The White Sox introduced a free agent signing Austin Hays in the afternoon. The outfielder signed a $6MM contract with a rebuilding team, in large part because they are in a position to give him regular playing time in the outfield.
“When I go back to free agency, I wanted to go somewhere where I would have an opportunity to do that, play every day, get back to being able to play both sides of the ball, and play defense every day,” Hays told reporters (link via Jay Cohen of the Associated Press). Hays played an almost identical role in Cincinnati last year. He started just over half of the team’s games but got good action as the designated hitter, playing just over 500 innings in left field.
That was not a decision based on usage. Hays had three spells on the injured list earlier in the season, all related to different areas of his left leg. He had suffered from kidney disease in 2024. His most recent full season came in 2023, when he hit .275/.325/.444 in 566 plate appearances with the Orioles. Hays was an above-average everyday player in Baltimore for several seasons. His recent production is largely dependent on the platoon. The righty hitter has combined left-handed pitching at a .335/.402/.543 clip over the past two years. His .233/.273/.387 line against righties is very difficult.
The White Sox had arguably the worst fielding situation in the MLB prior to the Hays signing. He will be listed against any pitcher and has said he will have a shot to reach 140 games played. If he’s productive, he could be a midseason trade chip and could fit in an expanded role, but the focus right now is on re-establishing himself as a viable everyday player.
Andrew Benintendi it will be in the opposite corner. The left-hander is entering the fourth season of a five-year deal that didn’t go as planned. He is a .245/.309/.391 hitter over 1600 plate appearances for the club. Owed $31MM over the next two years, Benintendi will have no appeal on the trade market. General manager Chris Getz surprisingly said today that an offseason trade would not be on the table.
“We haven’t had too many conversations about Andrew, so we expect him to be in the clubhouse on Opening Day,” the GM told reporters (link via James Fegan of the Sox Machine). Benintendi has dealt with minor injuries the past two seasons, missing time with Achilles tendinitis and calf/pain issues.
That might lead to more work as a designated hitter in an ideal world, but the Sox are likely to lean heavily on their young catching duo. Kyle Teel again Edgar Quero in that place. Their outfield is small enough that they don’t have many options to cover Benintendi in left (or right, if Hays slides to left) on days when he’s in the DH spot. Luisangel Acuña it is expected to start running in the middle ground. Everson Pereira again Derek Hill can be in that mix if they skip the camp, while the invitees are not registered Jarred Kelenic again Dustin Harris have clear paths to work.
All of those players are out of minor league options. The Sox have picked up a lot of flier from former prospects given out by other clubs, but there are only so many available benches. The third substitute Corey Lee and a backup infielder Lenny Sosa They are also out of options, so there is limited flexibility coming out of the camp.
Sosa, 26, finds himself in a difficult position. He is coming off a season with a team-leading 22 tackles. It also came with an aggressive streak that left him with a paltry .293 on-base mark. Sosa also struggled defensively at second base, there Chase Meidroth enters the spring as indicated beginning. Getz said Sosa is unlikely to contribute to the infield mix and remains limited to the right side of the field. Munetaka Murakami it will always play at the beginning. Meidroth again Miguel Vargas right-handed bats ahead of him at second and third base, respectively.
It’s unlikely that Sosa will be in danger of losing his roster spot out of camp, but Getz admitted there is “a little bit of a lack of right-handed bats” on the roster. The Sox may be willing to consider trade offers if another team in search of a righty infield bat comes calling. He won’t get a big deal, but there’s enough promise that he should get attention if Chicago makes him available. Hypothetically, teams like the Pirates, Padres and Rays could benefit from adding a player in such a role.
Turning to the other side of the ball, right hand Mike Vasil tells Rob Bradford and Courtney Finnicum of the Is Not Boring baseball podcast that he’s shaping up to be a starter heading into Spring Training. Vasil worked mostly out of the bullpen as a Rule 5 selection last year, making three starts in 47 starts. He typically worked three-plus innings and totaled 101 frames, so the bowling role wouldn’t be much different from the one he held as a rookie.
Vasil posted a 2.50 earned run average in his debut campaign. His strikeout and walk profile was unimpressive, though he kept the ball to a 51.4% strikeout rate. The Rule 5 roster restrictions are lifted in the second year, so the Sox can option Vasil to Triple-A if they want him to establish a starting path in the minors. It will be difficult to get him out of the big league bullpen if he pitches to the same level he did last season.
The Sox are likely to open the season with four players up front Shane Smith, Davis Martin, Anthony Kay again Sean Burke if everyone is healthy. Free agent download Sean Newcomb can serve as a starter or multi-inning reliever. They came and got the opportunity to eat high-class children David Sandlin of Jordan Hicks shedding salary with the Red Sox, period Jonathan Cannon he remains on the 40-man roster.
