Juan Uribe’s defensive heroics during the final inning of the 2005 World Series will always be part of Chicago White Sox lore.
His son Juan Uribe Jr. took the next step in his baseball journey Sunday, coming to terms with the Sox during the international signing period.
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Uribe Jr. was one of seven international free-agent signees the Sox announced Monday. The group also includes right-handed pitcher Luis Reyes, the No. 41 international prospect in 2023 according to MLB.com.
The terms with Uribe Jr. — a 5-foot-10, 170-pound second baseman who resides in Nizao, Dominican Republic — include a $200,000 signing bonus.
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His father played 16 seasons in the majors, including five with the Sox. He raced over from shortstop and wound up in the stands while making a spectacular catch on a foul pop for the second out of the ninth in Game 4 of the 2005 World Series against the Houston Astros.
Uribe made another great play, fielding a slow roller and firing to first for the final out to secure a 1-0 victory and the team’s first title since 1917.
“The biggest thing with Juan Uribe Jr. is he’s got a very short swing,” Marco Paddy, special assistant to the general manager, international operations, said during a video conference call Monday. “There’s no question about his hitting ability. He inherited that from his dad. He handles the bat extremely well.
“At the end of the day, what’s going to play with this kid is the bat. He’s got a very special bat.”
Uribe Jr., 16, bats and throws right-handed. He isn’t the only Sox signee with a link to the big leagues.
Outfielder Abraham Núñez Jr. — whose deal included a $700,000 signing bonus — is the son of former major-league outfielder Abraham Núñez, who played for the Florida Marlins (2002, ‘04) and Kansas City Royals (2004).
Núñez, also 16, is a 6-foot-2, 175-pound native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, who bats left-handed and throws right-handed.
“Very high energy, aggressive, athletic. He can play all three outfield positions,” Paddy said. “He’ll probably end up in a corner just because he’s such a tall kid, and if you look at his dad, his dad was a big man too. He’s got speed, he’s got power.
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“But the one unique thing about Abraham is he has a feel for the strike zone. He knows how to adjust to pitches. He can recognize the breaking ball and he’s a guy who sprays the ball all over the field.”
Paddy described Reyes, 17, as “a power arm.” MLB Pipeline ranks the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder as the No. 4 international pitching prospect.
A native of Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic, Reyes played for the Miami Miracles travel team in several U.S. tournaments and Perfect Game events in 2020-21. His deal includes a $700,000 signing bonus.
“He’s got a power fastball, a slider and a changeup,” Paddy said. “For a young kid — I started seeing Luis at the age of 14, almost 15 years old — he’s a guy that dominates throwing pitches. He’s got a clean arm, good mechanics and good size.
“I’ve seen him pitch and being able to adjust. Even though he was a younger kid, he was able to adjust to older competition extremely well.”
The Sox also signed right-hander Denny Lima ($10,000 bonus), outfielder Albert Alberto ($50,000) and infielders D’Angelo Tejada ($350,000) and Rafael Álvarez ($350,000).
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The team anticipates more signings in the coming weeks.
“Coming back from the Christmas break, you have to make sure that everybody’s healthy and everybody is ready to go,” Paddy said. “We’ll be announcing some signings in Venezuela pretty soon.”
