higher percentage than previous years. Right-hander Ander Guzmán is the last name listed on the board, but is the first Mexican-born player the franchise has signed as an IFA since 2017. What this group lacks in maintenance of the team's once famous Cuban connection, they counter with a deeper slate of pitchers than past years, and Keller thinks the new arms have similar characteristics.
"They’re tall, they’re long, they have the physical attributes that we look for," Keller said. "The majority of them are athletic and they move well with their deliveries. And then they have stuff. I think for the first time that I can remember, we’re signing a group where the majority of them have already touched 90 miles an hour and there is still room to grow with each and every one of them. The pitching group, I said it last year, it’s true this year, the pitching group has a chance to be a real strength of this class for us."
Also, the White Sox included signing bonus amounts for every player in their press release, which is appreciated by those who are trying to set appropriate expectations for Dominican Summer League performances.
| Name | Position | Age | Country | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Graterol | C | 17 | VZ | $1.6M |
| Sebastián Romero | OF | 17 | VZ | $1.5M |
| Roderick Ramírez | RHP | 17 | DR | $400K |
| Carlos Vielma | SS | 16 | VZ | $400K |
| Ronald Cardoso | C | 16 | VZ | $375K |
| Franchel Crisóstomo | RHP | 17 | DR | $350K |
| Yordany Marté | RHP | 16 | DR | $275K |
| Félix LeBron | SS | 17 | DR | $180K |
| Luis Samuel | SS | 16 | DR | $150K |
| Stiwarts Valdez | OF | 17 | DR | $130K |
| Emmanuel Rodríguez | RHP | 16 | DR | $100K |
| Ronald Kelly | RHP | 17 | CO | $100K |
| Erlyn Lauriano | RHP | 17 | DR | $75K |
| Jefferson Timaure | RHP | 16 | VZ | $70K |
| Beinel Adón | RHP | 16 | DR | $50K |
| José Suárez | C | 16 | VZ | $40K |
| Héctor Hernández | OF | 16 | VZ | $30K |
| Ander Guzmán | RHP | 18 | MX | $10K |
Beyond the seven-figure signings, Badler identified some players worth tracking in a deeper review of the White Sox class. He calls Ramírez the best pitcher in the class, with climbing velocity and a promising slider, while Crisóstomo has the changeup that Ramírez lacks. Cardozo is more advanced than Graterol when it comes to catching, and Valdez stands out for size (6'4, 200 pounds) and strength, although the swing needs work.
"Roderick’s got a six-foot-three frame, he might still grow a little bit," Keller said. "The 200 pounds is carried very well on his frame, it’s lean muscle mass. He’s an athlete. He moves very well on the mound. Our group has seen him up to 94 mph already. He’s got a solid slider, he’s developing the changeup. He’s got all the starter attributes and characteristics that we look for. And so it’s a nice blend of someone who is ready to go in and be competitive now in the Dominican Summer League but also has the ability to continue to grow in his body, develop experience on the mound."
Potential sleepers
Valdez's (first named pronounced like a plural of "Stewart") listed size at the age of 17 would make him stand out on his own, but Keller clearly has special excitement for him.
"He’s someone who popped up later in the process," Keller said. "He’s someone who every time that I have had the opportunity to watch him play in games or face live at-bats, he’s hit a home run. So I think that means that I need to attend close to 20 DSL games this year and making sure that he’s in the lineup. But he’s really athletic. To watch him run, he’s running a 6.5 in the 60. He’s throwing plus from the outfield, he can do a lot of different things. Then you ask him to go over to first base because he’s such a large target and he’s doing splits and scooping balls."
Asked more specifically for sleepers, Keller identified one position player and one pitcher. Then, citing that this whole exercise made him feel like he's being asked to rank his children, Keller added one more of each
Félix Lebron - SS, 17 from the Dominican Republic
"Felix is a very good athlete. He’s a plus athlete. He’s running a 6.6 60(-yard dash). He's got exit velos that over 100 mph. He’s got bat speed that’s topping out 78 mph. This is a guy, when we talk about the principles of scouting; body, athlete, tools and last but certainly not least makeup. This guy loves to play. He's a competitor."
Yordany Marte - RHP, 16 from the Dominican Republic
"He's got an unbelievable personality. He's grown since the last time I saw him. He probably checked in today around 6'1". He's very athletic and not dissimilar from some other guys, he can really spin a breaking ball. So his velocity is up to 92 mph, but his ability to spin a breaking ball, repeat his mechanics and throw strikes with them, they have me excited."
Jefferson Timaure - RHP, 16 from Venezuela
"Facially, looks a little bit like Carlos Carrasco. Has a very similar attack; it's an east-west profile, where he can really sink it and slide it. Still maturing, still growing into his body and has some good weight to add, which could only improve his velocity."
Luis Samuel - SS, 16 from the Dominican Republic
Essentially, Keller brought his oldest son, a 15-year-old in high school, to a workout in the DR in July to give him a feel of what kids his age are putting into their careers in a very different environment. In turn, Keller's son quizzed him on who he liked best at that particular workout, and now the Sox defacto international director is going to be held accountable in his own home about the progress of one particular $150K signing.
