White Sox Keep Adding Pieces To Patch Up Ugly Outfield Situation

While trading Luis Robert Jr. gave the White Sox an intriguing young talent in Luisangel Acuña and cleared space to sign Seranthony Domínguez, it also leaves them with one of the worst outfields in baseball. 

To help remedy the situation,  Chris Getz signed seven-year MLB veteran LaMonte Wade Jr. to a minor league deal with a spring training invite. The move is the latest in a series of minor-league signings that includes Dustin Harris and former first-round pick Jarred Kelenic.

As of now, Brooks Baldwin, Andrew Benintendi, Derek Hill, Everson Pereira, and Tristan Peters are the only outfielders on the roster.

Hill has a career .629 OPS over six MLB seasons, raising questions about his viability as an everyday option. Baldwin settled into a utility role last season, while his outfield defense remains a work in progress, and Benintendi’s recent defensive decline has made him a better fit for a full-time DH role.

Pereira appears to be the leading candidate to start in center, though he may split time with Acuña depending on how the White Sox structure their infield.

With the current roster construction, Harris, Kelenic and Wade all have a legitimate shot at earning a starting role in camp, though Wade appears to have the edge.

Unlike Harris and Kelenic, Wade brings a proven track record of production. In over 1600 career at-bats, he has posted a respectable .731 OPS, and received MVP votes in 2021, slashing .253/.236/.482 with a career high 18 home runs and 56 RBIs for the Giants. 

The 32-year-old has spent the past three seasons as the Giants’ primary first baseman, a position that was also a need for the White Sox before signing Munetaka Murakami. 

While Murakami is expected to see most of the time at first base, Wade could provide a platoon option at both corner outfield spots and first base, as well as a left-handed bat off the bench in a lineup dominated by right-handers.

Wade has shown he can be productive in a platoon role. In 2023, he posted a .373 on-base percentage, then followed with a .260/.380/.381 slash line over 401 plate appearances in 2024. During that stretch, his on-base percentage ranked 11th in MLB among hitters with at least 800 plate appearances.

However, Wade is coming off one of his worst seasons, hitting just .167 in 50 games before being designated for assignment. The Angels claimed him off waivers, but the change of scenery did little to help. He hit .169 and struck out in over 30% of his at-bats in 73 plate appearances before being released in August.

The White Sox provide Wade with an ideal opportunity for a reset. The outfield competition is wide open, and the AL Central is expected to be weak. Still, even if Wade makes the Opening Day roster, a patchwork outfield of minor-league signings and former top-100 prospects offers little reason for confidence.