Ever since A.J. Pierzynski departed the White Sox in 2013, the White Sox have been searching for their franchise catcher. They got a solid season out of James McCann and Yasmani Grandal, but outside of that, they haven’t had any sustained success at the position. However, that looks to no longer be the case.
Currently in Spring Training, the White Sox have five catchers: Kyle Teel, Korey Lee, Edgar Quero, Matt Thaiss, and Omar Narvaez. At this point, I believe it could be down to a three or four man race for two spots on the roster, as each player has hit and played very well in Spring Training.
Teel and Quero are the big names, as they are both top-100 prospects and top-10 catching prospects in all of baseball. Both have played very well this spring so far.
Teel has looked fantastic for a 23 year old catcher, as in 15 at-bats, he has a .333 batting average, hitting two home runs and recording six RBIs, with an OBP of .444 and an OPS of 1.244. While he wasn’t expected to make the team out of Spring Training, he is certainly making a case for it.
Quero is also having himself a great Spring Training, although he is more likely to start in AAA, as he is only 21 years old. That hasn’t stopped him from playing well against major league players though, as in 13 at-bats, he is hitting .308 with an OPS of .616. Those are solid numbers and if the other catchers weren’t playing so well, then he could be making a case for the Opening Day roster.
Korey Lee is making a case to stick around, as after a very bad second half of baseball last year, many people had soured on him. However, he continued to make improvements in the offseason and they have paid off so far. In 13 at-bats, he is hitting .385 with four RBIs and one stolen base, with an OPS of 1.077. This is exactly what you want to see out of Korey Lee, as his arm behind the plate is one of the best in the league.
Additionally, Matt Thaiss is having himself a solid spring. In 19 at-bats, he is hitting .316 with a .737 OPS. While not as flashy as the others on this list, Thaiss hasn’t been bad at the plate and he is more than serviceable behind the plate.
This gives the White Sox a few options for their Opening Day roster, but at this point, the White Sox should prioritize youth. Thaiss, while having a solid Spring Training, is 29 years old and is not going to factor into the future of the White Sox.
The White Sox should have Teel and Lee start the season out as the catching tandem, as they have both have had the best spring and both could factor into the future. If Lee isn’t playing well, then halfway through the season you can allow Quero to come up, as playing Teel in the majors allows Quero as much time behind the plate as he needs in AAA.
With these Spring Training performances, a position that has typically been weak for the White Sox is quickly turning into a position of strength, as there are many different combinations behind the plate they could open the season with, none of which would be bad.
