The White Sox may have found a useful answer in center field, and the twist is that the player in question traces back to David Stearns.
Tristan Peters, a 26-year-old rookie, has taken over in Chicago and is giving the White Sox real production at a spot that had been unsettled. He was available this offseason after the Tampa Bay Rays designated him for assignment to open a roster spot for Steven Matz.
Before that, Peters had already changed organizations once, arriving in Tampa Bay through a trade with the San Francisco Giants. And before San Francisco, he was a 7th round draft pick by Stearns, who later moved him in 2022 for Trevor Rosenthal.
That path matters now because Peters is doing more than just holding down a job. Through his first 249 plate appearances, he’s hitting .286/.343/.438 with 18 doubles and 4 home runs.
He’s also been worth 8 Outs Above Average, and his 17.7% K rate adds to the appeal. In other words, he’s giving Chicago a lot of what teams want from a center fielder.
The White Sox didn’t even have to pay much to get him. This past offseason, they landed Peters for cash considerations.
For the Mets, the fit is a little murkier. Luisangel Acuna has appeared in multiple games as Chicago’s starting center fielder after coming over in the trade that sent Luis Robert Jr. to New York, but he’s not the answer the White Sox have been leaning on lately.
Meanwhile, the Mets are waiting for Robert to return from the IL and maybe become a trade candidate yet again, while also feeling good about the production they’re getting from A.J. Ewing.
Even with Peters playing this well, there may not have been much room for him in New York anyway. The Mets have seen growth from Ewing and Carson Benge in the outfield, and Peters would have been another left-handed hitter with control and some upside in the mix. That kind of player can still matter, though, especially as depth or as a trade chip for help elsewhere.
The larger point is hard to miss: a player Stearns drafted and then moved away is now thriving in Chicago, and the White Sox are the ones cashing in.
In Other News...
Mets Just Sent A Troubling Message About Kevin Parada
Kevin Paradas path through the Mets system has taken another uneasy turn, and it says plenty about where things stand for the former first-round pick. The catcher has battled inconsistency on both sides of the ball in 2026, opening with a rough stretch in Double-A before flashing more at the plate in Triple-A, only to see the organization move him back down again as it continues sorting out its long-term answer behind the plate.
The bigger concern is that the bat alone has not been enough to force the issue. Paradas offensive uptick in Triple-A did not erase the defensive questions that have followed him, and the Mets also have other catching options in the mix who bring MLB experience and a steadier glove. For a player once viewed as a key part of the future, the message is getting harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Mets May Be On Verge Of A Surprising New Infield Look
Luis Robert Jr. is still working through rehab with an eye on getting back into Mets games before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, but his absence has already nudged the roster into a different sort of July experiment. A.J. Ewing has handled center field well enough to stay in the conversation, and the Mets are at least considering whether his athleticism could be used in another spot if they want to keep shuffling pieces while the deadline picture comes into focus.
The possibility gets more interesting because of Marcus Semiens injury, which has forced the Mets to patch second base with Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio. Ewing has some background there from the minors, and with Francisco Lindor locked in on the left side, New York could be looking at a temporary infield look that says as much about opportunity as it does about need while the front office weighs its next move. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Bullpen Rehab Bet Already Looks Like A Wasted Move
Adbert Alzolay was supposed to be the kind of low-risk bullpen rehab bet the Mets could stash away and maybe cash in on later, a two-year minor league deal for a pitcher working back from Tommy John surgery. Instead, his 2024 season has been spent entirely in the minors, and the results in Triple-A Syracuse have been rough enough to make the original upside feel distant. The right-hander has struggled to find any rhythm, with his outings repeatedly turning into damage-control appearances rather than steps toward a return.
The Mets have not cut bait yet, which says plenty about how much they still want the idea to work. They were hoping Alzolay could become an internal bullpen weapon down the line, maybe even a deadline option without having to give up talent in a trade. For now, though, Syracuse has offered little encouragement, and the longer the struggles continue, the harder it gets to see the path back to meaningful help in Queens. [Read more 🡒]