White Sox Could Look For Outfield Help Outside The Organization
With the news that Andrew Benintendi will now miss 4-6 weeks after being hit by a pitch on his hand, it could force him to miss a week or two of the regular season. On top of that, it is likely that he would have to do a rehab assignment, as he is missing the valuable Spring Training ramp up period.
While the White Sox have already prepared for an injury, as they have five outfielders on the major league roster, they technically don’t need to make any moves.
However, some of those moves haven’t played out too well, as most of the outfielders have struggled to this point in Spring Training. It is early so players aren’t expected to be mashing the ball, but you’d like to see a bit more out of them if they are going to take potential at-bats away from younger guys.
Their newest addition, Michael A. Taylor is 0 for 8 with six strikeouts. Mike Tauchman is 1 for 8 with four strikeouts, and Austin Slater is 0 for 6 with three strikeouts to this point. The trio of new outfielders the White Sox signed this offseason is a combined 1 for 22 with 13 strikeouts. That isn’t what you want.
On top of that, the borderline guys haven’t been doing well either, as Oscar Colas is 1 for 6 with four strikeouts, Corey Julks is 1 for 7 with three strikeouts, and Dominic Fletcher is 1 for 6 with three strikeouts. Eight out of the nine players who have struck out the most so far in Spring Training are outfielders, which is a bit concerning. The White Sox haven’t been hitting in general, but this is not a good sign.
Due to this, the White Sox could look outside the organization for some extra help, as there are a few intriguing options left in free agency.
First, there is Alex Verdugo, who is also just 28 years old and he has been a very solid major leaguer. Last year Verdugo hit .233 with 13 homeruns and 61 RBIs. While those numbers aren’t great, he is a career .272 hitter, so last year was clearly an outlier for him. His best year in Boston came in 2020, where he finished 12th in MVP voting. That year he hit .308 with six home runs and 15 RBIs. He had 2.1 WAR in just 53 games, which would have put him on pace for an impressive 6 WAR season.
Next, there is Adam Duvall, who could also be a perfect player to flip at the deadline. He struggled last year with Atlanta, as he hit .182 with 11 homeruns and 30 RBIs, but he was very solid in 2023. In 2023 he hit .248 with 21 homeruns and 58 RBIs with the Red Sox. Duvall is 36, but he may still have some more in the tank. He would probably be more likely to take a minor league deal than Verdugo, so it could lower the stakes if Benintendi does come back sooner than we think.
Whit Merrifield is also still a free agent, and he could be a nice piece to add, as he also offers positional versatility in the infield as well. Like Duvall, Merrifield is also 36 years old, so he would be a short term piece that the White Sox could flip at the deadline. Merrifield was better than Duvall last year, as they both played with the Braves. Merrifield hit .248 with one homer and 4 RBIs in 40 games. He also had a solid .348 OBP. There is the Kansas City Royals connection with Merrifield, so Chris Getz could be familiar with him.
At this point, it is unclear if the White Sox will add from outside the organization, as they have a ton of guys in camp. It is probably more likely than not that it allows a veteran like Joey Gallo to make the roster, as he has shown he can play above average defense in the outfield and can give you some pop with the bat. We will see as we get closer to the regular season, but Spring Training hasn’t been very good for the outfielders on the roster.