Going into the 2017 season the White Sox weakest position is undoubtedly catcher. The team will have one of Geovany Soto, Omar Narvaez or Kevan Smith as the Opening Day backstop.
Soto, who was signed to a minor league deal earlier this offseason, is the leader in the clubhouse according to Roster Resource. Soto has appeared in 784 games over his 12 year career. He holds a .246 batting average with 105 home runs and 352 RBIs. Soto has thrown out 27% of all base-runners for his career.
Narvaez got his first taste of major league action in 2016, appearing in 34 games at the MLB level. He hit .267 with one home run and 10 RBIs. Over his 459 game minor league career, Narvaez hit .277 with seven home runs and 170 RBIs. He threw out just 8% of base-runners at the major league level, but Narvaez held a massive 42% clip in the minors.
Smith appeared in seven games at the major league level last season, hitting .125 with no other counting stats. In 519 minor league games, Smith hit .282 with 56 home runs and 314 RBIs. Smith threw out 33% of base-runners at the major league level and 31% at the minor league level.
Out of all of the three catchers, Soto likely offers the highest potential. His veteran leadership could help develop the White Sox young pitching staff.
However all three are more place holders than anything else. Top prospect Zack Collins needs more seasoning in the minors before he is ready for the rigors of the MLB. Soto, Narvaez and Smith offer the Sox stopgap options before calling Collins up.
Realistically, the White Sox could sign a more talented catcher in the free agent market. One MLB Insider thinks a former All Star could be a perfect fit on the South Side.
Jim Duquette of MLB.com recently wrote an article detailing the best landing spots for remaining free agents. Some names included Mike Napoli, Chris Carter and Greg Holland.
When it came to former Oriole Matt Wieters, Duqette had this to say:
Potential postseason teams with top pitching staffs like the Mets or the Nationals could use Wieters' ability to control the running game. Moreover, young or developing staffs -- such as the Braves, Rockies and White Sox, as well as the Angels -- could use a stabilizing force behind the plate.
Wieters has appeared in 882 games over his eight year career. He has hit .256 with 117 home runs and 437 RBIs. Wieters has also thrown out 33% of all base-runners during his career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qljbj4BG4-o
Teams have been reluctant to sign Wieters due to his past injury history. He appeared in just 101 games from 2014-2015. Coupled with his likely high asking price, Wieters hasn't gotten the market he has expected in free agency.
However the four time All Star appears to be the perfect target for the White Sox.
He would be able to mentor the young pitching staff throughout Spring Training and the regular season. But more importantly, he would serve as trade bait at the 2017 Trade Deadline. Wieters was an All Star in 2016. If he can duplicate those numbers through the first half the season, any team in need of catching could come calling.
Wieters asking price has likely come down after not seeing much interest. He could look to sign with the White Sox on a one year deal with an option as a way to rebuild his value. If teams see that he could stay healthy and continue to produce, they're going to show more interest in him on the trade/free agent market.
Signing Wieters would give the White Sox another valuable trade piece to move at the deadline. Coupled with players such as David Robertson, Todd Frazier and potentially Jose Quintana, the White Sox rebuild seems to be just getting started.
It's important to note that Duqette also listed the White Sox as a potential landing spot for pitcher Jason Hammel. CSN Chicago made the same connection earlier this offseason. If the White Sox do trade Quintana, Hammel could be on the top of their wishlist at starting pitcher.
As for Wieters, it seems unlikely that the catcher will be signing any time soon. But if Duqette's prediction serves any purpose, there's a chance he ends up on the White Sox.
Matt Wieters would provide not only a veteran leader for the young pitching staff, but he would be a future trade piece that could bring even more impressive young talent to the South Side.
Feel free to continue the conversation on Twitter: @DFappiano14
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