The White Sox have signed outfielder Wynton Bernard to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Charlotte for now but may get an invitation to major league Spring Training.
Bernard, now 33, has a small amount of major league experience, having played 12 games for the Rockies in 2022. But he was outrighted at the end of that campaign and wasn’t able to get back to the majors in 2023.
He started the year with the Blue Jays on a minor league deal and played 60 games for their Triple-A club before getting released in June. He then signed another minor league deal, this one returning him to the Rockies organization, which led to 66 more Triple-A games. Between the two orgs, he slashed .302/.375/.443 in his 571 plate appearances. He only hit 11 home runs but his 9.8% walk rate and 18% strikeout rate were both strong. His combined 104 wRC+ for the year indicates he was a bit better than league average overall.
He stole 41 bases on the year, the third time in his career he had swiped that many bags in one season. He also lined up at all three outfield positions, which he has done all throughout his minor league career.
The Sox have Andrew Benintendi and Luis Robert Jr. in two outfield spots. The latter has been in some trade rumors but he’s a long shot to actually be moved. Right field is more questionable since Óscar Colás had a rough season in 2023. The club also sacrificed some depth pieces in recent weeks, with each of Tyler Naquin, Trayce Thompson, Clint Frazier and Adam Haseley having been cut from the roster since early October.
Bernard will give the club a bit of non-roster depth that can play anywhere on the grass with the potential to provide some speed on the basepaths. If he gets a roster spot at any point, he still has two options and just a few weeks of service time.
White Sox makin moves!!! Don’t stop now boys!! Gonna definitely have a better record than the cubs this year!!
Would be a dream.
If that somehow happens, I will eat my hat (and I’m a Sox fan lol)
Nobody happier about that than the Twins and Tigers knowing now that the Sox have their sight set on the Cubs. Let the winter Sox fans puff those chests because somehow they are equal to the Cubs from November to March.
Getz going all in.
Might be their only W
Sounds like an artist you’d hear on the Smooth Jazz channel…right on!
I think we’ve reached the bottom of the barrel.
The guy that use to come into every cubs thread and say dumpster diving Theo is probably on suicide watch.
I don’t think I’ve ever given a post by DDT a second look. And I’ve said it many times. I’m a fan of both teams. In my almost 70 years I’ve seen 2 Championships so I’m not really picky. It’s just hard to be a Sox fan right now. 2 years ago they had a good young Latin based team with a good Manager in Renteria only to see Reinsdorf ruin everything in 10 seconds. I’ve seen 2 Champs in this town which is still 2 more than my old man did so I feel lucky. But I’m way too old to be picky.
Why wouldn’t the Rockies call him up again? He hit great in Albuquerque.
I know folks are mostly joking here, but I’m glad at least someone else pointed out he had a very solid year at AAA (again) this year. I don’t think I’ve rooted for an overlooked player in recent years than him. Dude has done all he can to earn a real shot at some semi-regular time. Would be nice to see him get some innings as a 4th OFer.
That’s what I don’t understand. This guy has done nothing but produce in AAA for years! He should have been somebody’s starting CF in the majors years ago. He may end up starting for CWS by default, but they won’t regret this day. He may be 33, but he’s still got a couple prime years remaining.
He is probably better than Colas.
Too good in the minors lol. Major league or minor league deal adding depth is important.
Brother Bernard, bring out the holy hand grenade!
A 33 year old out fielder with 42 career mlb at bats is what the White Sox call “adding depth”.
Why? Just taking playing time away from a AA player who could be seeing reps in AAA.
Nice depth pick. Seems interesting that his career minors stats have him at a BA of 0.291 & a wOBA of 0.410. Small sample size but his cup of joe in 2022 had him at a 0.286 BA and a wOBA of 0.287 (horrible). What was preventing this guy from getting more reps in the majors earlier in his career? Seems a bit late but I hope he sees some success. This future predictive metrics suggests over a larger sample size, he should be decent. Given the Sox aren’t competing this year, maybe he’ll make the team and get a chance for a full season.
No
White Sox last place this year?
Grandson of St. Bernard
Getting more older at AAA- aren’t we the oldest AAA team already?
Wow Wynton Bernard! One of the ultra rare 35th round type guys who just kept grinding and grinding. I remember he was a minor tigers prospect years and years ago (like 2015) and even then they mentioned what a long shot it was that he was still playing. This guy is the paragon of working to make a dream come true. I am glad he is still playing and I hope he finally gets a real chance in the major leagues.
I remember a couple years ago when MIA was cycling through a rogue’s gallery of retreads in search of a CF they never found. Bernard could have been had for a song, and he would have aptly filled that void. The fact he plays a position of constant need at the major league level and has never been given any kind of shot is mystifying to me.
Jeez, thought the Mets had big signings today!
Colas should be up and stay up, he should have stayed up last season as his replacements were nothing to write home about, I mean WHAT were the Sox hoping to do by demoting him and bringing in other subpar players, what… win another 2-5 games? Yeah, that really helped. He is/was supposed to be ‘the’ guy in LF. Why demote him to a group of supposedly lesser instructors when the guys up at the major level should have been able to help him. Just another example why this manager and his staff are clueless as structured (and the new guys have to prove it like the rest of these guys). Grifol just strikes me as ‘Ventura 2.0’, and just like with Ventura stinking it up, the hubris is the same: Pride taking over the org when the head says to remove this guy. The Sox will likely be just as bad, if not somehow worse, than last year with Grifol hanging around so may as well bring Colas up and leave him there. If he becomes Viciedo 2.0, then you just jettison him, either to a sucker team who thinks they can get something out of him (which will be hard to do since said sucker team already has him) or just dump him. You do not compound the loss by sticking to the same old plan. Either Colas is the guy or isn’t last year should have be a show me type of season, especially when it was clear the Sox were doing nothing after June.
Wynton Bernard:
6’1″ 195 lbs and appears to be a great athlete
Bats right
Throws right
Completely sucks at baseball.
… sounds like Kenny Williams
How can we be sure that Haseley, Naquin, Thompson and Frazier aren’t the same guy pulling a Ponzi scheme or identity theft . Has anyone seen any of these guys at the same place and same time. Shady. Like that Clark Kent. Using multiple identities to draw several paychecks