White Sox Pass On Opportunity To Add Depth Despite Outfield Uncertainty

Despite adding several outfielders this offseason, the White Sox suddenly find themselves in need of extra depth. 

Andrew Benintendi is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a hand injury, and on Monday, Austin Slater was scratched from the White Sox Cactus League lineup due to left oblique soreness.  

As things currently stand, Mike Tauchman is set to handle right-field duties while Luis Robert Jr. has solidified his spot in centerfield. However, left-field remains a major question mark while Benintendi is out of commission. 

The organization still has several in-house options to take over left field in Michael A. Taylor and Dominic Fletcher. However, Taylor only has 42 starts in left field under his belt, while Fletcher struggled in his first taste of extended big-league action last season. 

However, it appears the White Sox will try to weather the storm. The front office recently passed on an opportunity to bring in reinforcements when the Nationals placed outfielder Stone Garrett on waivers. The 29-year-old has shown glimpses of offensive potential, batting .269 with nine home runs, 40 RBIs, and an .801 OPS over 271 plate appearances in 2023.

During his three seasons in the big leagues, he owns a 125 WRC+ with a slash line of .276/.341/.492. However, he does have several red flags including a 30.2 strikeout rate. But considering the White Sox current options in camp, it was surprising the team didn’t take a flier on Stone. 

Benintendi’s injury could open the door for Joey Gallo to move to right field while Tauhman slides over to left. However, Gallo has primarily transitioned over to first base after his range has deteriorated over the last several seasons. 

The front office is also making it increasingly clear that they don’t trust Oscar Colas, while Corey Julks, who has had modest production during his 66 games in a White Sox uniform, has started Spring Training two for 11 with six strikeouts. With less than three years of service time, Stone still would have had minor league options remaining if the White Sox opted to bring him into the fold.