The best move by the White Sox last offseason? Getting Nick Swisher. (Ha. Ha. Ha.)

No, it was picking up Alexei Ramirez out of Cuba. Sure, he’s as wiry as they come. But he’s a superb defender and, despite his frame, can hit for power. He is the White Sox’s shortstop of the future. He is good at baseball.

Today, the Sox have reportedly dug into the Cuban defector crop again, as they’ve signed 19-year-old Dayan Viciedo to a free-agent deal worth $11 million for five years. (This is pending a physical at the moment.)  South Side Sox has some more detail on the contract. Apparently, this dude is supposed to be the next big thing. Well, that’s if you listen to his agent.

The Sox are confident they are getting a player with raw power and through-the-roof potential who some believe might be ready for the major leagues by the end of spring training.

”He’s very special and very mature for 19, and I think he will be competing [for a starting spot],” Torres said in a phone interview.

He’ll be competing at third base with Josh Fields unless Fields is traded before camp. Torres even took his confidence that Viciedo will earn a spot on the 25-man roster a step further.

”I would be surprised if he doesn’t leave camp on [the big-league] roster,” Torres said. ”That’s how confident I am in his abilities. And if he doesn’t make the [roster], he won’t have a lot of at-bats in the minor leagues. He’ll be up quickly.”

This all sounds rather nice, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The kid is 19 — a bit hard to project at this current juncture. (That’s if he’s actually that young. Methinks he might be a bit older.) However, the Sox have picked up good, young talent for pretty cheap. And even if he doesn’t make the big leagues this year, they’re headed in the right direction.

Also see: White Sox Lock Up Another Cuban Defector