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White Sox Planning More Consistent Roles For Dominic Fletcher, Miguel Vargas

By Steve Adams | August 15, 2024 at 11:21am CDT

The White Sox have gutted their roster over the past season as their rebuild has gone into full swing, but they’ll aim for some more consistency down the stretch in 2024. Outfielder Dominic Fletcher and infielder/outfielder Miguel Vargas will have more solidified roles down the stretch. James Fegan of Sox Machine tweeted recently that interim manager Grady Sizemore wants to give Vargas a consistent role (something he’s previously not had with the Dodgers), so he’ll play primarily at third base. Sizemore also said he plans to deploy Fletcher in a near-everyday role after he’s been heavily platooned prior to this point (X link via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times).

Fletcher, 26, came to the Sox in an offseason deal that sent pitching prospect Cristian Mena to the Diamondbacks. His plus contact skills and solid glovework seemingly give him a high floor in the outfield corners, but Fletcher floundered through 66 plate appearances in the White Sox’ first 23 games and found himself quickly optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. He returned in mid-May, collected one hit in 18 plate appearances, and then hit the injured list with a shoulder strain.

The Sox sent Fletcher on a rehab assignment and optioned him afterward. He hit well in his last run with Triple-A Charlotte, was recalled to the big leagues the evening prior to the trade deadline, and now stands to log an everyday role down the stretch. He’s making the most of it in his tiny sample thus far; after hitting .283/.345/.377 in 53 Triple-A trips to the plate following his rehab stint, he’s tallied 27 plate appearances in the big leagues and gone 9-for-26 with a double, a walk and only three strikeouts. It’s a minuscule set of games, of course, but it’s still the most encouraging run Fletcher has had since landing in Chicago.

“I love Dom’s game,” Sizemore told the Sox beat (via Van Schouwen). “He’s a good all-around player, especially the defense.”

Fletcher hasn’t shown that yet with the South Siders, but he did slash .301/.350/.441 in 102 plate appearances with the Diamondbacks in 2023’s MLB debut. He’s also a lifetime .293/.376/.462 hitter in 889 turns at the plate in Triple-A, where he’s fanned in a lower-than-average 18.6% of his plate appearances and drawn walks at a stout 10.6% rate.

Fletcher has also drawn strong defensive marks in limited time. He’s played only 487 innings in the outfield in his big league career but been credited with plus marks in Defensive Runs Saved (7) and Outs Above Average (3). When looking at only his corner work (200 innings), both DRS (5) and OAA (5) feel he’s been even stronger. Again, it’s not a big sample, but scouting reports on Fletcher have been bullish on his glove for some time now. Prior to the season, Baseball America called him a potential plus defender at all three positions, noting that his “great reads and above-average routes … and above-average arm strength” all help to offset his roughly average speed.

As for Vargas, his time with the Sox has gotten out to a rough start after being acquired in the Erick Fedde/Michael Kopech deal. Recently fired skipper Pedro Grifol has played him at third base, designated hitter and in left field, but Sizemore seems keen to keep him at the hot corner moving forward. Still just 24 and only a season removed from ranking among the sport’s top 40 overall prospects, Vargas has batted .116/.240/.209 in 50 plate appearances. He’s at least shown good strike zone recognition, drawing seven walks (14%) and chasing only 19.8% of pitches off the plate — way shy of the 28.5% league average. Earlier this season, it didn’t take a much longer slump than this for the Sox to option Fletcher earlier, but it seems they’re understandably intent on giving Vargas some more time to work through his big league struggles.

After all, there’s little left for Vargas to prove in the minors. He’s a .297/.412/.512 hitter in 997 Triple-A plate appearances, including a huge .290/.440/.556 batting line there in 2024. The White Sox already know Vargas can clobber upper-minors pitching, and the focus will now shift on coaxing improvements from the talented youngster at the MLB level. With the Dodgers, they bounced Vargas from third base, to second base, to first base, to left field in an effort to get his touted minor league bat into a veteran-laden lineup where Vargas was largely blocked from a regular role. He’ll have a much clearer runway to playing time at Guaranteed Rate Field — and at his natural position, no less.

There’s minimal competition for either player at the moment. In the outfield, Fletcher has been lining up in right field alongside center fielder Luis Robert Jr. and left fielder Andrew Benintendi. Oscar Colas hasn’t hit well in Triple-A or the majors this season. Corey Julks hasn’t hit much in the majors, either. Zach DeLoach, acquired from the Mariners in the Gregory Santos deal, has roughly league-average numbers in Triple-A.

It’s a similar story for Vargas at third base. Former top prospect Nick Senzel hasn’t hit with the Nationals or White Sox this season and will likely be non-tendered in the offseason. Lenyn Sosa has seen some time at third base but is a utility player in a best-case scenario. Bryan Ramos, who entered the season as one of Chicago’s top prospects, has taken a huge step back in 2024 after a breakout 2023 season in Double-A. With a strong finish, both Fletcher and Vargas could essentially stake their claim to regular jobs on what should be a largely wide-open White Sox roster in 2025.

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Chicago White Sox Dominic Fletcher Miguel Vargas

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49 Comments

  1. MLB Top 100 Commenter

    10 months ago

    Miguel Vargas will become an excellent hitter for the White Sox.

    1
    Reply
    • letitbelowenstein

      10 months ago

      Can’t get any worse. His minors vs. majors batting stats are literally day and night.

      2
      Reply
    • true factor

      10 months ago

      lol

      2
      Reply
    • mattv

      10 months ago

      The White Sox are terrible at developing hitters. Vargas will have to figure it out on his own if that’s going to happen and has been less than impressive so far.

      1
      Reply
      • Dogbone

        10 months ago

        Sox likely hoping they both ‘could become’ solid trade candidates at next years trade deadline.

        Reply
    • lesterdnightfly

      10 months ago

      He may lead the team with a .237 BA and a .654 OPS.

      Reply
    • nrd1138

      10 months ago

      LOL.. Oh wait, you’re serious? Allow me to laugh harder….

      Reply
  2. DarkSide830

    10 months ago

    Think the three team trade with Fedde going to STL might be one of the most lopsided trades ever when the dust settles.

    5
    Reply
    • Bob Sacamano 310

      10 months ago

      Cards getting Fedde for a salary dump is a highway robbery.

      3
      Reply
      • Slider_withcheese

        10 months ago

        That robbery is off to a rough start as he has already given up 10 ER in just 16 IP.

        11
        Reply
        • Bob Sacamano 310

          10 months ago

          To be fair, 5 of those were in his first inning with them. Tommy Edman, who makes more money this year and next, hasn’t even played yet this year.

          Reply
    • King123

      10 months ago

      Reminds me of the A’s-Braves-Brewers trade one or two years ago. I was scratching my head at the A’s return and wondering why they didn’t just accept Contreras as part of the return. Langeliers was unproven while Contreras was an all star. They probably could’ve gotten both.

      Reply
      • sad tormented neglected mariners fan

        10 months ago

        I still don’t know why the braves gave away Contreras, his defense was actually improving and he has a top 5 catchers bat

        Imagine what 2023 would have been for the braves if they used Contreras and not Murphy

        4
        Reply
        • King123

          10 months ago

          Yeah I was never keen on Murphy although he did surprise me last year. You don’t get rid of young, all star level catchers. Same thing with Gabriel Moreno and the Blue Jays.

          1
          Reply
  3. Rsox

    10 months ago

    I wouldn’t look at Vargas’ numbers and say he has nothing left to prove in the minors. That said, this team has literally nothing to play for but personal statistics so might as well see what you’ve got

    Reply
  4. Col_chestbridge

    10 months ago

    So I guess we are closing the book on Yoan Moncada coming back this year then? I was at the game he got hurt, I was relieved when it was just an “adductor strain” and thought he would be back in like 2-3 weeks. Have we since found out that it was more than that?

    1
    Reply
    • davidrocholl

      10 months ago

      was recently pulled from his rehab assignment because of a groin strain

      Reply
    • lesterdnightfly

      10 months ago

      Why would anyone want Moncada back in the lineup? His contract is dead weight, his career is at bottom, and he’d just be blocking other prospects for the Woe Sox.

      8
      Reply
      • mattv

        10 months ago

        He is one of the few players on the team who plays plus defense. He ended last year and started this year also performing pretty well offensively. As a Sox fan, I’d much rather watch him than most of their other options.

        Reply
        • Dogbone

          10 months ago

          Plus defense. Really!!! Pretty low bar being set. You must be listening far too much of Steve Stone – oh, The Hawk used to spill that rubbish too.
          Kopech and Moncada for Sale.

          2
          Reply
        • mattv

          10 months ago

          No, it’s not a low bar. He plays good defense and has been elite when at his best.

          Reply
        • Dumpster Divin Theo

          10 months ago

          Hope they find a way to resign Yoyo. They need at least one plus/elite glove in the IF. Everyone else, new kids included, gives one the willies. Vargas looks as stiff as Burger and Baldwin has made some nutty Nicky Madrigal mental errors like not throwing home to nail a dead to rights Bellinger

          1
          Reply
        • nrd1138

          10 months ago

          @DDT: You’re a funny guy. If Moncada suckers the White Sox management for another contract you will not see him on the field, He’ll play one game (maybe a week) then it will be my “ouch, my ____ hurts, Ill see you guys in 4 months.”
          I think the guy is a con artist and has already made too much off of the Sox org to sit on the bench because it did not ‘feel right’ when he was running (.like his latest excuse in his latest rehab stint). Let him go have an amazing year somewhere else, get his new cushy contract, then it will be ‘Ow, my ____, see you in 4 months’ for another bamboozled org.

          3
          Reply
  5. Aaron Sapoznik

    10 months ago

    Miguel Vargas profiles well at the hot corner with his hit tool and has virtually no internal competition on the immediate horizon in the White Sox system. He and top positional prospect, SS Colson Montgomery, have the potential to be plusses on the left side of the White Sox infield for 2025 and beyond.

    Dominic Fletcher needs to be elite with his OBP in order to become a regular corner outfielder for the White Sox. He lacks the desired power from a corner and likely profiles as a decent 4th outfielder for a contending team which doesn’t appear to be in the cards anytime soon on the southside of Chicago.

    1
    Reply
    • lesterdnightfly

      10 months ago

      “A contending team” is not in the cards for the Cards, either…

      2
      Reply
    • Big Hurt

      10 months ago

      I usually agree with your takes Aaron, but not this time. Fletcher is elite defensively already and has shown the ability to be in the neighborhood of .275/.340/.425, which is plenty when added to his defense. He had 57 extra base hits in the minors in ’22 and .875 OPS combined between AAA and mlb in ’23.
      He slumped to start the season and the team stupidly put Sheets in RF everyday, but Fletcher has the ability to add real value without a .400 obp.

      1
      Reply
      • mattv

        10 months ago

        Fletcher hasn’t proven anything yet. To me, he’s a bench player for a team that’s actually trying.

        3
        Reply
        • Big Hurt

          10 months ago

          Of course he hasn’t proven anything yet, other than he deserves to play RF the rest of the year over Sheets. I honestly have no idea if he is a solid major leaguer, but I’d like to see.

          1
          Reply
      • Aaron Sapoznik

        10 months ago

        Fletcher’s 2022 and 2023 numbers, mostly in the high minors resemble that of a same aged Andrew Benintendi who was already a 7-year MLB veteran before the White Sox signed the latter ahead of the 2023 regular season. Benintendi lacks the arm of Fletcher but did win a Gold Glove as a LF in 2021 with the Royals.

        Clearly Benintendi has not lived up to the expectations of his 5-year White Sox free agent deal. Whether that’s on him or the White Sox coaching is still in question. Likely it is a combination of both. To expect pre-2023 Benintendi numbers by Fletcher might be extreme wishful thinking by all of us. That said, Fletcher does have a chance for high OBP production based on his past production, his miniscule 5’6″ strike zone and the hope for the eventual implementation of the ABS robo umps in MLB. 🙂

        Reply
        • lesterdnightfly

          10 months ago

          “Benintendi lacks the arm of Fletcher…”

          Benintendi lacks the arm of Raggedy Andy.

          2
          Reply
      • nrd1138

        10 months ago

        ‘…has shown the ability to be in the neighborhood of .275/.340/.425″

        Not with this crew, though to be fair the White Sox have no hitting coach. Actually not sure how Thames kept his job when the other hitting coach was released.. I mean he did not play for KC at all, but he must have some pictures of Getz doing something with barnyard animals or something.
        How can a hitting coach keep his job despite the ENTIRE team being dead last in almost if not every hitting category!? Only a Jerry-atric Reinsdorf owned team.

        2
        Reply
    • Dumpster Divin Theo

      10 months ago

      No he doesn’t profile. At least not yet. Unless your profile is one of serial killer. Of rallies

      Reply
  6. California 8

    10 months ago

    They were widely predicted to win 110+, they will actually end up losing 110+.

    Biggest bust in MLB history.

    2
    Reply
    • mattv

      10 months ago

      No one predicted that the White Sox were going to be good.

      2
      Reply
    • MLB Top 100 Commenter

      10 months ago

      ESPN picked them to go 61-101. They would have to go 33-8 the rest of the way to meet that lofty prediction.

      espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39785389/mlb-2024-season-p…

      2
      Reply
    • Dumpster Divin Theo

      10 months ago

      Yeah from being forecasted as a 180 win team to a likely 180 loss team. Talk about a fully 360

      Reply
  7. Aaron Sapoznik

    10 months ago

    When was the last time any MLB team was “widely predicted to win 110+” games? Even the most ardent optimist of the White Sox and Rick Renteria (like me) coming out of their most recent rebuild never envisioned that scenario back in 2020 when the team’s prospects for success were most promising.

    Some of us had visions of repeat AL Central titles and perhaps another World Series parade but when was the last time a champion actually won at least 110 games during the regular season. Answer: The 1998 Yankees (114). Fact is, only 7 reams have ever won at least 110+ games in MLB history and only 3 won the World Series, the 1998 and 1927 (110) Yankees along with the 1909 Pirates (110).

    4
    Reply
    • sad tormented neglected mariners fan

      10 months ago

      I feel like the most you can reasonably predict for a team is 100 wins, because after 100 it goes from the best team in baseball to the best team in a decade

      Reply
    • mike127

      10 months ago

      He’s just a troll. He could have been very truthful in saying this team was hopeful in winning 60 games and even, at that, they are a bust.

      I still don’t think the Sox will get to that 121 loss mark, but there remains the solid chance they turn in one of the worst five seasons of all time (in total losses).

      2
      Reply
    • California 8

      10 months ago

      Gammons, Slusser, Verducci, Axisa, Plaschke, etc.

      2
      Reply
      • Dumpster Divin Theo

        10 months ago

        I’ll take a random list of names for $200 Alex.

        2
        Reply
  8. User 2952162988

    10 months ago

    It would be wise for the Sox to be consistent with not only their young position players, but also young bullpen arms. 30+ yo’s Leone, Kuhn, Brebba, Anderson & Flexen will not be back. Bring up the AAA bullpen, give them a 6-week looksee. Coffey, Burke, Padilla, McGough, Varland & Eder should be in their major league bullpen asap.

    But then again, that would take a competent GM, something the SOX have not solved.

    1
    Reply
    • stymeedone

      10 months ago

      A competent GM knows rookies can’t provide enough innings to make it thru the season. Cy Young contenders barely pitch six innings, and the major league season is much longer than anything the young arms have experienced. Veteran arms will be needed to get thru the season, and help the rookies adjust.

      Reply
    • nrd1138

      10 months ago

      The bigger issue is the competent coaching staff, which the Sox have not had since arguably Renteria. How anyone surprised the blood letting is beyond me, Sizemore I can kind of understand but how Thames has kept his job is beyond comprehension.

      1
      Reply
      • User 2952162988

        9 months ago

        Renteria would be the perfect personality to help the Sox get through the next few years and be that teacher for a young team. The Sox would’ve been in a far better place had they kept him at the helm.

        1
        Reply
  9. Old York

    10 months ago

    White Sox planning more consistent roles? Ha! Sounds like they’re just trying to justify keeping these kids around. If they had any real talent, they wouldn’t need a plan—they’d be in the lineup every day, no questions asked. Back when baseball was a man’s game, you earned your spot by playing better than the next guy, not by getting coddled with ‘consistent roles’ and ‘natural positions.’ If you couldn’t play anywhere, you didn’t play at all.

    Reply
    • Dumpster Divin Theo

      10 months ago

      Yeah just rub some dirt on it and go play. Stats are for geeks. Nerds!!!

      Reply
    • nrd1138

      10 months ago

      Neither guy can hit the broadside of a barn, so they are perfect for this club.

      2
      Reply
  10. stymeedone

    10 months ago

    Unless you could hit, then they would hide you somewhere.

    1
    Reply

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