With the recent reports from Bruce Levine that the White Sox are expected to pursue Whit Merrifield, one may wonder if he would be a good fit for the 2024 White Sox. To truly determine the extent of that question, we have to figure out what direction the White Sox will be headed next year. If they are rebuilding and want young guys to get some at-bats, it would not make much sense. But, if they want to compete, or at least have an appearance of competing, he would fit quite well.
Merrifield, who will be 35 once the season starts, has had a very good career. He has been a notorious Sox killer, so many were pleased when he went to Toronto and finally left Kansas City. He has a good combination of speed, power, and positional versatility that any manager would love to have at their disposal. He has ties to White Sox manager Pedro Grifol, so this is an obvious connection. But can he still play?
Last year, despite being on the wrong side of 30, Merrifield had a very productive season. He hit .272 with 11 home runs, 67 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases. Those are some great all-around numbers. It seems that he has not lost a step yet, which could bode well for the Sox or whatever team looks to sign him in the offseason.
He doesn’t walk a lot, as he walked only 36 times in almost 600 plate appearances, but that fits in with the rest of the White Sox, so he wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb. Despite the low walk rate, he still had a very good season.
Last year he split time between second base and the outfield, which are two big positions of need for the White Sox. He proved last year and throughout his career that he can handle both of them at the major league level. He is not a gold-glove caliber player at either position, but he is for sure better in the outfield than guys like Andrew Vaughn.
In terms of fit, he would be taking at-bats away from young players like Oscar Colas and Lenyn Sosa if the Sox do sign him. Both of those players showed flashes of their talent but couldn’t quite put it all together last year. If the Sox have either of those players in their long-term plan, signing Merrifield could definitely stunt their growth, unless Merrifield takes a backup role. That is unlikely, so a potential signing of Merrifield can give insight into how new GM Chris Getz feels about those players.
If the Sox are truly trying to compete, he would be a huge addition at second base. He would be the best second basemen we have had in a long time and would be a nice addition at the top or the bottom of the order. He plays the game hard and he steals bases. Two things the Sox don’t do a lot of, but should. I’m not sure if it is in the best interest of the club to try and compete next year, but if they do, I would love to have Merrifield for the right price.
