The White Sox agreed to a minor league deal with free agent outfielder Calvin Mitchell, as first reported by Aram Leighton of Just Baseball. The Sports Management Partners client will be in major league camp as a non-roster invitee next spring.
Mitchell, 25, has spent parts of two seasons in the big leagues, logging 237 plate appearances with the Pirates from 2022-23. He hit .222/.284/.343 with five homers, 11 doubles, three stolen bases, an 8% walk rate and a 22.4% strikeout rate in that time. The former No. 50 overall draft pick (Pirates, 2017) spent the 2024 season with the Padres (his hometown organization) but didn’t get a call to the majors in spite of solid production with Triple-A El Paso: .277/.359/.512 (114 wRC+).
That was Mitchell’s fourth season with at least some time logged in Triple-A. He’s shown little difficulty hitting at that level, logging a career .287/.358/.487 batting line in 1067 plate appearances there. The lefty-swinging outfielder has typically had modest platoon splits but posted far more drastic numbers in that regard this past season, hitting .309/.397/.595 against righties but just .183/.239/.269 in 114 plate appearances against lefties.
Mitchell has played primarily right field but has more than 1000 innings in left field in addition to a tiny sample of 71 innings in center. He’ll give the Sox some left-handed depth behind a big league outfield mix currently including Andrew Benintendi, Luis Robert Jr., Dominic Fletcher, Austin Slater, Oscar Colas and Corey Julks.
Cal is just a triple A type player. He should fit right in.
Triple A player, you say? White Sox are a Double A team, so he’s already ahead of the competition!
I enjoyed his brother in Good Burger
I just read on BVM they’re also pursuing Verdugo. Although it doesn’t make much sense.
White Sox are kicking the tires on Verdugo? I guess, and hope for, that they view him as a bounce back candidate that can be flipped for prospects at the trade deadline on a one-year deal.
Neither does this. All they have is depth. When are they gonna get some starters?
Fletcher, Julks, and Colas are not major league hitters. All three are a waste of a roster spot. White Sox need to purge these guys.
That would take actually paying for good outfielders, and Reinsdorf is not going to do that or let his GM do that..
How do we know they’re not the same guy? Collecting 3 paychecks
this guy sticks in my head for some reason
Nothing like a light hitting no field outfielder.
It’s time for Getz to step up or get out of the way. We can not blame. It on Rick and Kenny any longer.
Agree- Getz, Get off your butt and get some guys who would be note worthy! Stop dumpster diving!
Getz hiring guys who remind him of him
Sorry to say, nobody seems to care. Thanks Jerry, Ken and Rick now the fans will suffer thru another rebuild for years to come!!
Somebody cares. Cal’s mama. And an 8 yr old kid in Beverly or Mt. Greenwood or Bronzeville
Sox now have 2 Cals: Mitchell and Vaughn
Really not a bad OF if the 6 guys in front of him on the depth chart were any good
Well seeing the Sox are stubbornly keep a guy like Thames as hitting coach I doubt this guy improves with his bat.
The Sox also already got a gold glove caliber OF in Fletcher, too bad the skill ends with his glove.
I’m okay with the Sox accepting Fletcher over McCarthy. Think they can deal with another Adam Engel. Whereas McCarthy seems to top out as a contact hitter specialist, a Nick Madrigal without the bone headed baserunning. At the end of the day, the club has to Cease with going after more Nicky Delmonicos, failed 1st round- top 100 pedigrees