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PHI 
In a historic move, Roch Cholowsky has officially signed with the Chicago White Sox, securing a record-breaking signing bonus of $10.35 million after being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the amateur draft. This monumental contract marks a significant milestone for both the player and the franchise, as it surpasses the previous high of $9.25 million set by Reds pitcher Chase Burns and Rockies prospect Charlie Condon.
A source close to the negotiations confirmed the agreement, although the team has yet to publicly announce the details. The slot value for this year’s top pick was $11,350,600, highlighting the significant investment the White Sox are making in Cholowsky, a promising talent.
Cholowsky, a 6-foot-2 shortstop who celebrated his 21st birthday in April, showcased his impressive skills at UCLA, where he batted .320 with 21 home runs, 60 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.088 in just 60 games this past season. His performance during his three years with the Bruins has solidified his status as a top-tier prospect, ranking among the school’s all-time leaders in home runs, runs scored, on-base percentage, and RBIs.
“At the end of the day, we were most comfortable with Roch Cholowsky with our first pick, regardless of what the signing bonus was going to be,” said White Sox general manager Chris Getz. This sentiment reflects the organization’s confidence in Cholowsky’s potential impact on the team.
Getz further emphasized the White Sox’s long-standing interest in Cholowsky, noting, “You look at what he has done throughout his baseball career, both at UCLA, but prior to that. We had interest in him in high school and then to be able to watch his college career unfold and see what he accomplished and the impact that he had on his teammates and that program and now to envision that type of influence within this organization is something that attracted us to select him at No. 1.”
Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.
