Booker, Roach put themselves on White Sox's watch list
According to MLB Pipeline, eight of the Chicago White Sox's Top 30 prospects are outfielders.
Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert top the list, and it filters all the way down to Ryan Cordell and Luis Gonzalez.
Joel Booker's name is nowhere to be found, which is not all that surprising when you consider the 24-year-old outfielder was the Sox's 22nd-round draft pick in 2016 out of Iowa.
While he is lacking in press clippings, Booker has put himself on the White Sox's radar this season. And after combining to hit .348 with 12 doubles, 2 home runs, 10 RBI, 17 runs scored, 5 stolen bases and a .408 on-base percentage over 22 games with high Class A Winston-Salem and AA Birmingham, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder was voted minor-league player of the month for June.
Prior to being promoted to Birmingham on June 21, Booker also went 3-for-4 with a home run and 4 RBI and was named MVP of the Carolina League All-Star Game.
For the season, Booker is hitting .298 with 18 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, 24 RBI, a .382 on-base percentage, .468 slugging percentage and .850 OPS in 63 games with Birmingham and Winston-Salem.
As a prospect, Donn Roach entered the season with an even lower profile than Booker.
Signed by the White Sox to a minor-league contract on Jan. 24, the 28-year-old Roach pitched in 16 game with the Padres in 2014, 1 game with the Cubs in 2015 and 4 games with the Mariners in '16.
The right-hander pitched for the KT Wiz in Korea last season and was 4-15 with a 4.69 ERA in 28 starts.
Roach is having a solid year with AAA Charlotte this season, and he was voted Sox minor-league pitcher of the month for June after going 5-0 with a 0.98 ERA.
Overall, Roach is 9-2 with a 2.65 ERA in 16 game (15 starts), and he leads the International League in wins, ranks second with 95 innings pitched and is third in ERA.
Signing day:
After agreeing to terms with Luis Robert last season and giving the 19-year-old outfielder a $26 million signing bonus, the White Sox were only able to offer international prospects a maximum bonus of $300,000 this year.
According to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez, the Sox have agreed to $300,000 deals with three players - third baseman Bryan Ramos and Harold Diaz from Cuba and catcher Luis Pineda from Venezuela.
Sanchez also reports the White Sox signed Cuban first baseman Alberto Lemay Bernal for $250,000 and Venezuelan shortstop Anthony Espinoza for $200,000.
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