White Sox Add Former Top-100 Prospect Looking To Rebound
Chris Getz and the White Sox continue to be busy, as it was announced today that they signed Bobby Dalbec to a minor league deal, with an invite to Spring Training.
The Chicago White Sox have agreed to terms with INF Bobby Dalbec on a minor-league contract which includes a non-roster invite to Spring Training.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) January 7, 2025
Dalbec, formerly of the Boston Red Sox, was a consensus top-100 prospect in 2020 and 2021, making his major league debut in 2020. In 23 games, Dalbec hit .263 with a .359 OBP. He added 8 homeruns and 16 RBIs.
2021 was Dalbec’s best season by far. In 133 games, he hit .240 with a .298 OBP. While that alone isn’t great, he added 25 homeruns and had 78 RBIs. Those are fantastic numbers for a rookie and it looked like he would have a very good major league career with the Boston Red Sox.
2021 Bobby Dalbec was unreal
pic.twitter.com/MCcH4VDCAS— Unbiased Red Sox Fan (@unbiasedsoxfan) January 7, 2025
However, since then, he hasn’t come close to that same kind of production. In 117 games in 2022, he hit 12 homeruns with 39 RBIs, but only hit .215. Over the last two years, he has only played in 50 major league games, not faring much better.
But, in the minor leagues, Dalbec has been on an insane tear. In AAA in 2023, he hit 33 homeruns and last year he hit 20 in just 97 games. He has some serious power, but it hasn’t been able to translate to the major leagues the last few seasons.
Perhaps a fresh start will do Dalbec well, as he will turn 30 during the season. He was ranked as a top prospect for a reason and maybe new hitting coordinator Ryan Fuller has some adjustments for him to make that could help him be successful in the major leagues.
This is a nice buy low move for the White Sox, as Dalbec has power that the White Sox have desperately needed out of their lineup for the last few years. If he can come close to his 2021 numbers, that would be a huge win, as a team would definitely scoop him up at the deadline.
Bobby Dalbec is an interesting lottery ticket for the White Sox. Below are his 2021 StatCast metrics. If there's any chance Dalbec can regain that type of average exit velocity and barrel %, that would be a welcomed power boost. pic.twitter.com/tZp6KxrAec
— Josh Nelson – Sox Machine (@soxmachine_josh) January 7, 2025
Since this is a minor league deal, they lose nothing if he doesn’t pan out. At the absolute worst, it is added competition for the other players in camp, as Dalbec has played all over the infield and has played some outfield. While he isn’t known for his fielding, it is nice to have someone who can hit for power and have positional versatility.
Chris Getz continues to add competition to the roster, as he is making it very clear that nobody will be given a spot. This is a very solid move for Getz to make, as a change of scenery can light a fire under a player like Dalbec, as he has shown success in the major leagues.