How Marco Paddy and scouts have helped the White Sox find international talent

By Mark Gonzales

The White Sox's presentation to free agent outfielder Luis Robert 4 1/2 years ago included a video presentation of the franchise's history of Cuban players.

Based on the successes of 2020 American League most valuable player Jose Abreu and Robert, that video might need some updating to further convince free agents from Cuba and other Latin American countries to sign with the White Sox.

The influx of talented players such as Abreu and Robert, supplemented by the acquisitions of Eloy Jimenez, Yasmani Grandal and Yoan Moncada, have fortified the White Sox's efforts toward a World Series title, which start Thursday against the Houston Astros in the best-of-five American League Division Series.

And their efforts remain long-term. Marco Paddy, the White Sox's special assistant to the general manager/international operations, and his network of scouts navigated through the COVID pandemic to pursue more international talent after signing outfielder Yoelki Cespedes and pitcher Norge Vera of Cuba.

"Since day one, we have't stopped trying to find the next guys," said Paddy said Tuesday after returning from a scouting mission in Mexico with senior advisor Doug Laumann.

Cespedes, 24, the half-brother of former major league outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, hit .285 with eight home runs and an .813 OPS in 27 games at Class-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham. Cespedes, pitcher Norge Vega, Yolbert Sanchez and Bryan Ramos could represent the next wave of Cuban talent arriving on the major league level in future years.

But the White Sox's chances of winning their first World Series since 2005 hasn't been this promising since Cuban pitchers Jose Contreras and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez made significant contributions to their title.

According to general manager Rick Hahn, the video included Minnie Minoso, the first Black Cuban to play in the majors who earned seven All-Star selections with the White Sox, as well as highlights of Contreras and Hernandez and interviews with Abreu and Moncada discussing how well they fit with the organization.

"There's still the economic side, but it goes a long way," Hahn said last week.

Abreu, 34, signed a six-year, $68 million contract before the 2014 after leaving Cuba. Robert, 24, received a $26 million signing bonus and later signed a six-year, $50 million contract through 2025 with two team options.

The relationships between Abreu, Robert and the White Sox are bolstered by more than just money.

Abreu, who signed a three-year, $50 million extension before the 2020 season, has taken on a fatherly role to Robert and Jimenez.

"It's difficult because they are always messing around," Abreu said. "On the other hand, it's great to be a part of a team with them."

Said Robert: "Before I signed with this team, everyone was telling me that they needed me here because they had good group of young guys that I was supposed to be a key for that group to help us win championships. Since that moment, I've been thinking of how good this team is."

Abreu's leadership skills and work ethic has been instrumental to the development of the younger Cuban players who realize that talent can take them only so far.

Because direct access to Cuba is virtually non-existent, Paddy and his staff must be resourceful, from talking to international coaches, scouting international tournaments and giving every hopeful a look.

"You get enough references from people you trust and can tell you the makeup, the personalities and work ethic, and that obviously we take a lot of pride in," Paddy said.

"We make sure the guys we're getting are guys who are going to be dedicated to their work, dedicated to being good citizens and obviously dedicated to representing the organization well. I was thinking Jose is almost now like the leader, and a lot of young Cuban players are looking forward to be part of the organization because of that. We've been fortunate to be a part of it."

That the White Sox were able to sign Cespedes, Norge and several international players last January shows the trust in their evaluators during the pandemic.

"We already had a feel for who the better guys were," Paddy said. "We stayed on the phone, watched videos and stayed on top of the guys and make sure that players were progressing as we expected.

"If you're accessible, the information will come to you. The biggest thing is just be accessible to them."