On Thursday January 15, David Keller signed his first international class as leader of the department for the White Sox. Well, kind of! Parts of the announced 18 player class were signed by Keller and his staff but the majority of this initial group inks after having long standing verbal agreements with the club under the previous front office and the leadership of Marco Paddy.
It should still be another year or two before the White Sox sign a class that can be fully attributed to the work of Keller after he joined the organization in September of 2024. In addition to staff members often credited, Keller made the first public mention of new international scouting coordinator Devon Wright who joined the organization in the past year.
“I just wanted to thank some people. First and foremost, the support that we continue to receive from Chris and from ownership has been second to none,” said Keller. “We’ve been able to communicate and collaborate effectively with departmental leaders in R&D, player development, sports performance. This operation and this day is truly a team effort. Our international leadership, Louis Silverio, Adrian Puig, Ruddy Moreta, Matt Grabowski, Max Hanley, Devon Wright, they do a tremendous job day in and day out to make all of this possible. Just want to say thank you to everybody on our staff. They relentlessly pursue talent each and every day and they’re the reason we’re here.”
Keller clearly believes that the organization has put together a staff full of good people. “We spent a lot of time assembling this new staff and that poured over into this year, but we really tried to identify talented individuals and then educate them on the organization’s values and systems and put them into the best possible position to be successful at what they’re good at, which is identifying talented players, assigning value to those players and making sure that we have the opportunity to see them and make good decisions on them,” said Keller.
White Sox Ink 18 Players
The White Sox signed 18 players as the new international signing period opened. In my preview of the international market, I listed some names that the club didn’t actually sign. Dominican outfielder Andriu Vargas will reportedly sign in the 2027 class and he was linked to the White Sox for around $500,000.
The club has spent $5,835,000 of their allotted $6,679,200 as a large market revenue generator. That leaves the front office with just under $850,000 in unused bonus pool space to sign additional players or use the funds in a trade for something from another team.
The Pale Hose signed seven players from Venezuela; including the position players who landed the two highest bonuses. They also landed nine players from the Dominican Republic and one each from Colombia and Mexico. In total, the group brought in nine right-handed pitchers, three catchers, three shortstops and three outfielders.
In previous years, the franchise’s international classes were heavily populated with Venezuelan players, power bats who profile in the corners and older Cuban prospects; often snatched up with unspent bonus pool space. The Venezuelan bats are still here but the emphasis on pitching, up-the-middle athletes and re-establishing a major presence in the Dominican Republic is a welcomed change for the White Sox’s international efforts.
Venezuelan Bats Headline The Class for White Sox
At Baseball America, Ben Badler highlighted the White Sox’s class and noted that 17-year-old Venezuelan catcher Fernando Graterol possessed “some of the better raw power of any catcher in the 2026 international class” while mentioning that he could produce 20 plus homers in the future. The 6-1, 185 pound right-handed hitting backstop is lauded as the top catcher in the class for MLB Pipeline as well.
Graterol received the largest bonus that the club handed out this year at $1.6 million and he’ll be the primary catcher for the rookie ball affiliate in the Dominican Summer League. “Fernando Graterol is interesting. He’s 17-years-old, he’s got a good body,” Keller said. “He’s a catcher by trade, but he’s more athletic than most catchers. We’re talking about a guy who runs a 6.8 60 (yard dash). He’s got plus bat speed and the 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.”
Venezuelan catcher Fernando Graterol, considered by many scouts to be the best catcher in the class, has officially signed with the Chicago White Sox for $1.6 million. pic.twitter.com/yXm1Hqaz3r
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) January 15, 2026
At MLB Pipeline, Jesse Borek wrote that Sebastián Romero has a “projectable 6-2 frame with a prototypical, smooth left-handed stroke” and there’s optimism that the 17-year-old outfielder will remain in center field long-term. The White Sox landed Romero for $1.5 million as one of the higher profile players in their signing class overall. Reports note an advanced feel to hit with a sound, fluid swing and the potential for 20 homer power.
Romero was a holdover from the Marco Paddy era but Keller emphasized that the organization is happy to add him to the mix. “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 and we’re very excited to have him,” said Keller.
The Sox also added catcher Ronald Cardoso for $400,000 as well. The 6-0, 200 pound backstop is a definite catcher with advanced receiving skills and a plus arm. He also possesses high end bat speed and drives the ball to all fields. Cardoso has the potential for above-average raw power and he’s already hitting homers in competitions and game action.
16-year-old Infielder Carlos Vielma was added for $400,000 as well. He’s a shortstop and is listed at 5-10, 155 pounds. Two more 16-year-olds from Venezuela rounded out the group. Catcher José Suárez is a 5-11, 180 pounder who signed for $40,000. Héctor Hernández is a 5-10, 150 pound outfielder and he signed for $30K.
Addition of High Upside Pitching
The focus of most clubs on the international market is to add premium positional talent. Players are scouted and signed as early as their 12th birthdays in some cases and position player bodies and skills are easily to project. Pitchers often sign late or pop up late in the process and loading up on pitching heavy classes could be an interesting market inefficiency to take advantage of.
In David Keller’s first foray with the White Sox, the scouting crew added multiple pitchers to an already established international class. Yobal Rodriguez and Diego Perez could factor into prospect lists soon and should be members of a young stateside rotation in Arizona this summer. The club is hoping that they’ve added some impact talent on the mound with their nine additions in this current class.
Dominican right-hander Roderic Ramirez is one of the top arms in 2025-2026 international class.
A potential 100+ mph arm with advanced feel for both his changeup and slider at his age.
Ramírez, 17, will sign with the White Sox tomorrow. He ranks No. 41 on our Top 50 list. pic.twitter.com/DXbSHn4HMu
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) January 14, 2026
Ramírez was originally slated to sign with the San Diego Padres but they let him go back onto the market and he reached a deal with the White Sox instead. The 6-3, 205 pounder signed for $400,000. At Baseball America, Ben Badler noted that the righty possessed a fastball that has “trended up” to reach 96 mph and there’s a chance for triple digit heat in the future here.
The Dominican teenager displays a sound delivery but the strike throwing has deviated a bit as the velocity has increased. He possesses a slider that is currently ahead of his changeup. Keller was enthusiastic about the pitchers that the club was able to add and he noted that all of them have some serious development to come. The physicality of some of these guys is already noteworthy however.
“As it pertains to Roderick, he’s got a 6-3 frame. He might still grow a little bit. 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 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,” Keller said.
“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. Pitching in competitive situations is something that a lot of these young men are going to experience for the first time, where they have to navigate a lineup a couple of different times,” Keller emphasized. “Really looking forward to watching him embrace that challenge and I think the sky’s the limit for Roderick. Very excited that he’s a part of our class and to watch him play this year.”
Dominican right-hander Franchel Crisostomo officially signed with the Chicago White Sox for $350,000.
Crisostomo is on our list of 20 Dark Horses. Athletic build at 6’3″, with the upside to emerge as one of the sleepers in this class. pic.twitter.com/WbB4QZTanj
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) January 15, 2026
Franchel Crisóstomo signed for $350K out of the Dominican Republic as well and Francys Romero highlighted the young righty as one of the dark horses in the class. The 6-2, 165 pound right hander has a loose, limber build with significant upside. There’s more velocity to come on a fastball that already reaches 93 mph. He has a feel for a changeup and throws it a ton out of a three pitch mix. There’s definitely long-term starter potential here.
Additionally, the White Sox have added four more arms from the Dominican Republic as well. 16-year-old Emmanuel Rodriguez is a 6-2, 180 pound righty who received $100,000 while Erlyn Lauriano and Beinel Adón received low dollar bonuses as well. Yordany Marté is also 16-years-old and the 6-0, 175 pounder signed for $275K.
Marté was an outfielder previously who has transitioned to pitching full time. He displays athleticism and a quick arm with a fastball that runs up to 92 mph. The teenager has a high spin curveball with good depth and shape as well. When asked for sleepers in the newly signed class, Keller chose to discuss Marté.
“Yordany Marte is a 16-year-old, he’s got an unbelievable personality. He’s grown since I last 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. His velocity is up to 92, but his ability to spin a breaking ball, repeat his mechanics and throw strikes with them, they have me excited,” said Keller.
Jefferson Timaure is a 16-year-old from Venezuela who Keller called out as well. The 6-2, 165 pounder signed for $70,000. “Jefferson Timaure, a Venezuelan arm, who facially looks a little bit like Carlos Carrasco has a very similar attack. East-West profile, where he can sink it and slide it. Still maturing, still growing into his body and has some good weight to add, which can only improve his velocity and overall ability,” said Keller.
The final two pitchers added from the class hail from Colombia and Mexico respectively. Ronald Kelly is a 17-year-old Colombian who stands 6-2, 185 and he signed for $100,000. Ander Guzmán is an 18-year-old who signed for just $10K overall but where he’s from is significant.
Keller noted that the White Sox have a scout in Panama who saw Guzmán throw in a tournament. “We made a concerted effort to get data on him,” said Keller. “Ultimately, when we saw him we liked what we saw. He’s a little bit older, but talented nonetheless. 2017 was the last time that we signed a Mexican-born player. This allows us to raise our profile in places where talented players are coming from and Mexico is one of those places.”
White Sox Prioritizing the Dominican Republic Again
David Keller is on record multiple times highlighting the fact that the White Sox need to re-establish a presence in the Dominican Republic and prioritize the talented teenage players who grow up there. In future classes, the Keller led department has already created fireworks in regards to some pre-agreements that have been reported. The club is currently building a state of the art facility in the Dominican Republic as well and it’s been helpful in regards to securing commitments from players.
Keller was asked a question about the new facility being a selling point for the organization. He responded with, “Yes it does. Obviously we have what we feel like will be a state of the art facility coming in 2027 and certainly when we talk to players and families, their representatives, we are talking about the new facility and the training advantages that we hope it provides.”
While some of the young Venezuelan players were the initial headline grabbers, there are a couple unheralded position players from the Dominican that we might need to keep an eye on going forward. “We’re excited about all of these guys. We had the opportunity to introduce 18 young men, nine pitchers, nine position players spanning four different countries”, said Keller. “The headlines are going to go to the higher bonus dollar players, but we’re equally excited about guys who maybe didn’t receive quite as much money. We think they have a chance with our player development group to blossom and grow and provide value to the White Sox.”
Two of those players are shortstop Felix Lebron and outfielder Stiwarts Valdez. At Baseball America, Badler noted that Lebron is a “quick burst athlete” at 6-0, 175 pounds with plus speed, a plus arm, good hands and body control. The information provided by Jesse Borek at MLB.com was even more glowing. He called the infielder a “late-bloomer” and one of the club’s “most buzzworthy additions”.
Borek wrote that Lebron possesses “loads of athleticism” and displays similar traits to Noelvi Marte of the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur. He also noted that “picturesque right-handed swing with top tier speed and even quoted an evaluator who believes that the player could be a long-term answer at third base for the White Sox.
Keller highlighted Lebron as well. “The position player that I think is a sleeper in this class is Félix LeBron. Felix is a very, very good athlete. He’s a plus athlete. He’s running a 6.6 60 (yard dash). He’s got bat speed that’s 78 mph. This is a guy, when we talk about the principles of scouting, body, dimension, agility, tools. And then last but certainly not least, most importantly is the makeup. This guy loves to play. He’s a competitor. I’m really excited to watch him take on this new challenge.”
Stiwarts Valdez is a 6-4, 200 pound outfielder who Badler said possesses a “standout combo of size, speed and right-handed power”. He’s a plus or better runner with big bat speed and power already. Valdez is likley too aggressive and expands the zone too often but there’s a chance for plus-plus raw power and he’s tapped into it against live pitching.
Data and using it effectively was something that helped the White Sox in their scouting of Stiwarts Valdez. “Obviously we’re trying to use all the information at our disposal. There’s this interesting cross section of people and technology that comes together when it’s time to make decisions and so we can use it as a crutch and use it as a confirmation bias, or we can use it to help identify players, or we can use it as both as a way to support certain decisions.”
“Over time, at least over this past year, we’ve been able to really utilize the data and the information, not only to identify certain traits – specifically with pitchers – but also use it to confirm what our eyes are telling us. Whether it’s Blast Motion or exit velocity on Trackman, it really enables to support, OK Stiwarts Valdez, who signed with us today, man he really has power. Well that’s backed up with exit velocities that are topping 109 miles an hour for a 16-year-old. Those sorts of things help us make decisions and also feel comfortable with those decisions,” Keller said.
FutureSox
More specifically referring to Valdez, Keller said, “He’s someone who popped up later in the process. 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 make 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. I don’t want to oversell Stiwarts here, place undue expectations on him, but I’m very excited about Stiwarts,” said Keller.
Keller also told a touching story about bringing his 15-year-old son to the Dominican Republic on a scouting trip with him and he noted that his son resonated with 16-year-old shortstop Luis Samuel right away due to the similarities in age. The White Sox added the 5-11, 155 pound teenage shortstop to their signing class as well.
Overall, the leader of the White Sox’s international efforts would likely frame this period as a positive for the franchise.
“Signing Day 2026. This is an exciting day for the White Sox,” Keller said. “It’s a celebration of the young men we’re introducing to our organization. It marks the beginning of their official start to their professional journey and I’m just really proud of the efforts our team has put forth. I can’t overstate how humble I am to be a small part of the process and excited to hand them off to Paul Janish and our talented player development staff. I just want to note that a day like today doesn’t just happen. It requires a great deal of work and sacrifice from a lot of people over a number of years.”
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