Lenyn Sosa quietly emerged as one of the White Sox’s most productive hitters last season, but with questions about where to place him in the field, the front office could look to move him this offseason.
Sosa led the White Sox in hits (137), batting average (.264), home runs (22), RBIs (75), slugging percentage (.435), and OPS (.727). The 25-year-old Venezuelan infielder also ranked in the top third of MLB hitters in expected batting average and expected slugging, suggesting his breakout was anything but a fluke.
The 2025 season also marked a continuation from what Sosa was building on in 2024, when he posted a .278 expected batting average and slugged .566 with four homers in the final month of the season.
Sosa’s breakout came from consistently hitting the ball in the sweet spot. His 39.2% rate within the ideal 8–32 degree launch angle ranked in the league's 90th percentile, fueling his power and offensive production.
Defensive logjam clouds Sosa’s future with White Sox
However, questions remain about where Sosa fits defensively. At just 25, the White Sox likely want to avoid slotting him in at designated hitter—especially with Andrew Benintendi’s defense deteriorating. While Sosa has experience across the infield, he hasn’t been particularly effective at most spots. Third base was the only position last season where he did not post a negative Outs Above Average.
Chase Meidroth and Colson Montgomery appear to have the inside track on the club’s primary middle-infield roles, leaving Sosa and Miguel Vargas as the early favorites to handle the corner infield positions. Sosa is also better suited for the hot corner; he posted a negative Run Value at first base last year and committed two errors at the position. But if he earns the starting job at third base, his time there could be limited.
Trade potential rises amid White Sox prospect pipeline
After winning the draft lottery, the White Sox are early favorites to select UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky. While nothing is set with an entire college season still ahead, Cholowsky is widely viewed as one of the best college shortstops in recent years, and a prospect with a potentially fast track to the majors.
If he is ready to play by 2027, then that would likely slide Colson Montgomery to third base. Even if the White Sox don’t draft Cholowsky, they still have 2025 first-round pick Billy Carlson, who figures into their long-term plans, along with infielder prospect Sam Antonocci, coming off an impressive minor league season.
All these factors make Sosa a prime trade candidate this offseason. The fact that he is a right-handed pull hitter could make him a perfect fit for the Boston Red Sox. Sosa is set to earn less than a million next season, and the Red Sox are big game hunting in free agency. They also could use some more pop in the lineup. Pairing Sosa in a platoon role with Masataka Yoshida could give Boston some more home runs out of their designated hitter spot while also saving them money to spend elsewhere.
The Red Sox have also shown they are willing trade partners. They executed a four-player swap for Garret Crochet and later sent Chris Murphy to the White Sox in exchange for minor leaguer Ronny Hernandez. The White Sox appear to have a thing for their farm system, too, as they also poached right-hander Jedixson Paez in the Rule 5 Draft.
