The White Sox sound like a team with a shopping list, and the list is pretty clear: starting pitcher, reliever, and catcher.
That’s the read from former MLB general manager Jim Bowden, who said on an episode of Foul Territory that, based on what he’s hearing from the White Sox front office and opposing general managers, Chris Getz is looking to add help at those three spots. It lines up with the shape of the roster right now. The pitching staff sits 11th in MLB in ERA, and the catching group took a hit after Kyle Teel’s injury.
Still, Bowden’s comments run against a report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, who believes the White Sox will be cautious at the deadline because they don’t want to mortgage their future.
If Chicago does make a bigger move, catcher may not be the place. The White Sox are one of at least six teams trying to find catching help, and the market is tight because there just aren’t many options. With Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers now sidelined and the Los Angeles Dodgers also in the mix after Will Smith’s injury, the Dodgers are in position to corner that market.
For all the attention on catcher, the White Sox have stayed afloat there despite getting very little offense from the position. That’s part of why pitching depth feels like the more urgent need, especially with the offense still ranking ninth in baseball.
Chicago did make a small move to add another option behind the plate. On Tuesday, the White Sox signed Eric Haase to a minor league deal after the San Fransico Giants released him on July 23rd.
Haase, 33, is a nine-year MLB veteran who has spent most of his career in the AL Central, with four years on the Detroit Tigers and three with the Cleveland Guardians. He doesn’t bring much of an offensive boost. His career line is .224/.276/.394, and he has reached double-digit homers in only two seasons.
What he does offer is a little more stability on the defensive side. His pop time is notably better than both Edgar Quero’s and Drew Romo’s. His pitch framing and blocks-above-average numbers are still below average, but they are better than Quero’s, who sits in the 16th percentile in pitch framing and the sixth percentile in blocks above average.
At the very least, Haase gives the White Sox a veteran presence in a young catching room and another body to help manage the pitching staff. If Chicago can’t land another catcher before the deadline, he could wind up as the fallback option and provide extra organizational depth.
In Other News...
White Sox Make Another Catcher Move Fans Will Want To Watch
Eric Haase is back in the White Sox orbit, landing with the Charlotte Knights as the organization keeps looking for more answers behind the plate. The veteran catcher brings big-league experience and gives Chicago another experienced name in the system, a useful add for a club that has been trying to shore up its catching depth while sorting out the major league picture.
At Triple-A, Haase is expected to share time with the other Knights catchers, giving the staff another option to mix in as the season moves along. The move does not solve the White Soxs bigger catcher question, but it does keep the pipeline active, and if the major league club needs help later, Haase is now in position to be part of that conversation. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Fans Will Feel For Murakami After Heartbreaking News Back Home
Munetaka Murakami was in the White Sox lineup for the 3-2 loss to the Yankees, but his attention was clearly split far beyond the box score. Back home in Kumamoto, Japan, the community tied to his roots was hit by a major earthquake, and the news reached him while his family was still in Chicago before they headed back to Japan on Tuesday.
Murakami said he was shocked and worried for everyone affected, a reaction shaped by what he lived through during the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. Even then, the area was still working its way back, and now he is once again thinking about how he can help with recovery in the days ahead. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Get A Concerning Kyle Teel Update At Brutal Time
Colson Montgomery framed the White Soxs next stretch as the kind that can sharpen a young club fast, pointing to a run of games against teams with postseason aspirations and saying the group has to approach it with a playoff mindset. It is the sort of schedule that can expose flaws quickly, but it also gives Chicago a clear measuring stick as it tries to keep building in the second half.
Amid that backdrop, Kyle Teels recovery remains a subplot worth watching. Will Venable said Teel is handling the process well and staying positive while he continues treatment, even as he works through it in a walking boot, a reminder that the White Sox are still waiting for one of their more intriguing young pieces to get back on the field. [Read more 🡒]