International free agency is chaotic in baseball, to say the least. None more so than a reported record-breaking deal the Chicago White Sox are doing with a Dominican boy who is not even a teenager yet.
According to baseball reporter Francys Romero, the White Sox have agreed to a preliminary $6 million deal with Braston Basker — a 12-year-old boy in the Dominican Republic. The deal won’t be able to be signed until Jan. 15, 2030 due to MLB’s International Amateur Free Agency rules.
Source: The Chicago White Sox are expected to land young Dominican prospect Braston Basker for a bonus sign record of $6 million starting January 15, 2030.
Basker was initially tied to the Yankees, but that pre-agreement fell through a few weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/Pv6YaAZDZH
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) September 10, 2025
“Players who are determined to be international must be at least 16 or will turn 16 years of age prior to Sept. 1 of the current signing period,” notes MLB in their bylaws.
Record Deal Comes After Yankees Agreement Falls Through
The $6 million would be a record signing bonus for an international free agent, Romero reports.
“Basker was initially tied to the Yankees, but that pre-agreement fell through a few weeks ago,” Romero posted on X.
Romero added: “These pre-agreements are obviously not definitive, and it’s possible that in the future the international signing system could even shift to a draft format. But for now, this is how it works.”
There’s a good chance the earliest we see Basker in the big leagues is 10 years from now — if ever.
Matt Higgins worked in national and local news for 15 years. He started out as an overnight production assistant … More about Matt Higgins