White Sox manager Pedro Grifol has plenty of options for a left-handed bat off the bench. Once the fourth outfielder and utility infielder roles have been decided the final positional battle on the roster will likely come down to Gavin Sheets, Mike Moustakas, or Zach DeLoach.
It feels like a two-horse race between Moustakas and Sheets. If we are going by stats then Sheets has the inside track position. In his first 17 Spring Training at-bats the 27-year-old is hitting .294 with a 1.355 OPS, two home runs, two RBIs, and a stolen base. Meanwhile, Moustakas is just 3-for- 19 to start the Spring. However, White Sox manager Pedro Grifol told reporters last month that Cactus League box scores won’t be the deciding factor.
“At the end of the day, it’s probably not going to be who had the best stats in the spring,” Grifol told reporters in February. “It’s going to be on who helps us win many different ways off the bench.”
It is also very telling that MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, included Moustakas over Sheets in his latest roster predictions. The White Sox are giving Moustakas every opportunity to win the job. Despite being an aging veteran seemingly on the back nine of his career, Moustakas has shown he is eager to continue playing baseball at the highest level. The White Sox have played him at first base and third base in an effort to showcase his versatility.
Moustakas has responded well to the challenge. On February 24th he made a a difficult over-the-shoulder catch on a pop fly that he tracked down in shallow right field from first base. Moustakas managed to make the play even though Gavin Sheets was in right field and seemingly had a shorter distance to travel to get to the ball.
Targeting these types of players has been a theme for Getz this offseason. If he felt a player could contribute to the team’s depth, he gave them a minor league deal and an opportunity to compete for a roster spot.
Moustakas was one of a handful of former Royals brought in this offseason. The influx of former Kansas City players and executives is part of an effort to surround Getz and Grifol, who are both former Royals, with people they are comfortable with. Moustakas worked with Grifol while he was a bench coach in Kansas City. Grifol has seen what the 35-year-old can bring to a clubhouse. Having a three-time All-Star and former World Series Champion is exactly the type of veteran the front office wants around some of the younger players.
Meanwhile, the signing puts increased pressure on Sheets. Sheets has more pop in his bat than Moustakas at this point in his career. Not being leaned on to be the everyday right fielder should also help his offensive numbers. Last season Sheets hit 10 home runs, which was the fewest of his career. In 2021 he managed to hit 11 despite playing in 64 fewer games. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the bulk of his time was spent at first base and DH that season.
However now that he is north of 800 career at-bats in the MLB his leash is getting shorter. He does not hit for average, or draw walks at a high enough rate to justify the poor offensive output. In 2023 Sheets ranked in the bottom three percent in the league in Expected Batting Average (.210), Weighted On-Base Average (.261), and Expected Weighted On-Base Average (.267).
That’s not to say Moustakas was a world-beater last season. The former first-round pick slashed .247/.293/.392 with 12 home runs and 48 RBIs in 112 games split between the Rockies and Angels.
Sheets is still young. He has also been to the playoffs before and is hungry to return. At this point in his career, he provides more value to the White Sox long-term if he can live up to his potential as a power hitter. But Pedro Grifol is desperately trying to establish a winning culture. If he feels that Moustakas can help win the White Sox more games in 2024, then Sheets may be out of luck.
