White Sox GM Chris Getz Walks Back “Switch-Hitter” Comments on Luisangel Acuña, Adds Humor to the Mix
White Sox GM Chris Getz found himself in the spotlight this week-not for a blockbuster trade or a surprise signing, but for a repeated slip of the tongue that had fans and media alike doing a double take. Over the course of the offseason, Getz referred to newly acquired infielder Luisangel Acuña as a switch-hitter. There was just one problem: Acuña only bats right-handed.
This wasn’t a one-time flub. Getz made the same claim on at least four separate occasions, a trend that was quickly picked up and circulated online, complete with video receipts. The clip gained enough traction that the White Sox front office felt the need to respond, and Getz did so with a dose of self-deprecating humor.
“So I probably have been getting carried away describing his versatility,” Getz said in a statement. “He can play every position on the field.
Why does it have to stop there? I called Luisangel and told him that even though he's just right-handed, we still love him.”
It’s a lighthearted way to own a mistake, and one that fits the tone of early spring-when optimism runs high and the stakes are still low. But it’s also a reminder that details matter, especially when you're the face of a franchise trying to rebuild credibility and clarity in a new era.
Interestingly, when Getz first spoke about Acuña after the trade was finalized on January 21, he didn’t mention switch-hitting at all. His focus then was on Acuña’s defensive versatility, elite baserunning, and strong instincts-traits that made the young infielder an attractive piece in the White Sox’s reshaping efforts.
“He can play all over the diamond,” Getz said at the time. “A strong defender, an elite defender, elite baserunner, can make contact. Very strong instincts for the game.”
But by February 9, that scouting report had evolved-perhaps a bit too much.
“He has a lot of potential. He can play all over the diamond.
He’s a strong defender, baserunner, switch-hitter. He can do a lot of different things to help you win.”
It’s easy to see how the term “switch-hitter” might have become shorthand in Getz’s mind for “versatile,” especially when recent utility players like Leury García and Brooks Baldwin fit that mold. Still, four mentions is more than a slip-it’s a pattern. Getz’s ability to laugh it off helps, but the moment underscores how closely every word is scrutinized in today’s media landscape.
Drew Thorpe Faces Another Setback in His Recovery
While Getz was dealing with a verbal miscue, right-hander Drew Thorpe is dealing with something far more frustrating-another delay in his return to the mound.
Thorpe, one of the key pieces in the Dylan Cease trade, has had a rocky road back from injury. After undergoing Tommy John surgery last spring, he was expected to be among the arms ramping up at Camelback Ranch this month. But when pitchers like Mason Adams, Ky Bush, and Prelander Berroa-all fellow Tommy John recoverees-threw bullpens this week, Thorpe was notably absent.
The reason? Flexor tendinitis.
“I haven’t gotten off the mound,” Thorpe said. “I got out to 120-ish feet, was feeling it a little bit, so went and saw [Dr.
Keith] Meister last week. Said the ligament looks good, everything looks good in there.
Dealing with some flexor stuff so slowing it down a little bit.”
Thorpe emphasized that he’s not overly concerned, but he’s definitely frustrated.
“I don’t think it’s worry. I think it’s just every surgery is a little bit different,” he said.
“You can’t really look at other guys and say, ‘Why am I not in that position?’ The body heals differently.
I don’t think it’s worry. Just a slower pace, which sucks, but at the end of the day I would rather slow it down and be fully ready to go when I’m ready instead of trying to push through it and have some problems once we get closer off the mound.”
That’s a mature approach from a young pitcher who’s already been through a lot. Thorpe hasn’t pitched in a major league game since July 2024. After undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur that September, he suffered a UCL tear during a minor league rehab outing the following spring, which led to the Tommy John procedure he’s currently recovering from.
With other pieces from the Cease trade-like Jairo Iriarte now clearing waivers and Samuel Zavala still stuck in High-A-Thorpe’s development looms large. Fair or not, a lot of the trade’s upside now rides on his right arm. And right now, that arm isn’t quite ready.
Spring Training Broadcast Schedule Revealed
Even if fans won’t see Thorpe take the mound right away, they’ll still get their first look at the 2026 White Sox soon enough. The team has announced its spring training broadcast schedule, giving fans a chance to check in on the new-look roster as the Cactus League gets underway.
Nine games will be televised on CHSN, while 10 radio broadcasts are set to air on ESPN Chicago. Three of those radio games will also be live-streamed on whitesox.com, giving fans multiple ways to follow the action.
The White Sox’s first officially listed game is on February 21, but those with access to MLB.tv or Marquee Sports Network will be able to catch the team even earlier, as they open the Cactus League slate against the Cubs.
As spring training ramps up, expect a full viewing schedule to be compiled soon, including opponent broadcasts and national coverage via MLB.tv and MLB Network. For a team in transition, these early games will offer valuable glimpses of what’s to come-and who might be ready to make a leap.
Bottom Line
Between Chris Getz’s verbal blooper and Drew Thorpe’s injury update, it’s been an eventful week for the White Sox-and we haven’t even reached the first pitch of spring training. But that’s the nature of February baseball: the stakes are low, the storylines are rich, and every update, from roster quirks to rehab timelines, carries the promise of what might lie ahead.
For a franchise looking to rebuild trust and momentum, the little things-accuracy, clarity, and health-matter. And in a season that’s all about growth, both Getz and Thorpe just gave us reminders of how bumpy that road can be.