White Sox sign first baseman Jared Walsh to minor league deal
The White Sox signed former All-Star first baseman Jared Walsh.
Kevin M. Cox/AP
The White Sox signed former All-Star Jared Walsh to a minor league contract Tuesday and sent the left-handed hitting first baseman to their spring training complex in Arizona to prep for an assignment with Triple-A Charlotte.
Walsh was designated for assignment by the Rangers on April 20, and after clearing waivers elected free agency.
Walsh, 30, has batted .200/.263/.352 with 20 homers in 169 games since the start of the 2022 season. He clubbed 29 long balls for the Angels in 2021 but slumped in 2022 and has struck out at a rate of 32.4% since the start of the ’22 season. In August of that year, Walsh was shut down and underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome.
Early last season, Walsh landed on the Angels injured list with persistent headaches and insomnia. He said he had struggled with other neurological and vestibular issues as well, including dizziness.
In his first season with the Rangers, Walsh was batting .226/.317/.321 with one homer and 21 strikeouts in 60 plate appearances. He made the Opening Day roster when Nathaniel Lowe was on the injured list with an oblique injury. Lowe was reinstated on April 20.
Walsh hit nine home runs and posted a .971 OPS for the Angels in 32 games in the abbreviated 2020 season, finishing seventh in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
First base has been manned for the Sox by Andrew Vaughn, who is struggling in his fourth season with a .180/.252/.230 batting line and .430 OPS. Vaughn has not hit a home run in 111 plate appearances after hitting 21 last season. First baseman Gavin Sheets, who has forced his way into the majors' weakest lineup with a team-high .844 OPS, has been the regular right fielder since April 17.