The Rangers have announced that they’ve traded minor-league infielder Yeyson Yrizarri to the White Sox for an international bonus slot. The move gives the Rangers additional flexibility to sign international amateur talent. Their July 2 class is currently headlined by Venezuelan outfielder Wilderd Patino ($1.3MM), Venezuelan shortstop Keyber Rodriguez ($1M) and Mexican right-hander Damian Mendoza ($1M).
That Yrizarri would be traded for the rights to international bonus spending is somewhat ironic, since he himself was the product of an earlier international spending spree. The 20-year-old Dominican signed for $1.35MM during the Rangers’ 2013-14 signing period, in which they spent more than $8MM on international talent. He has played this season for Class A Hickory and Class A+ Down East, posting a cumulative line of .258/.285/.399 with 57 strikeouts and just six walks.
Despite a worrisome lack of strike-zone control, though, Yrizarri does rate as a real prospect — MLB.com rated him the No. 17 farmhand in the Rangers organization, praising his bat speed and noting that he seems likely to stick at shortstop. He’ll join a White Sox prospect list that’s heavy on players also acquired in recent trades, including Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Eloy Jimenez, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dylan Cease, although, of course, he’ll rank lower on the list than any of those players.
Phillies2017
Wow- steal for the White Sox. He seems like he could be a legitimate utility infielder down the line.
madmanTX
How is he a steal if he can’t control his strikeouts?
madmanTX
Strike zone, thanks autocorrect
JKB 2
A steal? He was signed for big bucks a few years ago and now jt turns out he stinks so they sold him for some dough.
If the Sox did not need the slot money then its a no risk move. Costs nothing then … but they did not steal this guy who it appears cannot hit
myaccount
He’s a 20 year old playing in high-A ball. Let’s slow the roll on a final judgment. Could certainly improve his batting eye.
skybluesox
I don’t understand this one at all
YasielManBearPuig
Rangers are trying to load up on international bonus $ to make a run at Shohei Otani in the offseason. As is usual for the Ranger farm, it in possession of an overabundance of MIF, so the Rangers traded away one for more int. bonus $.
24TheKid
That doesn’t make sense to me. First isn’t there only like 10 teams that have enough left to sign him, and won’t all of those teams only be able to spend the same amount on him?
A'sfaninUK
Make The White Sox Great Again – a combined effort from the other 29 teams lol
TraderRyan9
Amazing how good Giolito was thought to be. He was the top prospect in all of baseball when the White Sox got him. Where is he? He isnt even on the ML team right now.
TraderRyan9
Amazing that the TIgers got Fulmer and he was a star immediately, but wasnt rated as high as Giolito, and. Giolito has a 5.00 ERA. in the minors…..
leprechaun
So what’s your point I’m trying to figure that out
TraderRyan9
My point is its amazing. Youd think a TOP PROSPECT in all of baseball would be better than a 5.00 ERA at AAA, right? Maybe these scouts arent all that good
jbaker3170
It’s. You’d. Why aren’t you a scout then?? By your apparent rambling, the current ones suck and you sound like you think you can do better. Let’s have a 5.00 ERA define Giolito’s ML future. Good thing you sit behind your keyboard and not in the front office of a team
JKB 2
Giolito was NOT the top prospect in all of baseball when traded to the White Sox and he was not even the top prospect in the package sent to the White Sox. Do you make this up in your head?
Nationals traded Giolito since they realized he was over rated and needed someone like you to think he was a great prospect.
Best in all baseball. Hilarious.
And what is your point in relation to Fulmer?
JKB 2
The scouts are no good??? Why the scouts do not put out rankings? What do scouts have to do with whatever ranking list you think you are talking about and I need to know since you allege Giloito was the number one prospect in all of baseball when traded to White Sox
leprechaun
And so your point is?
pplama
It’s taken the Sox a while to fix what the Nats did to Giolito. BB, K rates and consistency are much improved over his last 10-12 starts, considering the band-box he pitches in.
ASapsFables
Yes. Also keep in mind that top Astros pitching prospect Frances Martes had equally bad stats pitching for Fresno in the hitter friendly environment of the PCL. That didn’t keep Houston from promoting him to their MLB rotation to help a staff befallen with injuries last month. Martes is still on the Astros roster and could remain on their staff or be a potential centerpiece in a trade for an upgrade like the A’s Sonny Gray.
24TheKid
Scouts don’t look only at numbers, they care more about what he can do, it’s the GM’s that care more about what stats they can put up at the Mario league level while the scouts are just finding guys with good skill sets, and rank them on that.
eze01
He should just retire, no one in baseball has ever struggled in their career. It’s all over.
Strauss
The white sox have a long history of not being able to develop their minor leaguers!!!
Joe12o6
Yea, like Chris Sale and Jose Quintana…
Pilzbrydroboy
Giolito is only 22 years old… lets slow your roll. Hes a having an up and down year. But hes actually put together a couple really solid games in AAA. He pitched a no hitter about a month ago and pitched a shut out with 10K his last game. This is his first season with the white sox. And Don cooper is as good as pitching coaches get. No worries
Pilzbrydroboy
Giolito still has as high of a cieling to be an ace as any prospect in basball. He just needs to be consistent. Nothing coop cant fix. Like i said hes 22 no worries. Sox have a good track record with developing pitching. Hes the only pitcher to throw a no hitter this year in AAA
Pilzbrydroboy
Ohh and Giolito was mlb.com pitcher of the month for june.
nrd1138
Giolito was obviously brought up by the Nats too soon and was dropping in the prospect standings before the Sox got him. The Sox are taking their time with him down in the minors and, if I am not mistaken, ‘no hit’ a team down in AAA recently and has been pitching better lately.. He’ll be just fine I think. Likely not an ace, but if he is even a 2, or 3 type starter it is fine. I think Dunning may be the best part of that trade anyway, but only time will tell.
If any team can get the pitching out of this guy it is the Sox, as woeful as they have been with position players their pitching has always been a strength.
leprechaun
Didn’t cost much so it’s worth the chance on the kid
lesterdnightfly
YY?
Why?
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
Has there ever been a major leaguer with the initials YY?
ASapsFables
Yam Yaryan was a C/PH who played in parts of two seasons for the White Sox in 1921 and 1922 following the Black Sox scandal.
Perhaps another former Sox, White and Red alike, in Kevin Youkilis if his Hebrew (Bar-Mitzvah) name was Yakov (Jacob) or Yitzhak (Isaac)? lol
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
That’s great!! Thanks for the info!
agentx
This is the kind of lottery ticket players that BAL should be targeting if they’re going to keep trading the bulk of their international money each year, not soon-to-be DFAs like Damien Magnifico (awesome baseball/WWE wrestler name notwithstanding).
oldleftylong
Chisox putting a lot of trust in prospects. I hope some pan out for them. Historically, it’s been the blend of veterans and youth that proves success for MLB teams. Perhaps the Sox will sign free agents and/or trade once they determine which prospects will make the Bigs.
ASapsFables
Perhaps come 2019 or 2020 when the White Sox may begin to contend they will have a few “veterans” on hand like Carlos Rodon, Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito and Carson Fulmer as they usher in more of their elite prospects who are currently at the AA, A and Rookie League levels.
It’s also possible the White Sox may retain Jose Abreu for the duration of his arbitration eligibility through the 2019 season and even extend him beyond that time frame as he continues to help mentor fellow Cuban teammates like Moncada and Luis Robert as well as other elite Latino talent that will be heading to the South Side of Chicago.
start_wearing_purple
Can we just give him the nickname Why and make him play left field?
Rounding3rd
Who’s on first?
start_wearing_purple
I don’t care….
Shortstop!
bigcubsfan
Wow. A big trade by the White Sox to get a player to replace Quintana I’m the rotation.
(Before you all go on rants, I am joking. Trying to get people to laugh.)
ASapsFables
Perhaps it would get a “laugh” if Yeyson Yrizarri was actually a pitcher instead of a shortstop. Just saying…
ASapsFables
Btw-That pitcher you jokingly refer to may be none other than Dylan Cease. Now that might provide a few laughs on the South Side come 2019 or 2020, along with some crying on the North Side of town down the road.
JKB 2
Bigcubsfan why say something so stupid
ASapsFables
For what it’s worth, Yeyson Yrizarri is now the White Sox #30 ranked prospect per mlb.com. He had been the #17 prospect with the Rangers which gives some indication of the current strength of each clubs farm system.
Had the White Sox not undertaken their new rebuild and acquired the bulk of their prospect wealth through those ensuing trades, Yrizarri might now be their own #21 prospect rather than barely making the top-30.
You can access his mlb.com scouting report at: m.mlb.com/prospects/2017?list=cws
nrd1138
Low risk move as it will be unlikely to be seeing someone complain about the money the Sox gave up for this kid. More importantly, money sure, but no existing prospects for the Sox to move to get a guy with upside