White Sox Flip International Prospect As Roki Sasaki Decision Looms

With Roki Sasaki yet to inform clubs on where he’s signing, another international prospect has changed teams days before the start of the international signing period.

Venezuelan outfielder Orlando Patiño, who had been set to sign with the Dodgers, is now planning to sign with the White Sox, Baseball America has learned. Patiño is expected to sign for $570,000, an increase from the $400,000 he was in line to get from the Dodgers prior to Sasaki’s posting. The Dodgers couldn’t guarantee Patiño that they could sign him on Jan. 15 because of Sasaki, so Patiño’s camp informed the Dodgers that he wasn’t going to wait and would sign elsewhere.

Patiño is 6-foot-2, 203 pounds and extremely strong for his age with big righthanded power. There isn’t much physical projection left with Patiño, but he already drives the ball with impact in a swing geared to lift the ball. He’s a corner outfielder with a plus arm to fit in right field. 

Sasaki’s impending signing has caused ripple effects throughout the international market with the 2025 signing period set to open on Jan. 15. Teams that believe they are still in the mix have told the international players who had committed to sign with them that they still want to sign them. However, those signings would have to wait until after Jan. 15 and might ultimately fall through if the club does sign Sasaki. Many of those agreements are still in place, but it’s a situation that has created more tension in the market and caused trainers and players to consider offers from other teams. Several players committed to teams that have been in consideration for Sasaki have been receiving offers from other clubs and starting tryouts with other teams. 

Patiño is the second player the Dodgers have lost from their expected 2025 international class. Darell Morel, a 6-foot-5 shortstop from the Dominican Republic with big lefthanded power, had been set to sign with the Dodgers but is now planning to sign with the Pirates for close to $1.8 million, a bonus that would be around double what he would have received from the Dodgers.