The White Sox announced this morning that they’ve signed veteran outfielder Travis Jankowski to a minor league contract. The Excel Sports client will head straight to big league camp. He’d been with the Cubs on a minor league pact for the early portion of spring training. While the Cubs didn’t make any formal announcement about Jankowski’s release or him opting out of that deal, he’s clearly parted ways with Chicago’s north-side squad as they travel to Tokyo for next week’s series against the Dodgers.
Jankowski, 33, had a solid year with the Rangers in 2023 as the fourth outfielder on their World Series-winning roster. He appeared in 107 games, tallied 287 turns at the plate and delivered a respectable .263/.357/.332 batting line (97 wRC+) to go along with quality baserunning and glovework. He wasn’t able to follow up on that in a return effort with Texas in 2024; Jankowski played in 104 games last year but hit just .200/.266/.242 in 207 plate appearances.
Dating back to his 2015 MLB debut in San Diego, Jankowski has appeared in parts of ten straight big league seasons, suiting up for the Padres, Reds, Phillies, Mets, Mariners and Rangers along the way. He’s a lifetime .236/.319/.305 hitter with good speed who can handle all three spots in the outfield.
Jankowski will give the White Sox some outfield depth at a time when at least two members of their expected Opening Day roster are now slated for the injured list. Left fielder Andrew Benintendi suffered a broken hand when he was hit by a pitch earlier in Cactus League play. That injury will keep him off the field through at least the end of camp and possibly into mid-April. He’ll then need a rehab assignment. Reserve outfielder Austin Slater, who inked a one-year deal in free agency, is dealing with an oblique strain suffered last week. The Sox estimated he’d be out of game action for two to three weeks, leaving a season-opening IL placement a real possibility.
Jankowski is a known commodity for new White Sox skipper Will Venable, who was on the Rangers’ coaching staff for each of the past two seasons. He’ll compete for at-bats in left field or off the bench. Luis Robert Jr. is slated to man center field, with offseason signee Mike Tauchman in right. The ChiSox also signed Michael A. Taylor as a glove-first option off the bench. Other outfielders on the 40-man roster include Dominic Fletcher and Oscar Colas. Joey Gallo, Corey Julks and Cal Mitchell are among the other non-roster outfielders in camp.
“One Man’s Leftover’s, is Another Man’s Feast “.
I believe that was a title for an old R&B track.
This is a player who never has made sense, and now, not even for the White Sox. (I know, it’s a minor league deal.)
Huh? I guess something fell apart between him and the Cubs. Going from one side of Chicago to the other not-so-great side must be a big bummer for Janko.
He must be thrilled. He will actually get to play. He might be the White Sox second best outfielder.
3rd best at best behind Robert and Tauchman.
I heard him interviewed during a game and he made it clear he was not interested in going to AAA. Which I found interesting because there was absolutely no place for him on the Cubs’ major league roster.
Brick: Which is why he left. But the Sox was the best he could do?
Korea then? If not AAA then ?
Sox-bashing is all the rage nowadays, but in fact they made some nice pickups tis offseason.
If you’re looking for the right division to make a move in the standings, they’re in it. Just might not be til ’28 but still
They were evidently impressed with his robbing a walk-off HR by Vaughn to preserve Texas win.
Better odds of making the White Sox roster over the Cubs. Jankowski can run and at least gives Venable some speed, something this team doesn’t really have
Certainly confident Travis can make the big league squad.
On the White Sox, sure but on a legit Major League team…. NO.
Welcome to the mute button boyo!
Bryzzo hat how quaint. Pink with the price tag still attached?
I don’t have a clue what he was even doing in Cubs camp. There were other guys who needed to see the field. It was ridiculous. Unless 6 guys got injured he wasn’t making this team.
The answer is simple Uncle. It’s Jed being Jed. That individual needs a cognitive test.
Probably a favor to Janikowski’s agent. Let him take some bus rides to the western area ballparks that Caissie would have taken if he was healthy, and send him on his way.
Mr. Reinsdorf please sell the team. Terrible brand of baseball from ownership to low minors. Ask the Southside. Fun times at parking lot.
Us real SSide Sox fans have LONG given up on that. It’ll take God to intercede or a prospective owner buying up more % of the team than he has.
How much of the Cubs trash is this thirsty excuse for a franchise gonna sign?
1st round pick of the Padres. that was a while ago.
A+ He’s the same as Juan Soto. If Juan Soto had 92 speed and gold glove center field defense. Travis is better.
Jankowski has always been a solid, under-rated player. He is a true competitor who has never been given the time to fully develop his game with any one team. He plays center field very well, which makes one wonder if a deal is cooking for Luis Robert Jr. who appears to be healthy and ready to upgrade a team in need of a center fielder. If Robert was traded, Jankowski could step right in to play center field. Despite media rhetoric, the Phillies will find it hard to outplay the Mets, Braves and Dodgers this season but, with the addition of someone like Robert, they could become much more competitive,
Who more valuable? Janko or Michael Taylor?
Where’s the guy who thought Jankowski would be a Hall of Famer if he was just given a chance? Camden567 or something? That was a good laugh. Anyway, solid pick up. He’s servicable and should get some playing time. He’s got a little over 7 years of service time, a full season with the Sox could get him that much closer to 10.
bone, The two are very close, but Taylor has had more opportunities to have a position to himself. They’re the same age and have similar stats but, having watched them both, I like Jankowski a tad more.
I’ll never forget the time this guy injured Lucroy after the Run-into-the-Catcher rule was implemented
Trade bait…
This tells of what the WS think of Fletcher,Julks, and Colas. Oscar Colas needs to go to Korea. He’s overmatched in MLB.
Nah just depth. Good pickup
I agree, DDT. None of those four players will hit much absolute be .200, if at all. Fletcher can flash the leather, but his bat hasn’t produced after a lengthy trial. Julks is in his very late 20s,and nothing in his performance suggests he could be a late bloomer. Colas? He’s really shown nothing. Jankowski looks like an upgrade in comparison. But, honestly, none of them can hit. Neither can Taylor. For all the hype and all the promise, Robert is the only available outfielder on the team who might hit .250.