Italian journalist Mario Salvini reports that 3B Alex Liddi has signed with the White Sox. He provides no details on the contract terms. The Italian is a minor league free agent and, if signed, would need to be placed on the 40-man roster to ensure he is not Rule 5 Draft-eligible.
The 25-year-old signed with the Mariners in 2005 and he was continually ranked among their top 30 prospects by Baseball America, peaking at #5 after the 2009 season. He played in the majors for part of 2011, 2012 and 2013 with Seattle, putting up a triple slash of .208/.266/.370 in 188 plate appearances. After being designated for assignment, he was traded with international bonus slot three to the Orioles for international bonus slot two on July 6, 2013.
The right-handed Liddi presumably would be another name in the mix at third base. A frequent comp has been Mark Reynolds, which I'm sure makes a certain segment of White Sox fans quite angry. He's probably a platoon player at best and his inability to recognize pitches makes his power his only real asset on offense, as he is a below average runner. Defensively, he's decent at third base, helped by a plus arm and good hands, though his range is questionable.
Liddi had been playing with Tomateros de Culiacan in the Mexican Winter League but Salvini also reports that the club released him. He batted .239/.273/.391 in about 100 plate appearances.
Liddi is the first player born and raised in Italy to reach the majors.