After posing for photos with his two most noteworthy signings of this year's international class, Marco Paddy talked to reporters about Oscar Colás and Erick Hernández to paint a more thorough picture than the few sentences in the official press release.
And Paddy might have a more comprehensive accounting than anybody, at least when it comes to Colás, who has been on his radar since scouting a Cuban international team that also included Luis Robert, Yolbert Sánchez and Yoelqui Céspedes.
All are now in the fold, and more importantly, Colás will join the fray stateside as soon as he makes it through the visa process, which gives the Sox a chance at some quick-strike outfield depth in the minors. Neither Paddy nor Colás promised immediate results, but neither seemed willing to downplay expectations, either. It seems like doing so would negate the experience of acclimating to one form of professional baseball in Japan, based on quotes from Colás ...
"I want to start playing and see what I can do here. Because I played in Japan and have the experience there, I don’t think it’s going to be that much different here compared to Japan. But obviously it’s something that I have to get used to. I’m just ready to start doing, start showing what I can do here.”
.. and Paddy:
“It’s just a matter of him getting a few months under his belt to see how quick he adjusts to the level of play here,” said Paddy, who frequently noted that Colás handled transitioning to professional baseball in Japan when he was still a teenager. “He’s mentally ready. He can’t wait. The one thing with him is he’s not going to be intimidated by this new experience.”
This approach basically puts Colás on the same timeline as Céspedes, who went from idle to Winston-Salem in his age-23 season and looked fine, all things considered. Céspedes has to get a handle on his plate discipline, but the other tools and skills emerged, and there's a chance he could break through in 2022. Colás doesn't have Céspedes' speed, but the offensive profile stands a chance of being stabler, and he has a wider array of professional experiences to draw upon as he gets acclimated to affiliated ball.
As for Hernández, James Fegan augmented Paddy's sunny-side-up reports of a kid who can play center while growing into a power profile with thoughts from some evaluators who think Hernández might have to lean on his hit tool while shifting to a corner spot. It'll take years for the true story to materialize, which is fine, because Hernández finally gives the White Sox a high-profile signing with all the time in the world to figure it out.
Micker Adolfo wrapped up his longest season ever with 16 games for Estrellas in the Dominican Winter League, coming after 101 games between Birmingham and Charlotte. It neither enhanced nor detracted from his earlier body of work, as he hit .261/.292/.413 with two homers, two walks and 17 strikeouts over 48 plate appearances. Whenever he can report to spring training, his out-of-options situation remains the same.
What's more important is that he finished a full minor-league workload by playing outfield full-time, so he'll have proven what he needed to from a physical standpoint. Now it's just a matter of maintaining that health, then getting an opportunity to show whether he can flash his power despite a strikeout rate that's hovered a touch too high.
It's also worth bringing up the conclusion to his season because, paired with the announcement of the period's biggest signings above, it's a good time to update the record of Paddy's international signing history. The post is exclusive to Sox Machine supporters on Patreon, with bonus amounts and summaries for each class, all reflecting what they've accomplished through January 2022. If you don't yet support Sox Machine, you can do so below.
