Despite reported interest from the Boston Red Sox in reacquiring Kyle Teel, White Sox general manager Chris Getz has made it abundantly clear the 23-year-old catcher is not available.
Appearing on 670 The Score’s Mully and Haugh, Getz joked that he responded to the Red Sox’s trade inquiry about Teel with an emoji.
“What are we doing here? Teams can ask for anyone, sure, go ahead, it’s just a matter of how much attention you’re going to give it on the reply,” Getz said. “It’s wild you trade somebody, and you want them back that quickly. However, it’s a left-handed catcher. He can hit, he’s got zone control, he’s got some pop, he’s athletic as hell, he’s got a good arm, and he can run. It’s a unique skillset for that position. It’s unique, it’s gold, so yeah, certainly didn’t take them very seriously.”
In 78 MLB games, Teel emerged as one of baseball’s most productive offensive catchers in the second half. He put together a 20-game on-base streak, the longest by a White Sox rookie since Jose Abreu in 2014, and posted an .833 OPS.
Teel finished the season with a .273/.375/.411 slash line, eight home runs, 35 RBIs, and a 12.5% walk rate. Teel turns 24 in February and appears to be only beginning to tap into his potential.
White Sox Offseason Focus
While Teel is not going anywhere, Getz offered additional insight into the White Sox’s offseason outlook. The front office remains confident in the direction of its young core, a belief reinforced by securing the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft. Getz said during the interview that owner Jerry Reinsdorf even lit a “victory cigar” before the team won the draft lottery, joking it was done to “manifest the first pick.”
Despite the excitement, Getz said the front office’s offseason approach remains unchanged. The focus will be on adding pitching depth to protect young starters such as Shane Smith and prospects Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz, while also seeking additional offense to complement the current roster.
Possible Free Agent Fits
While there hasn’t been much smoke surrounding the White Sox free-agent rumor mill, there are several players on the open market who could fit what Getz is looking for.
On the starting pitching side, two names to watch are Miles Mikolas and Jose Quintana.
Mikolas is a two-time All-Star with the Cardinals who has a track record of success that includes finishing sixth in the Cy Young voting in 2018. Unfortunately, none of that success has come recently. Mikolas allowed the most earned runs in the MLB in 2023, posted a 5.35 ERA in 2024, and saw his strikeout rate drop to just under 15% last season.
However, Mikolas does provide plenty of durability. He led the MLB in starts in 2023, has thrown over 200 innings four times, and is averaging 188 innings thrown a season.
While he would not significantly upgrade the rotation, he does pound the strike zone and would be an easy short-term rental to plug into the bottom of the rotation to help eat innings.
Quintana also checks plenty of boxes for Getz. He can eat innings, has pitched in big games, and brings with him a solid track record of experience.
Quintana spent the first six years of his career on the South Side, which includes his lone All-Star appearance in 2016. Since then, Quintana has bounced around the league, making stops with seven different teams. This past season, he showed he can still be effective, going 11-7 with a 3.96 ERA in 26 starts. He was added to the Brewers' postseason roster, where he allowed three runs over five innings in a pair of playoff appearances.
Quintana has never been known as a strikeout pitcher, carrying a career 20.6% strikeout rate that sits just below league average.
However, he makes up for it by generating groundballs and durability. Over a 162-game span, Quintana is averaging 193 innings per season. His career 3.76 ERA is also proof that he knows how to get outs at the big league level, even without throwing at a high velocity.
Cheap Bats Who Could Help The White Sox Lineup
Offensively, Austin Hays, Jesse Winker, and Max Kepler could be short-term options to help bolster the lineup.
Hays hit .266 with 15 home runs last season for the Reds and was named an All-Star in 2023 while with the Orioles.
Winker was limited to 26 games last season with the Mets because of injury but was an All-Star in 2021 with the Reds. In his most recent full season, he hit .253 with 14 homers and 58 RBIs split between the Nationals and Mets. Coming off an injury, Winker could be available on a short-term deal as he looks to reestablish his value.
Kepler has long been a thorn in the White Sox’s side during his decade in Minnesota. He received MVP votes in 2019 after hitting 36 homers and driving in 90 runs, and posted an .816 OPS with 24 home runs in 2023. Although he recorded the second-lowest WAR of his career last season with the Phillies, Kepler still hit 18 homers and could benefit from a hitter-friendly environment at Rate Field.
