The White Sox added four international players to their prospect pool Wednesday, including 17-year-old third baseman Eduardo Herrera, the No. 11-ranked prospect in this year’s international class, according to MLB Pipeline.
Herrera, who signed for $1.8 million, comes to the Sox pipeline with shortstop Jurdrick Profar ($600,000), corner infielder Jesus Premoli ($550,000) and right-hander Jeziel Boekhoudt ($55,000). Additional signings will be made official in the coming weeks.
Herrera is the Sox’ highest-rated non-Cuban international signing, surpassing Dominican outfielder Micker Adolfo ($1.6 million) in 2013.
“When I saw him for the first time and I looked at the kid’s body, his strength, the way he played the game, his ability to compete, how polished he was as a hitter, I couldn’t help but be attracted by this kid’s ability,” said Marco Paddy, a Sox special assistant to the general manager for the last 12 seasons. “From a makeup standpoint, he’s a very good competitor, he knows how to work on his body, spends a lot of time working on his body, strength and physical conditioning.”
The 6-2, 190-pound Herrera, who bats and throws right-handed, played for the Venezuelan U18 National Team at age 15.
“When you see Eduardo for the first time, you can’t help but notice his size, strength and ability to play the game,” said Paddy, who oversees the Sox’ Latin American scouting operation. “After following him for several years, you learn about the person inside the athlete. His determination, work ethic, competitiveness and maturity are attributes that complement his baseball ability.”
Scouts were also drawn to Herrera’s pitch-recognition abilities. Once a shortstop, he outgrew the position and moved to third base.
Profar, 16, from Curaçao, is the brother of major-leaguer Jurickson Profar. Premoli, 17, from Venezuela, is a 6-4 left-handed hitting former catcher who plays both corner infield positions. Boekhoudt, 17, is from Curaçao.
About 30% of major-league rosters are players signed to bonuses as international free agents. International players are not part of the draft. Additional international signings will be announced by the Sox in the coming weeks.
“We continue to be a strong presence in the international market,” Paddy said.
