February 4th: The Sox officially announced their signing of Hays today. The mutual option is worth $8MM, per James Fegan of Sox Machine.
January 31st: The White Sox have agreed to a deal with outfielder Austin Hays, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports. The one-year deal will pay Hays $6MM, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, and the contract will be official following a physical. Hays will earn $5MM in salary in 2026, and there is a $1MM buyout on a mutual option for 2027, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writes. Another $375K is available for Hays in incentive bonuses based around plate appearances. Chicago’s 40-man roster is full, so the team will also have to make a corresponding transaction before the signing is finalized. Hays is represented by the MAS+ Agency.
Earlier today, Heyman reported that Hays was “said to be deciding this weekend” about his next landing spot. Heyman listed the White Sox, Cubs, Padres, Tigers, and Rangers as teams who had showed some level of interest in Hays at some point during the offseason. These five clubs were new to Hays’ market, as previous reports this winter linked the Royals, Reds, Mets, Yankees, and Cardinals to the 30-year-old outfielder. The Athletic’s Zack Meisel also wrote that the Guardians “put out feelers on” Hays’ services.
Playing time was an apparent priority for Hays, as Meisel wrote that the outfielder was looking for “a situation in which he could play every day.” That didn’t come in Cleveland since the Guardians didn’t want to block any of its up-and-coming younger outfielders, but Hays will now land with another AL Central team that has plenty of at-bats on offer. Hays figures to step right into at least semi-regular duty in right field, and he might also get time in his regular left field position depending on how the White Sox approach Andrew Benintendi’s playing time. Brooks Baldwin, Derek Hill, Tristan Peters, Everson Pereira, and Jarred Kelenic are among the names in Chicago’s outfield mix, plus Luisangel Acuna is likely to get a lot of time in center field.
Hays has held his own defensively over 483 career MLB innings as a center fielder, though he hasn’t played the position since 2023. With both glovework and health in mind, Hays is probably better suited for a corner outfield slot, and some DH at-bats are probably also a consideration for a player who has taken six separate trips to the injured list over the last two seasons. Four of those six IL stints were due to left calf and hamstring strains, and Hays also missed a few weeks last season due to a left foot contusion.
It was almost exactly one year ago that the Reds signed Hays to a one-year, $5MM guarantee, which broke down as $4MM in salary and a $1MM buyout of a $12MM mutual option for the 2026 season. As with virtually all mutual options, Hays was cut loose following the 2025 campaign, though he had a respectable .266/.315/.453 slash line and 15 homers over 416 plate appearances for Cincinnati.
On a team that struggled to generate consistent offense, Hays’ 105 wRC+ was the third-highest of any Reds player who had at least 111 trips to the plate. Though Hays was again hampered by injuries, it was least a step upwards from the uncertainty of the kidney infection that plagued him for much of the 2024 campaign, and cratered his numbers altogether after a deadline trade to the Phillies.
Since Opening Day 2021, Hays has a 106 wRC+ over 2348 PA, and he played in basically an everyday role with the Orioles from 2021-23. Despite the decent production, Hays has never walked much or made a lot of hard contact, and his strikeout rates have shot upwards over the last three seasons. Hays’ viability for an everyday role will probably hinge on how much he can hit right-handed pitching, as his splits have made him look like most of a lefty-masher in recent years.
The Reds hung onto Hays last summer both because they needed him for their own playoff push and probably in part because his injuries hurt his trade market, but it certainly seems possible the Sox could shop Hays at the upcoming deadline. The focus remains on the future for the rebuilding White Sox, and plenty of teams would figure to have trade interest in a veteran bat who has a 160 wRC+ against left-handed pitching over the last two seasons.
The Hays signing is the latest intriguing move for a White Sox team that is planning to be more competitive in 2026, even if a full-fledged run at a playoff berth remains at least a year away. Trading Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets freed up $20MM in payroll space, and the Sox reinvested that money into a two-year, $20MM deal for Seranthony Dominguez to become Chicago’s next closer.
Since Dominguez is only getting $8MM of that money in 2026, the White Sox have now been able to sign Hays and ostensibly still have $6MM more to spend from the $20MM hole Robert left in the team’s budget. A pitching addition may be more likely than another position-player add given Chicago’s needs in the rotation and bullpen.
Inset photograph courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas — Imagn Images
Have to say, I did not see this one coming. The white Sox are swooping in on a lot of players this offseason who really aren’t making their team much better
Potential trade deadline sell offs
OF and bullpen their huge weaknesses. Short term vets like this 1/6mil + incentives and Seranthony make sense.
Given who they were projected to trot out in the OF, Hays makes their team quite a bit better.
Smart move by Hays. Hopefully he gets to play everyday now.
if he lives up to .260 20hr 10sb- he will get a much bigger contract than this, but this may be his last shot at a big league contract.
If he keeps doing what he has been, he will keep getting these 1 year/5-6 mil deals for a few more years. There are some semi-regular OFs that make a career off these deals bouncing around with teams that are not really competing or have low budgets. See Tommy Pham, he spent over a decade in the league providing this level of play.
It would be great to see him put together a full, healthy season with some good numbers. He’s a solid, but hard luck player.
In a way, it’s a great way for a player to guarantee himself that he’ll be part of a playoff push. Jump on to a team like that almost certainly means you’ll eventually get flipped to a team going all-in at the deadline.
He’s a nice bat and obviously hasn’t had a busy market this winter if he had to resort to signing with the White Sox. It’s the next best thing for him – hit well and you’ll almost certainly be moved to a contender in July.
How do you know Chicago isn’t trying to win the division?
They needed to take bigger swings than this, if they think they are.
I say if things go well, they very much could have a shot at the division. No team in the AL Central were as active in free agency and the players the White Sox added, could provide a few more wins than last year. Not saying it’s going to happen because baseball seasons are long, but why not? Their prospects also could add to the team this season, Braden Montgomery and Billy Carlson might get a call up when rosters expand. And they also have the #1 pick and once the get Roch Kochlowski with that pick, the next few seasons could see a big turn around.
And if my grandmother had wheels….
She’d be your uncle?
She’d be a wagon
Oops, I mixed up your joke with the ‘If my auntie had balls’ joke.
Whatever you’re smoking, can I please have a hit?
I’m not saying the White Sox whole future is hopeless. They do have some interesting young guys coming together which should only continue with their accumulation of premium draft picks. But come on, they’re not going to make the jump from 60 wins to division champs in one offseason. You can do that in football or basketball where one or two great players really can be that impactful, but baseball doesn’t work that way. They have a long way to go to raise the floor to be in that conversation.
Cleveland, Detroit, and KC all deserve flak for not making more aggressive moves to establish themselves as strong favorites to win the division but they are each still good enough for 85-90ish wins. A good year for the White Sox would be pushing Minnesota for 4th place and finishing around 70-75 wins.
Post-op morphine drip! This is a good place to kill some idol time.
I wouldn’t mind resorting to a 1 Year $5 million a year. How about you?
Of course, compared to what average people make that’s awesome money. You’re being willfully obtuse if you really want to sit and pretend that’s not peanuts for a veteran pro baseball player, though.
Not to mention, most professional athletes are competitive and want to win. Hence why very few of them are ever interested in playing for the White Sox.
I would like $5 million for 2026 very much thank you!
Crushes lefties. Plays both corner OF spots. Has MLB experience. What FA Outfielder could they have signed that made them “much better”? The Cubs will be sending offers for him if he’s healthy at the deadline. By which time, swtich hitting Braden Montgomery may be ready for his call up!
Sounds like he chose the Sox for playing time…would’ve been a good bench piece for the Cubs, hopefully not an overpay at the deadline.
I can see B. Montgomery forcing himself onto opening day roster
If it weren’t for the injured list trips, Hays would have probably had a breakout season. When he was fully healthy, he was playing quite well. You’d have had to pay attention to him all season last year to really see it, (like using him as a regular streamer at home on your fantasy teams), but he was solid. He hit 15 HR in 103 games, and they often came in bunches when he had been off the IL for a bit. I don’t think he’ll do as well in Chicago, as his power is HR fringe. It worked in GABP, but probably won’t on the South Side. I kinda wanted the Yankees to pick him up instead of Bellinger, and spend that extra cash on the holes in the rotation. His profile would have worked there.
6M too rich for Yankees blood. They only go for DFA’s these days. would have been decent righty bench piece though.
This is crazy! The White Sox signed a major league player!
I agree. Hays is not great or HOF, but he is a good, solid Baseball player.
You know NOTHING about their outfield if you feel this doesn’t make it better. Thank you for admitting your ignorance though. Love your honestly.
It made a difference on Fangraphs. Went from Acuna starting in center and Baldwin in right to Baldwin in center and Hays in right. Acuna goes from being a starter to the bench where his utility ability can be better used.
@whifff
Those emotions pal. Its just baseball and its just the White Sox.
Qwerky, the white sox could sign a rock and instantly be better.
I think you miss the point and impact of the moves. I’ll agree that these moves don’t make them contenders. They’re not intended to. They’re intended to:
1. Show fans they’re trying to get better. If they had yet another season of slashing payroll to the bone, even more fans would walk away. They had to do some things to show fans they won’t be this bad forever.
2. They have to show their players they’re trying to improve. Few things are more demoralizing than trying your best for a company that’s not trying its best for you.
3. They’re trying to send a message to the league’s players that things are improving. That there’s a plan to get better. Nobody wants to go play for the Rockies right now unless they’re on a make good and looking for playing time. Sox were in that position for a few years. Now they’re trying to come out of it a little at a time.
4. Yes, some of these guys might be trade bait. It’s another way to grow the depth of their farm, since they’ll never spend at anything resembling a Dodgers or Mets level so long as Reinsdorf owns the team.
But you also underestimate the impact of these moves. After trading Robert, they didn’t have MLB-worthy OF. Kelenic? Shine wore off on him a long time ago. Pereira and Acuna? If they could have a BA higher than their weight, they should field and run well enough…to be 4th OF options. Baldwin? Mead? Benintendi? The first two also can’t hit and the latter can’t run or field anymore and seems destined for DH. Hays pretty easily becomes their best OF and is a slightly above average bat.
For bigger moves, Mune has swing and miss issues, but huge power. And I think since he won the NPB Triple Crown, he does have some contract ability; if he can adjust like other Japanese players before him, he could be a solid contributor, maybe an All-Star..
Newcomb will likely end up in the pen, where he’s been better for his career, but with Seranthony, the Sox now have five options for high-leverage innings. WIth their deplorable 15-36 record in one-run games last year, even getting that to about even means another 10 wins.
In short, no, they won’t be contenders, but with a better pen, more offense, and a little growth from their young guys, this could be a 70-75 win team. In a weak ALC, that gives them a path to contend for the division title as early as next year.
Man. The White Sox are cooking
I suppose its possible to cook something in a dumpster fire.
Motion to retire the phrase “dumpster fire”.
Why? What’s wrong with it?
Overuse
It used to be reserved for completely irreversible fubar scenarios which were borderline comedic by that point. Now it’s used to describe a minor league depth signing. Every. Single. One.
“Dumpster diving as well”.
@sack lunch
While I agree with your motion overall, playing “dumpster fire” off of OP’s “cooking” comment WAS pretty funny.
But while we’re at it, can we add “lives rent free in your head” as well? People will literally use that on the article specifically talking about that player.
Weird comment. I think Mune was a great signing for the White Sox. They might just get up from that 60 win range *fingers crossed* into the 70s
You would know as that’s how you prepare supper. Make sure you dont torch your playpen tho
When to White Sox change the way they continually throw away money/talent and set the hopes of their fans on fire, I’ll stop using “dumpster fire.”
If you wanna criticize the Sox for not spending money enough, fine, but picking on a $6M contract (especially in this offseason spending environment), it just looks like you’re trying too hard to find a reason to complain.
The criticism wasn’t on the signing per say. It was more on the comment that this means they are “cooking”
*trombone fail*
Some people never want to see you get up, only to see you fall. Don’t be like them.
Hmmm. Will the Mets sign Mark Canha or _______ to hold down an OF spot until Benge is ready?
Trade for nootbar and jojo remero
I like Benge as a corner outfielder with A.J. Ewing representing the future centerfielder. I think it is optimistic for the Mets to view Benge as potential 2026 fixture, as both could use another year or two in the farm. Though A.J. Ewing has yet to reach AAA, Benge basically got there early to struggle. Seems equal footing where both will begin the year at AAA. A.J. Ewing might reach majors earlier as his skillset should allow a quicker climb.
NYMETSHEA:
I agree. If Benge isn’t ready and needs a little more time in AAA, it would be nice to have a backup plan or a guy who could start semi regularly in left field. I don’t really see a guy like that right now on the roster. If Baty can handle left field, that would be a good stop gap but I don’t know if he can play that on a regular basis. I would just like a guy who can kind of hold things down in the meantime.
Baty swings a wet noodle bat
NewOrleansSaintsFan:
The guy legitimately showed improvement this season.
Benge and Ewing and 2 years of Sieman at 2B allowed the Mets to trade from strength and deal Jett! Ewing might have highest upside. Mets also have quality depth at SP down to AA and Sproat was also expendabke.
Its ok. A good amount of strikeouts to very little walks. Did we investigate Jesse Winker? Look at his walk to k. I would have had Winker and Arraez wrapped up already. Make that Naylor Winker and Arraez.This is just mediocre.
Winker is seemingly a prik. The last thing a team full of young players needs. If he were more consistent that would be more understandable but his bat is a big gamble and he’s not worth it for a rebuilding club.
i’m not sure about the clubhouse, but Jesse winker is a favorite for the fans. And even in a bad season, his bat is better than Hays,he gets onbase.
A bad season, like the 59 OPS+ he put up in MIL? Last year he had a 309 OBP. He hasn’t slugged over .405 since 2021. He sure wasn’t a favorite for MIL fans btw.
Hays obp 400 last year not sure how much more on base you want or where to find it for this price.
😴
No way. Ive watched them both more than id like to admit the last few years and give me Hays all day over Winker. Not even close at this point in their careers.
You’ll end up liking Hays; he’s a real ‘plays-with-his-hair-on-fire’ type, but quick with grin and got jokes. Clubhouse guy, gamer, makes baseball-y plays, high in-game IQ. A Baseball rat (in all the right ways).
He may not be elite at anything, but he’ll be focused at all times and never lacks effort or focus.
Should be popular on the South Side: love max effort guys with chips on their shoulder. Enduring endearment for Carl Everett and his role on the 05 champs
Tim Anderson did the same thing and he struck out 130+ times 25 walks, so the chip don’t matter
.860 OPS, batting title, all star appearances including team USA, and one of the most memorable walkoff moments in franchise history? Yeah will take that
Hays hits dingers.
Wow they might win 70 games this year.
Such a gift to be in such a bad division. White Sox, if everything goes well, might even be playing meaningful games in September. Now think about rebuilding in one of the coastal divisions.
Not likely
FFS.
Clevelend and the Royals are pretty good
Not really. Cleveland’s infinite river of pitchers is drying up, and the Royals have no outfield and a bad farm system.
But… but… they’re moving in their walls in KC!
seamaholic 2, the river is just shallow right now. They have some great pitchers in the lower minors
Neither did much this offseason, while the Sox upgraded in areas that they’ve needed for some time now at 1st base, RF and closer.
Do you mean golf games?
In golf you play a match.
“Think of the intellect it must take to draw pleasure from this activity: hitting a ball with a crooked stick… and then… walking after it… and then…. HITTING IT AGAIN!!! I SAY PICK IT UP A__HOLE!!! YOU’RE LUCKY YOU FOUND THE F_____G THING!!! PUT IT IN YOUR POCKET AND GO THE F__K HOME!!! YOU’RE A WINNER!!! YOU’RE A WINNER!!! YOU FOUND IT!!! ”
– George Carlin
I am a simple man, I do not possess a degree in engineering nor am I mechanically inclined.
THE SAFETY LECTURE CONTINUES….
Tennis. Pickleball. YMCA pickup games….
Agreed, and it’s going to be interesting to see how they handle the SS situation over the next year or two. They have Billy Carlson who could get called up when rosters expand, and they will be selecting SS Roch Kocklowski, the easiest #1 choice this coming draft. Plus they still have SS Caleb Bonemer, who’s ranked in the top 100 prospects with Carlson, Braden Montgomery and Sam Antanucci.
Carlson will be hard pressed to make a roster unless he learns to hit. Basically has none-to zero power. And Im saying this as a White Sox fan. The kid is very light.
I think he will eventually make a roster due to elite defense but the ceiling is low if he can’t learn to hit
NOPE! That’s not the plan. The plan is to trade the vets that are performing well at the deadline for prospects. Contending is still at least a year away. So, hold your enthusiasm.
The cost is not posted uet, but i bet he ends up doing better than other ofers who signed for more. It will work out.
Agreed. Hays is one of the more underrated players signed/traded this offseason.
Cleveland might win 70 games next year, that lineup is garbage.
Jose Ramirez says “hold my beer”!
He has taken that team on his little shoulders for years. Scrappy Lil dude
Thats what she said
Jose Ramirez can’t hit all 9 spots. They’re are 8 other guaranteed outs in the lineup
Ummmh…Kwan?
Kwan is a slightly above average hitter. On the Guardians he looks like a star but his best asset is his glove not his bat. Good player to be sure but he’s not here for his offensive punch Don’t be too surprised if a) he’s traded before the start of the season b) or by the trade deadline. He was almost gone last trade deadline there’s no way he makes it past this one
Kwan? He was shopped last year, but ZERO takers. Nuff said
Kwan had his moments, but had a down year last year. He looked like he was declining overall.
There were takers just no one met the price.
I’d take him in Detroit in a heartbeat. His defense is a real asset.
Saints..
“Listening to offers” is not the same as actively “shopping” a player.
No teams be willing to meet a high asking price is not the same as “zero takers”.
Rightfully, the Guardians should have little motivation to trade a cost-controlled OF’er with a solid Hit tool and elite defense.. unless they were blown away. That’ll change as he approaches free agency.
They weren’t listening to offers. They were definitely shopping him and would have traded him too if the team had not gone on a winning streak and Detroit started to stumble. They had just lost Clase and were definitely ready to move on while they could get max value
Like I said. Zero takers
CKinSTL…..like I said ZERO TAKERS. Even “elite glove” couldn’t get him moved. I wonder why so many gives players extension after a very good year just to watch them bottom out
Saints – by that logic, any player who doesn’t get traded is worthless – because there were no takers. The fact is that Kwan was ranked, for the second year in a row, a top 100 MLB player. That’s based on his production, not even factoring his favorable contract.
If you think Kwan has no trade value, you need watch more baseball.
Wait – if they kept him because they liked their odds for 25 before the trade deadline (.500 record and 9 games back).. why arent they shopping him this offseason?
Just about every star players with Cleveland gets traded within their last year before free agency. I am not sure why they would treat Kwan any differently, unless they were blown away by an offer.
NewOrleansSaintsFan, what are you talking about??? The dodgers, Mets, blue Jays all had interest in Kwan… Cleveland was asking more than they were willing to give up.
Wow, well good on them. I was already saying how this team was definitely more exciting and it’s just getting better. I mean not contender better, but watchable for sure!
$6 for one year, heck of a good deal. Sad the Yanks didn’t bring him back to the AL East.
Hays wanted to play every day though so I get this move right now.
I’ll be very interested to see where the Sox hover at the deadline.
You and me both. Made more sense than giving Bellinger all that scratch. That’s going to be an albatross contract in no time. Calling it.
Agreed, but they couldn’t promise him the same playing time which seems to be his highest priority. He would have been a perfect platoon guy in left with Dominguez if they hadn’t signed Bellinger. And at that price, it would have been a bargain compared to the $42.5 a year they are paying Bellinger (who I like, but is not worth $80 a year after luxury taxes). There are other holes in this team that could have been plugged using that money.
Good platoon player/fourth outfield option. League average bat, which is more than what they’ve been throwing out there in recent years.
All star platoon
Hitting 15 HR in ~100 games, with 3 IL stints in there. I think you’re underestimating, but you’re far from alone in it.
Good for the Sox, and good for Hays. The white Sox look to be rising out of the cellar, and at least trading places with the Twins.
Nice pickup.
They just set Baldwin back unless they move Montgomery to 1B.
Front office is dreaming of having a competitive team this season, I can applaud that, but Id of rather have seen them develop Baldwin in the OF with a full slate of at-bats.
Hays’ defense has taken a nose dive. Baldwin didnt post great marks but with consistent reps at one position, he could have improves to the point where he was posting positive values in DRS and OAA.
Its a snoozer if you ask me. Baldwin is an exciting young player. Hays likely to start everyday too.
I sure hope they move Montgomery to first and DH Murakami. Could open up a spot in the OF for Baldwin with Acuna taking over at SS. Baldwin can probably handle CF.
Would be the Sox best lineup:
(2B) Meidroth
(C) Teel
(LF) Benintendi
(DH) Murakami
(1B) Montgomery
(RF) Hays
(3B) Vargas
(CF) Baldwin
(SS) Acuna
Lee, Periera, Hill, Mead on the bench.
It seems like Sosa and Quero potentially on the block.
Beni is mainly DH and Acuna is playing CF. Colson is playing SS for now while 3B is his long term position. Baldwin can replace Hill on the bench
Hill should have been let go a long time ago. We should have kept Ramos
Ramos maybe depth option tbh. Seems like Getz isn’t high on him unfortunately as much as I love the kid.
Ramos was DFA’d this week.
I can see the White Sox rotating Benintendi/Hayes/Sosa at DH with one of Hays and Benintendi in the OF and the other on the bench on the days Sosa is DH. I could see one of Pereira and Kelenic in RF and Hill on the bench as a backup to Acuna
Murakami is the best option at DH and I dont get why Montgomery wouldn’t move off short and take up first sooner than later with four years of control on Vargas.
Acuna can play SS, Meidroth can play some SS with Mead getting reps at second base when Acuna is out of the lineup.
Baldwin would be best holding down CF everyday. Sosa a nice bat off the bench backs up 1B/3B.
Could run a bench of Quero, Sosa, Mead, Periera – keep the bats on the bench and sacrifice some defense — Hill, Lee and Pereira all out of options.
Colson Monty has touched 1B in his entire career thus far. If he’s a competent defender at 3B then it doesn’t make sense to put him at 1B.
Edited: hasn’t, my bad on the typo
I read you @TUD – Monty is 6’4, has good height, has held it down at SS so you know he can field a grounder. A big target to throw at is nice. He could be good defensively at 1B and I think the move to first takes some pressure off him, he can focus on improving his hitting, could be the next Konerko.
I guess you could give Montgomery the choice and if he prefers third, move Vargas across the diamond. I think Montgomery’s height makes him a better fit at first.
Monty’s got to move anyway…B Carlson moving up fast and Cholo will probably be their #1 pick in June. I too have been touting Monty to 1B and Mune to DH.
Bonemer too: could have 4 stellar shortstops
They have Billy Carlson and their #1 pick in the coming draft Roch Kochlowski, both SS with great range and strong arms. It will be interesting to see what they can do and where they will be playing in 2026 and beyond. Maybe Kochlowksi can make a move to 2nd base and due his arm strength, Carlson might end up at 3rd base.
I was hoping Baldwin would at lest develop into someone with a high OBP (something we badly need) like he had in the minors, but so far that isn’t the case. Regardless, anyone that they like as part of a winning team moving forward has to play every day, whether it’s at the show or in the minors.
To be fair last year they were toying with him playing 8 different positions to use him as a super utility SH. That’s pretty much his ceiling tbh.
Baldwin – CF ……. Hill bounced from roster,
Carlson is at a minimum 5-6 years away or traded b4 MLB time.
2027 we’ll see C. Montgomery at 3rd & Roch at SS
Meidroth everyday 2nd base
Meidroth is a career backup at best.
Even suggesting he’s a competent leadoff hitter for a team you want to win, is ridiculous.
Hit .253 as a rookie, took 105BB at Worcester in ’24, career .425 OBP in the minors.
He could be good for .270/.350/.400 this season.
Meidroth hit .253/.329/.320 as a rookie while playing multiple positions well, including SS. 2026 is probably when we get a good idea of what he’ll be as a major leaguer.
Mead, Hill don’t make team. Lee traded
No need to move Montgomery down the defensive spectrum to 1B just to put a probably all glove, no hit Acuña at SS.
I agree with TUD, MLBTR, and others that Acuña‘s worth giving a shot in CF. Best case for him maybe an Alfredo Amezaga super-sub type career.
At some point either SS Billy Carlson or this years #1 draft pick SS Roch Kochlowski will force the Sox to move Montgomery, to either 3rd base or 1st base. Both Carlson and Kocklowski are clearly better defensively than Montgomery, and Kochlowski might be a better all around player than all 3 according to draft experts, he could be the next Tulowitski as soon as he’s called up.
Yeah, I can see Montgomery moving to 3B for either Carlson or Kochlowski. Chicago has quickly become a SS-rich organization (with some pretty good depth at C as well).
Could end up turning one or more into a trade for some frontline pitching.
I like Brooks a lot too. I could see him getting playing time over Benintendi, plus spelling Hayes. From the sounds of it, Hays will probably have an IL stint at some point too. I think Baldwin will still find pretty regular playing time. Not to mention Hayes will likely get flipped at the deadline and re-open right field entirely. Hayes could also be a good veteran mentor to Baldwin while they’re both on the same team.
Reds could have had him for that if they weren’t cheap. They seem to want to miss the playoffs again.
Interesting choice for him, but he will get regular playing time.
Even the White Sox want to win more now than ancient bOb, and his nepo baby son. All the lies have been fully exposed now
I hear you but for me I want a bat that has serious power and I liked Hayes but his IL stints past few years make me a pass, though not much left on the FA market for that kind of upgrade other than Geno but with him I’m only interested if we can keep his glove off the field
Since this soft and weak as …. site doesn’t allow swearing, I can’t come close to telling you what a piece of …. our owner in Cincinnati is
Unfortunately we all know and have the same opinion, outside the idol worshippers, that is.
I would not have minded him for the Mets as some outfield depth for left field in case Benge isn’t ready. I don’t know what the plan is in left field if Benge isn’t quite ready yet.
Baty
BCleveland3381:
Can he handle the position defensively on a semi regular basis for a couple of months if he needs to? I can’t answer that question. I don’t know how anyone can.
I don’t have any idea. But, he’s a young, athletic player that started 30ish games in LF in the minors to gain ABs when he was coming up, so im sure the Mets have some scouting on him in the OF. The Mets threw him in at 2B last and he did well there without a ton of experience.
He’s going to have the entire spring and I’m sure he will work a lot in LF and 1B. If he doesn’t cut it there are always spring trades that can be made, fringe roster guys getting cut, etc to fill needs. They also have Nick Morabito on the 40 man, who is a speed first prospect they give a chance to as well, or just stick Tyrone Taylor out there.
Even if the Mets wanted Hays, I’m sure he wanted guaranteed playing time, something he wasn’t getting with the Mets.
BCleveland3381:
Yes, he held up well at second base and definitely has improved at third base a lot. He obviously has a lot of athleticism and I’m not one of these people who thinks it’s a big deal moving players around. Especially moving an infielder to the outfield. So if he can be average or even slightly below average, he would be a fine stop cap. That’s just something I have no idea about. I know he had some limited experience playing there in the minor leagues, but then he didn’t continue to play there so was out of not needing him there or was he really bad? And obviously the Mets have a much better idea than we do. And I agree about Hays. Going to a team like the White Sox makes sense for him on a one year deal so he gets playing time and can try and turn that into a contract after this season. So it didn’t necessarily need to be him, but I was just thinking that kind of guy could add some insurance. But if they are confident that Baty can handle left field on a fairly regular basis if Benge isn’t quite ready, then I can live with it. I don’t want him traded because I think he’s figured things out offensively and there’s more to him.
Miken 31: Every time a mediocre FA outfielder signs with someone else, I’m happy for the Mets. Let Baty and Benge duke it out.
Joel from NY:
That’s fine. I just don’t want to see the Mets with a roster hole that could’ve been easily filled. If Baty can handle left field defensively, then I think there’s no concern. Obviously if Benge is ready day one there’s no concern. I’m just not sure about either of those factors.
Meanwhile back at Progressive field, Guardians front office make themselves a sandwich and check out Craig’s List
Did they procure the sandwich on Craigslist yum
Good move for both sides. A way for Hays to play himself onto a contender. Sox pay 6 mil and flip him at the deadline for a prospect.
I’m decidely not a fan of Reinsdorf, but hiring Getz to run things has been a good move in my opinion. Getz doesn’t panic, he refuses to make snap decisions and if he doesn’t get the return he wants,he won’t deal. Hays kills lefties, they’ll make good use of him.
Getz did make rookie type mistakes back in the 2024 trainwreck and it seems he somewhat learned from it 2 years later. He definitely deserves his fair share of criticism nevertheless.
Yeah I agree; any person new at their job is going to make stupid decisions, the question is whether they will learn from them or develop a stubbornness/insistence that they are doing things the right way despite bad results. One thing I like about Getz is that he’s willing to cut bait with things that aren’t working, such as the Ramos DFA.
That’s the truth
if Hays stays healthy, I think he is a capable, average MLB OF who strikes me as professional. This move does not hurt ChiSox in any fashion and is something several ‘contenders’ should have considered more. Especially if hitting LHP is an issue. IMO
westcasey: you meant to write “below-average”, correct?
Are the White Sox going to be great no but they definitely have had a more busy offseason than I expected.
In their division, they may actually be somewhat competitive.
Sigh. Hays and his obsession with an every day role, despite being a platoon hitter and injury prone.
I’d say both the Pirates and White Sox have taken this offseason seriously.
Pirates were doing well and then took January off. Still have work to do, need another bat or two and there aren’t many left. This month has been a return to what they did the last few years where there’s a glaring hole to fill and you keep expecting to see something done to address it, but nothing happens.
He says he wanted an opportunity to play everyday and I guess that’s commendable but kind if silly with his track record. He has to do his part and be healthy enough to play everyday.
Bah, was hoping the Pirates would use the $5M reserved for Cutch here instead. Could have used him in left and as a righty bat. But if he wanted an every day spot, not sure that’s available. Too many good lefties that need playing time.
It’s not incredibly exciting, but it’s solid and makes them better. Each of the White Sox’s moves this offseason should seemingly be incremental upgrades, which is huge in the long run. I like how Getz has played this offseason.
I had him pegged for KC. They still need an OF bat and options are dwindling.
I think the sox should get suarez and compete. the division is terrible
On a 1-2 year deal I would be very into that.
No Suarez. WHY? You’d rather Saurez over C. Montgomery?
On a recent FRONT OFFICE MLB Mailbag, Tim Dierkes opined that Eugenio Suárez “would be a fun fit as an upgrade over Miguel Vargas” for the White Sox. He also offered that a “Suarez-Munetaka Murakami combo would be enjoyable if the veteran would consider a team on the upswing that hasn’t yet returned to contention”.
The White Sox have already made a couple of “surprise” additions this offseason. Their signing Of Murakami will give them a huge PR boost in Japan. Signing Suárez should give them even more positive press domestically. The potential 1B/3B or 1B/DH combo of the pair might be good for 80+ HR’s in 2026. 🙂
At that cheap, the Royals could’ve gotten in him before the White Sox swooped in
Very good signing. I could see Hays, Acuna and Baldwin left to right in outfield and assuming Murakami is adequate defensively at 1B seems like Benintendi would best be slotted at DH where last year he hit 274 with an OPS of 799, that OPS a full 100 points higher than when he was in left field. Seems like Sosa may be the odd man out but this does make the Sox a better team and addresses their biggest weakness. Finishing touch on the offseason would be signing Chris Bassitt or Giolito to a 1 or 2 year deal.
I’m not a guardian fan, but they couldn’t afford 5M? The Rays couldn’t? I can see him not wanting the Pirates home park.
Thought Cardinals would pick him up. He’d been a good fit. Wanted full time OF spot . Guess Cards couldn’t offer that but bet if he’d hit he would have gotten 400 ABs
Always a very solid major player for the Orioles. If he has his health can chip in 2-.5-3 WAR. I bet he wants the 600 AB to get a longer contract. Look how money Bergman and Bellinger got for being a little better than him.
“a little better”
Going rate it seems so good signing.
Can Sosa play 3B on a consistent basis ?
I would think the Pirates could have some interest if he could
Sosa part of this rebuild for sure.Probably 3rd base until Roch gets the call. He hitting stats will improve with a better team offense in place. And Meidroth will be 2nd baseman for the near future.
White Sox building a team that won’t be the bottom of the historical trash can but may bring a couple fans as they might be somewhat competitive against other mid to bad teams or against the good teams 6th or 7th starters due to rest or injury
The Guardians are da-da-da down to goodnight Vienna.
Guardians and Royals really hedging their bets on fixing their biggest weaknesses, I see. Nothing like planning to back- in to a playoff spot, just don’t count on it.
I’ll Always respect a guy that doesn’t wear batting gloves. He’ll be on a contending team come August
I was hoping the Cardinals would get him as they could use a right-handed hitting outfielder. Sounds like he wanted some assurance of playing time, and with Nootbaar coming off the heel injury at some point, it may have been limited.
Benintendi is the primary DH unless they somehow make him go away. The team has hinted at this for a while.
One significant difference between Getz and Hahn/Williams is that Getz does not seem to be OK with giving guys extended playing time if they are inadequate defenders. I applaud the change.
Benintendi as the everyday DH makes both him and the team better.
They aren’t going to contend for anything but should be fun to watch
Intriguing or confusing move? He may get more at bats with the Sox than the other teams and have a better home run park to left field. But I still don’t see why Benintendi is still there? He should have been sent to someone for $0.50 on the dollar. This makes the other outfield acquisitions to this point look even more confusing 🫤
Nobody wants him for 50 cents on the dollar. Nobody wants him for 25 cents on the dollar. The only way he goes anywhere is a swap for another bad contract that another team is equally unable to use.
Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez is a perfect example. Rodriguez is also signed through 2027 and provides slightly above replacement-level value, but he makes about $4 million more per season than Benintendi. Plus, Rodriguez will be owed a $6 million buyout for 2028. Basically, the Diamondbacks would save $14 million total by swapping out Rodriguez for Benintendi, broken down as $4/$4/$6.
If the Diamondbacks threw in a prospect, the White Sox may be interested. They have the payroll room and need young talent. The question is whether or not the Diamondbacks need the extra payroll enough to be willing to part with enough prospect capital to make up the $14 million in value.
the whole “we can move him” at the deadline is getting old. Sox fans accept it and the franchise still does it. they could easily compete in the division with a couple moves
Idk about winning the division.
Be patient and let the youngsters develop while flipping players for more young talent. What’s the problem with that? Did you want them to sign Hays to a long term deal?
No, he wants them to sign somebody much better than this. It would be ok to have a payroll crack $100M.
Great news! This means the Mets avoided him so Baty/Benge can duke it out for left field. Great non-acquisitiion by Stearns.
If only the White Sox had signed Mateo too, the few people he hasn’t muted or muted him would see Samuel picking them for the WS.
Hays is what he is. A platoon bat who provides defense and just slightly above average play over a full season. He will tease with a hot stretch, have a cold stretch, and is good for a trip to the IL.
St. Louis and Chaim Bloom missed out on this one. Damn.
Hays will make White Sox look smart, and NYY like fools for not signing him.
It occurs to me that he may have picked Chicago so he could moonlight as an ICE deputy
I love me some I.C.E. deputies. Doing a great job.
Bold of you to support murderers and kidnappers. We’ll remember your ilk, and it won’t be flattering.
Well this signing came out of LEFT FIELD!!! (I’ll show myself out)
The WS continue to make good, low-key moves.
Orioles fan here. Every move WS make helps playoff spot for east teams. WS should be competitive and get wins against weak central teams. Hopefully!!!
The White Sox are going to make a push for a division title this year. Good for them!
I wonder if we could have worked with Bryan Ramos more to get similar batting production