White Sox Revamp Catching Depth As Competition Looms

The White Sox have traded catcher Chuckie Robinson to the Los Angeles Angels for cash considerations.

Robinson appeared in 26 games for the White Sox last season, hitting  .129/.197/.129 in 76 plate appearances. It marked the first taste of MLB action for the Danville, Illinois native since 2022 when he played in 25 games for the Reds. The 30-year-old catcher was added as a depth piece last offseason, but never figured to be a part of the team's long-term plans. 

The trade clears up roster space for the recently added Matt Thaiss, who Chris Getz acquired in a trade with the Cubs. The White Sox suddenly have depth at the catcher position with the organization's sixth-ranked prospect, Edgar Quero, and second-ranked prospect Kyle Teel, waiting in the wings. 

White Sox Catcher Platoon

Thaiss will likely split time with Korey Lee until the young catching prospects take over. Thaiss batted just .184 against left-handers last season but faired slightly better against righties hitting .210. Lee struggled offensively last season but had better luck better against right-handers. The 26-year-old posted a .599 OPS against righties compared to a .566 mark against southpaws, which makes for an ideal platoon situation for the two catchers. 

It will be interesting to see how long of a leash Lee has. The former first-round pick has struggled since being traded to the White Sox, hitting .190/.228/.317 with a nearly 30 percent strikeout rate. While his offensive numbers were an eyesore Lee did make some strides defensively.

He gunned down 25 would-be base stealers and owned one of the best pop times in the MLB at 1.85 seconds. It was especially encouraging since allowing baserunners to steal at a high clip is something the White Sox have struggled with in the past. Lee’s caught-stealing percentage ranked in the 90th percentile of MLB catchers. Where Lee struggled behind the plate was with blocking. His nine-passed balls were the most in the American League. 

Meanwhile, Thaiss was one of the better blockers in the MLB, with a Blocks Above Average that placed him in the league’s 75th percentile. However, his pop-time and caught stealing percentage were amongst the worst in the MLB. 

Long-Term Future at Catcher

While Lee and Thaiss are the favorites to be the backstop combo on Opening Day they could each be competing for their jobs a few months into the season. Both Teel and Quero are in Triple-A and are expected to be called up in 2025. 

Scouts believe Teel has the potential to hit 20-plus homers a season after hitting 13 last season between Double and Triple-A. The 22-year-old posted a combined .288/.386/.433 slash line between the two levels. He also drove in 78 RBIs and drew 68 free passes. However, he will have to cut down on his strikeouts after going down on strikes 116 times last season. Teel is also an above-average pitch framer and possesses a strong arm behind the plate.

Quero, a switch hitter, did more damage from the right side of the plate after showing more pop from the left-hand side, in the Angels organization. The 21-year-old has shown good command of the strike zone. Last season he drew 70 free passes between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte.

Quero’s offensive numbers spiked upon getting the promotion to Charlotte. In 95 at-bats he slashed .295/.382/.463 with four homers and 17 RBIs. He finished the year with a total of 16 homers, which came as a surprise to some after he had issues launching the ball in the air in 2023. His arm isn’t as strong as Teel’s but he still managed to throw out base runners at a 24 percent clip last season. 

Both catchers will be breathing down the necks of Lee and Thaiss which should make for an interesting situation to monitor once the season gets underway. If either of them has a good enough spring, don't be surprised to see either Teel or Quero crack the Opening Day roster.