The White Sox have signed veteran outfielder Mike Tauchman, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com. While the contract terms are unknown, James Fegan of SoxMachine reports that it will be a major league contract.
Tauchman’s Recent MLB Success
The 34-year-old left-handed hitting Tauchman is a Palatine native who has played parts of seven seasons in the majors. He spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons on the other side of town with the Cubs, where he was quite productive. He was 6% better than the league average hitter in 2024, chipping in 12 doubles and seven home runs in 109 games. To the surprise of many, the Cubs non-tendered him earlier this offseason instead of offering him a contract for 2025.
Much Needed Skills
Tauchman provides skills the White Sox have lacked in recent years in taking walks and performing against right-handers. His walk rate this past season was 13.4%, and he put up a 112 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers. He is also capable of playing all three outfield positions defensively. It is a low bar to clear, but Tauchman immediately becomes one of the best position players on the team.
White Sox Outfield Logjam
Tauchman is an interesting addition in that he is on the older side. At 34 years old, one could argue that he will take away at-bats from younger fringe players the White Sox need to evaluate. Dominic Fletcher, Oscar Colás, and Zach DeLoach are all left handed hitting outfielders that the organization will have to make decisions on. The team also signed veteran outfielder Austin Slater earlier this offseason, further adding to the logjam.
Potential Trade Coming?
Given how crowded the White Sox outfield is now, it is fair to wonder if a trade could be in the works. Luis Robert Jr.’s name continues to come up in rumors, and general manager Chris Getz stated earlier today that the star outfielder is generating a lot of interest at the Winter Meetings. Reports from earlier this offseason have also indicated that the team hopes to trade him this offseason, so perhaps that will come to fruition. Andrew Benintendi’s name has also come up in trade rumors. Adding an insurance policy like Tauchman makes sense if they trade away their mainstays in the outfield.
Potential Trade Chip
The addition of Mike Tauchman is unexpected but encouraging. He makes the team better, and there is reason to believe he could perform well enough to be a trade chip at the 2025 deadline.
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