Update: It's official
Kiley McDaniel reports that the White Sox have "locked up" RF Micker Zapata, almost universally ranked as one of the top five players in this year's crop of international amateur free agents. Reportedly, he will sign a $1.6 million deal on the July 2 signing day. The rumor the last couple weeks was that White Sox were the favorite to sign him.
Zapata is listed at 6’3/225. He bats and throws right-handed. He is almost 17 years old.
McDaniel rates him as his #4 prospect in this year's class. A snippet from his report (paywall) on Zapata:
Zapata has explosive hands and hips, outstanding all-around tools and shows some ability to make adjustments. He has a plus arm, above average foot speed and bat speed and you can project plus raw power, plenty to get him into seven figure consideration. Rumor is $1 million is the offer the Phillies made early in the process when scouting legend Pat Gillick came in to see Zapata. Zapata’s price has risen since then, as he’s made some adjustments to his swing, which is fluid and athletic, but more geared for power than Eloy Jimenez’s swing.
You can read McDaniel's top ten list here (free). It includes a link to an interview with Zapata, who was born on St. Thomas and speaks English fluently. He moved to the Dominican Republic a few years ago so he'd be eligible to sign as an international free agent, as St. Thomas is subject to the MLB Draft.