Going into the offseason, catcher was one of the White Sox biggest needs. The team was planning on having Omar Narvaez and Kevan Smith as their backstops going into 2017.
However according to a new report, the White Sox added another catcher to the mix late Thursday night.
Bruce Levine of WSCR-AM and 670 The Score is reporting that the White Sox signed Geovany Soto to a minor league deal. He speculates that the with the Sox catching depth being so weak, there’s a chance he could break camp with the team in 2017.
Source tells me Catcher Geo Soto returning to White Sox on minor league deal . He has great shot once 40 man gets straight
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) January 6, 2017
Soto has been in the league for the past 12 years. He has played for the Cubs, Rangers, Athletics, Angels and White Sox. Soto played for the Souther Siders in 2015.
In 784 career games Soto has hit .246 with 105 homeruns and 352 RBIs. He has thrown out 27% of all base-stealers.
Soto provides the White Sox with a veteran presence behind the plate. With the White Sox projected to have such a young pitching staff, Soto’s leadership could help them grow.
Soto’s signing isn’t going to turn any heads, but he is the perfect guy to add on a one year deal. He not only helps the pitching staff, but allows prospect Zack Collins more time to improve in the minor leagues.
Of course this is all contingent on him making the 25-man roster. But with Navarez and Smith the only two catchers standing in front of him, he should have no problem doing so.
Signings like Derek Holland now Soto don’t excite the fans, but it shows how committed the team is to the rebuild. Adding veteran stopgap talent to either flip for prospects or help their young guns grow pays dividends in the long run.
Soto doesn’t make the White Sox World Series contenders, but he should be a decent veteran catcher to help lead the pitching staff in 2017.
While the signing will likely fall under the radar, Geovany Soto may very well be the starting catcher for the Chicago White Sox in 2017.
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