The White Sox are signing infielder Nate Mondou to a minor league contract, according to the transactions log at MLB.com. It’s unclear whether he’ll get a look in big league camp.
Mondou had spent his entire career with the Oakland organization. A 13th-round draftee of the A’s in 2016, the Wake Forest product reached Triple-A by the start of the 2021 campaign. He spent most of the past two years with their top affiliate in Las Vegas, posting remarkably similar numbers in both seasons. Mondou followed up a .282/.371/.432 showing in 2021 with a .283/.374/.431 line last year. He posted better than average strikeout and walk numbers in both seasons but hit for modest power in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.
That consistency earned Mondou a cup of coffee at the end of a lost season in Oakland. He earned a promotion for the final week of the year and got a start at second base, going 0-3 with a walk. That’s his lone big league appearance thus far in his career. Oakland outrighted him off the 40-man roster after the season and he elected minor league free agency upon going unclaimed.
The White Sox’s collection of uncertain second base options has drawn plenty of attention. Chicago watched Josh Harrison and Danny Mendick depart and didn’t address the keystone with a major league addition. Romy González and Lenyn Sosa seem likely to jockey for the reps, with multi-positional veteran Leury García on hand as a possibility. The Sox are bringing Hanser Alberto and Erik González to camp with what’d seem to be a decent chance for either to crack the Opening Day roster.
Mondou slots in behind them on the depth chart, likely starting the season at Triple-A Charlotte. He’s a .283/.373/.432 hitter at that level. Primarily a second baseman, Mondou has also played third base, left field and sparse time at shortstop in the minors.
Someone needs to play second in Charlotte once they’ve called up literally everyone else.
Sacre’ bleu Mondue
Imagine a team intending to win the division without making any attempt to get even a decent second baseman?
Only the White Sox.
Don’t rule out top prospect Colson Montgomery winning the job. He is probably better than all their other choices already.
Montgomery will hopefully develop nice, but he is making a ton of errors (at SS). Also struggled in limited ABs in Double A with their “Project Birmingham” experiment uniting its better prospects. That in itself was a premature jump from his strong results in high A. If he is rushed up any sooner than a late season call up in ’24, that would not be in his or club interest.
Getz and the minor league development staff have to work overtime on defense despite organization not comprehending it is killing them at the major league level.
That they are “intending to win the division” is an assumption on your part.
Well that is the bill of goods being sold by the Sox for the past few seasons now.. Its their ‘window to win’, and why LaRussa was brought in (in error).
I don’t know about any other White Sox fan BUT I am becoming very frustrated with their management at the ML level
Aw, come on. Don’t you want to see how Grifol, put in this situation by Reinsdorf, will manage a AAA team in the majors? Buy your tickets now!
The Sox could have a competitive team.. if their 4 prima donnas care to show up, stay healthy, and reach their potential.. Again, a LOT of ‘Hopes’ and ‘Ifs’ for this club
I’m not sure how they can be considered a AAA team, when their only major loss from last year is Abreu and they were predicted to win the Central. Injuries crushed this team (again). Big if, but IF they stay healthy, they should be able to compete. I, like most Sox fans are apoplectic about their repeated negligence in RF and 2B tho.
White Sox have no money or management
I agree. Is there any player among these hopefuls who inspires thoughts of a division title, let alone post-season success?
Why on earth would Mondou slit behind Alberto and Gonzalez, E on the depth chart?
I think Spring Training will make discisions alot easier
Rick Hahn is the perfect profile to use for future GM’s on what NOT to do
It’s obvious the Sox desperately wanna find a diamond in the rough with their collection of infielders. They’re clearly not getting a proven and established name at this point so all one can do is hope they get lucky.
The kid is interesting though.
That’s not how you spell Elvis Andrus.
Two guys who played well for the Sox last year in Andrus and Cueto, both could’ve been signed relatively cheap/short term and they have a need for each of them.
Sox apparently not interested for some reason.
Hahn spent his wad of cash and has no money left.
Not real understandable considering the market they are in.
When you have 30 or so owners that’s what happens
34yo Andrus is overplaying his hand at the moment off a couple solid (not great)statistical offensive months. Not sure teams like Boston or others are keen to guarantee this vet an 8 figure salary for ’23. There is a point where the lavish spending teams during FA run out……and the rest have a disciplined measure on max offer. In case of our WSox-they are getting a poor ROI on several well paid player/pitcher contracts that have to rebound before 2B even matters.
My opinion exactly. Cueto was their second best pitcher last year and Andrus, who volunteered to play 2b, was strong defensively and offensively. Much better than all these DFA’s Hahn is collecting. I’ve been a Sox fan for so long, this on-the-cheap approach hits hard.
Cueto has a history of pitching well every other season, I doubt the Sox wanted to roll the dice he would be good this season as well. Andrus was Ok, but not a world beater, and the Sox are stuck with Anderson and still have a misguided belief that after a poor history at SS that he will somehow be motivated enough to do well in the field.
They have no money or management
Hindsight on Clevinger there. They had a decent, if potentially injury prone, rotation. Cueto not coming back wasn’t a surprise. Andrus is a little bit, especially since he said he would play 2B and he literally carried this team offensively after they acquired him (from waivers no less, because God forbid you actually get talent…)
Why are they avoiding Elvis do you think. The money?
No way Andrus is asking for eight figures. No one’s that dumb. I would assume he is asking for more than teams are willing to pay, like Wacha and Chafin. They’re all going to lower their expectations or they’re all going to play Independent ball this summer. I would love to have Andrus back with the Sox, but he’s not a minor leaguer.
Sox will be fine. Need to stay healthy period. Colas and Gonzalez/Sosa will add defense. Forget all the MLB retreads. Trades will happen in ST when other teams rosters are full. Pitching the name of the game. Sox have it.
Agree, the Sox will be fine—but really worried about your take on Sox having pitching. They weren’t particularly good nor deep last season and have lost their second most reliable pitcher last year in Cueto without replacement due to the Clevinger issue.
Even with regression Cease is top notch and Lynn for a full season will help, but it hits the brakes pretty quickly at that point. Giolito is trade fodder come July and Kopech is a four inning wonder boy, bun man.
Unfortunately, they have also lost their closer (Hendriks) and didn’t have much of a support line with him last year. Of course, his issues run much deeper than baseball and everyone is hoping for the best.
Colas will only add defense because they are getting Vaughn out of the outfield. All reports are that Colas is a below average defender — which, as you said will be an upgrade from the worst outfielder (defensively) in baseball. (and it’s a great move for Vaughn)
The Sox are planning on using Graveman as their closer. He’s terrible in relief let alone the ninth inning.
That’s definitely to their detriment
Keep those rose colored glasses on, you’ll need them.. Guessing you said something along the same lines before last season too… This team suffers from a severe lack of heart. This off season appears, again, that nothing was done to address it… Maybe Grifol inspires his guys, and they over perform of their expectations, but this is also a guy coming from being a bench coach for a team like KC.
oh, and the Sox have a pitching staff held together with ‘hopes’ and ‘if’s, not with bonafide talent…
A better signing than Alberto, and the best Minor league signing so far, if Mondou can put up similar number he did in the minors, .285ba 30 2B and the same k to bb ratio, he can be valuable.
Hmmm. Not sure if I can completely agree there. Alberto played all last year for the Dodgers and they were pretty good. He’s reuniting with Grifol from their days in KC. And from what I can see, the last time he had a starting role he was hitting very well – last few years of his marks have been backing up some pretty major talent.
I think he’s gonna turn some heads this year.
Boy do they suck
Agreed.
“Mondou like candy!”
The player who ends up playing 2B for the Sox, is going to be batting 9th. Defense, baserunning and overall baseball acumen, will be far more important than power. Adam Frazier would be a nice fit, but at 30, he’s probably looking to be overpaid.
By the Orioles!
Thanks, I missed that. A one year deal will make him available at the trade deadline.