Andrew Benintendi out 4-6 weeks with fracture

The White Sox collected their first spring win of the season Thursday, defeating the Cleveland Guardians, 4-2.

The victory came at a price, however, as left fielder Andrew Benintendi will miss four to six weeks with a non-displaced fracture in his right hand. The veteran was struck with a pitch from Cleveland left-hander Logan Allen in the bottom of the first inning.

The injury comes exactly four weeks before the season opener on March 27, so we should not expect to see Benintendi back in the lineup by then. Mid-April is probably a more realistic timeline.

Earlier this month, I noted that the Sox outfield was pretty much set, with Luis Robert Jr., Benintendi, Austin Slater, Mike Tauchman and Michael A. Taylor all in camp on major league contracts.

The injury gods had other ideas, and now there's a spot open. Dominic Fletcher and Oscar Colas are the other two outfielders on the 40-man roster, so one would assume that opportunity will knock for one of them.

If I'm being honest, I've seen about enough of Colas. I've watched three of the six spring games, and I've already seen the 26-year-old Cuban make two egregious defensive miscues -- including one where a fly ball smacked him right in the face. 

Fletcher, 27, played 72 games with the Sox last season, and he demonstrated that he cannot hit. He batted just .206/.252/.256 with one home run, only eight doubles and 17 RBIs. That said, Fletcher has shown that he is a plus defender at corner outfield spots, and he can stand in center field in a pinch (although Taylor is best suited to back up Robert Jr. in that role.)

When choosing a backup outfielder, I prefer the guy who can catch the ball, so I'll take Fletcher over Colas.

If you're wondering about free agent outfielders, Alex Verdugo, Aaron Hicks, Robbie Grossman, Adam Duvall and David Peralta are all still out there.

Verdugo, 29, is the only one of that group younger than age 35. He batted .233/.291/.356 with the New York Yankees last season. That doesn't wow anyone, and it seems unlikely that Sox ownership will open the wallet to raise the floor of the team to compensate for a short-term injury.

Fletcher or Colas it shall likely be.

Yoan Moncada injured in White Sox win at Cleveland

Yoan Moncada (right)

During spring training, White Sox designated hitter Eloy Jimenez said his goal was to play 150 games during the 2024 season, alongside teammates Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert Jr.

That's not looking possible right now. Only 11 games into the season, Jimenez and Robert are already on the injured list, and Moncada is almost certainly heading there after suffering an adductor strain during Tuesday's 7-5 victory over the Cleveland Guardians.

Moncada was ... wait for it ... running to first base in the second inning after hitting a grounder to the left side of the infield. He went down as if he were shot about halfway down the line and rolled around in agony.

After the game, manager Pedro Grifol described Moncada as being in "severe pain" on the field. He added that more would be known tomorrow after the injury is evaluated.

Reports indicate the Sox will call up outfielder Oscar Colas to take Moncada's spot on the roster ahead of Wednesday's series finale in Cleveland.

Two of the top prospects in the Sox farm system are infielders -- shortstop Colson Montgomery and third baseman Bryan Ramos. However, neither is ready for the majors, and the Sox are wisely resisting the temptation to call them up prematurely.

Montgomery, who is at Triple-A Charlotte, and Ramos, who is at Double-A Birmingham, should be allowed to continue their development in the minor leagues. They should be called up when they are ready for the big leagues. They should NOT be called up to solve a crisis in Chicago.

As for the game, the Sox scored five runs in the top of the first inning, but starting pitcher Michael Soroka couldn't hold it. The Guardians tied the score at 5 in the bottom of the fourth inning.

That's where the score stayed until the top of the eighth, when Dominic Fletcher delivered a two-run double to put the Sox ahead 7-5.

Michael Kopech took it from there, firing two scoreless innings of relief for his second save of the season. The right-hander retired all six men he faced, four by strikeout, and threw 15 pitches that were 100 mph or faster. It was the kind of performance you'd like to see more often from Kopech.

The Sox are 2-9.

Weekend moves offer clues on White Sox right field strategy

We've been wondering all offseason who will be the White Sox right fielder in 2024, and we've been hoping it will be someone other than Gavin Sheets or Oscar Colas.

Turns out, fans might not have to put up with either Sheets or Colas in right field after a series of moves Sox general manager Chris Getz made over the weekend.

Here are the moves:

• Signed Kevin Pillar, 35, to a minor-league contract. Pillar will be paid $3 million if he makes the team out of spring training.
• Traded relief pitcher Gregory Santos to the Seattle Mariners for right-hander Prelander Berroa, outfielder Zach DeLoach and the No. 69 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
• Traded pitching prospect Cristian Mena to the Arizona Diamondbacks for outfielder Dominic Fletcher.

What does this mean for the right field scenario? DeLoach and Fletcher are both major league-ready prospects. Both are left-handed batters. I expect them to compete in spring training for the right to be the right fielder when the Sox are facing a right-handed pitcher. Pillar likely has an inside track to make the team, and play right field when the Sox are facing a left-handed pitcher.

Fletcher, 26, played 28 games in the majors last season for the National League champion Diamondbacks. He posted a solid line of .301/.350/.441 with two homers and 14 RBIs. He's only 5-foot-6, so don't expect big power out of him, but he hit right-handed pitchers hard at both levels he played at last season:

• Triple-A: .325/.412/.555 over 310 plate appearances
• MLB: .369/.423/.523 over 72 plate appearances

I think we can agree that the Sox could use a lefty bat who punishes righties.

Then, there's DeLoach, 25, who has yet to play in the majors. He has more swing-and-miss in his game (173 Ks last season), but he also offers more power. At Triple-A Tacoma in 2023, DeLoach batted .286/.387/.481 with 23 home runs and 88 RBIs.

I can't promise either of these two guys are the answer, but we know Sheets is not, right? And we know Colas needs more Triple-A time, which means it's time to try someone else.

That brings us to Pillar, who is the insurance policy against both Fletcher and DeLoach failing. Pillar is a plus defender, who can be counted on to play an effective right field, and he can play center field competently when Luis Robert Jr. needs a day off.

However, Pillar isn't much of a hitter at this stage of his career. He batted a ghastly .228/.248/.416 with nine homers and 32 RBIs in 81 games with the Atlanta Braves last season.

Pillar did bat .250/.261/.472 with six of his nine homers against lefties, so there is hope for decent production if he's deployed correctly as a platoon player.

What did the Sox lose in these deals? Well, Santos was pretty good in 2023 before he got hurt. He was a pleasant surprise out of the bullpen, going 2-2 with a 3.39 ERA, with 66 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched over 60 relief appearances.

Thanks to attrition and trades, Santos was closing by the time August and September rolled around -- on the rare occasions where the 2023 Sox needed a closer. Santos totaled five saves before elbow inflammation ended his season. His innings total in 2023 represented a career high, casting some doubt on how durable he will be in 2024.

However, there's a case to be made that Berroa, 23, will simply take Santos' spot. The right-hander struck out 104 batters over 65.1 innings in Double-A last year, and he earned a two-game cup of coffee with the Mariners. If he looks decent in spring, expect him to be a member of the Sox bullpen.

As for Mena, 20, he split time between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte last season. He went 8-7 with 4.85 ERA in 27 starts, and he was ranked among the top 10 prospects in the Sox system.

For that reason, I saw a lot of fans melting down over his trade. My recommendation to those folks is to relax. 

Mena is right-handed and throws a 92-mph fastball. He might be a useful pitcher for the Diamondbacks, but there's nothing special about right-handed and 92. There are plenty of pitchers out there just like him, and if you can move that guy for a position of need, you have to consider that.

And outfield is without question a position of need for the Sox. The options have increased as a result of these moves. Now we wait to see whether the moves work out.

Will White Sox address right field in meaningful way?

Jermaine Dye 2005 World Series MVP bobblehead

Jermaine Dye was the last legitimate long-term solution to play right field for the White Sox. He was on the South Side of Chicago from 2005 until 2009, so it's been a while since that position has had stability.

Here are the players who have started the most games at that position for the Sox, by year, since 2010:

• 2010: Carlos Quentin
• 2011: Quentin
• 2012: Alex Rios
• 2013: Rios
• 2014: Dayan Viciedo
• 2015: Avisail Garcia
• 2016: Adam Eaton
• 2017: Garcia
• 2018: Garcia
• 2019: Ryan Cordell
• 2020: Nomar Mazara
• 2021: Eaton
• 2022: Gavin Sheets
• 2023: Oscar Colas

Eaton had a good year in right field the first time he was here, in 2016. But he was a shell of his former self when he was brought back in 2021, and he ended up getting designated for assignment the first week of July that year.

Garcia was the Sox's 2017 All-Star representative during his injury-plagued tenure with the team, and even though he was around for parts of six seasons, he never was regarded as a franchise cornerstone.

Since 2018, right field has been a revolving door. Daniel Palka shared the position with Garcia and Cordell for a short time. Mazara was a bust in 2020. Adam Engel was always hanging around on the roster, when healthy, and he saw playing time in right field in 2021 after Eaton fell off the map. Brian Goodwin was with the team in 2021, too.

Once 2022 rolled around, there wasn't a right fielder on the roster, so the Sox put two first basemen out there in Andrew Vaughn and Sheets. That was defensive nightmare, with neither man hitting enough to overcome the shortcomings in the field.

Colas was supposed to be the answer in 2023. Instead, his rookie season was poor. He batted .216/.257/.314 with only five home runs in 75 games. His season WAR finished at -1.5, and he was twice demoted to Triple-A Charlotte.

In fact, Colas finished the season at Charlotte. It was quite an indictment that he wasn't welcome on a 101-loss team that was playing out the string in September. Once again, Sheets was getting playing time in right field instead.

As the offseason began, new GM Chris Getz acknowledged that Colas could use more time at Triple-A.

Getz will find no disagreement here. That said, who is the right fielder for the 2024 season? As we sit here on Jan. 9, Sheets still seems to sit atop the depth chart, with Colas next in line. 

The Sox recently signed Brett Phillips to a minor league contract. Phillips, 29, can no doubt handle the position defensively, but he's bounced around for seven seasons, playing for five different teams, because he cannot hit a lick.

In his career, Phillips is batting .187/.272/.347. 

But hey, he played for the Kansas City Royals from 2018 until 2020, so he knows Sox manager Pedro Grifol! That seems to be a qualification that appeals to the Sox these days. Pedro needs his guys, even if they can't play worth a damn.

I'm not counting Phillips in for the 26-man roster when the season starts. After all, he's on a minor league deal, and he'll have to win a job in spring training. Frankly, I don't see him being better than Colas, and that's saying something, because I'm not a fan of Colas' game.

I assume the Sox aren't going to make the mistake of putting Eloy Jimenez in the outfield again. Sure, he could play right field, but only until he gets hurt again.

Maybe the 2024 right fielder is coming in a trade? If starting pitcher Dylan Cease is dealt, as is rumored, perhaps the centerpiece in such a trade would be a young outfielder to start in right field.

It's just not clear what the answer is here, and it hasn't been clear for years and years. Aren't the Sox sick of having a sinkhole at that position yet? 

Knee injury ends Luis Robert Jr.'s season

The White Sox on Tuesday placed center fielder Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a mild MCL sprain in his left knee.

Robert injured the knee when he made an awkward slide on a wet field during Sunday's 3-2, rain-shortened win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Before Tuesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Sox selected the contract of 32-year-old outfielder Tyler Naquin from Triple-A Charlotte. To make room for Naquin on the 40-man roster, the Sox transferred right-handed pitcher Jimmy Lambert (right ankle surgery) to the 60-day injured list.

With only six games to play in the regular season, Robert's 2023 campaign is over. That said, the 26-year-old had the best season of his career to date: Here are his accomplishments:

• 38 home runs
• 36 doubles
• 80 RBIs
• .542 slugging percentage
• 20 stolen bases
• 128 OPS+
• .857 OPS
• 4.9 bWAR
• 5.0 fWAR
• 13 outs above average in CF
• career-high 145 games played
• first career All-Star selection

It would be no surprise if Robert adds a Gold Glove or a Silver Slugger to this list after the season.

The hell of it is, Robert had the breakout season all Sox fans were hoping for, yet the team swirled down the drain anyway.

Robert's pursuit of the 40-homer mark was one reason to watch the final week of this season. That reason is now gone. Good luck drawing fans to the ballpark this week, Sox. No, I don't think Naquin will move the needle.

It's interesting that the Sox added a journeyman outfielder to the roster, instead of recalling Oscar Colas, isn't it?

White Sox send Oscar Colas to Triple-A Charlotte

Remember when the White Sox opened the season with rookie Oscar Colas as their starting right fielder in the middle of an alleged contention window?

Yes, that was a major mistake, and it's the type of misstep that contributes to a general manager's firing. Indeed, former general manager Rick Hahn is fired.

But while Hahn is gone, Colas remains in the organization. However, the 24-year-old Cuban outfielder's future is in doubt after he was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte for the second time this season before Monday's game against the Kansas City Royals was postponed.

Colas got off to a brutal start in April. He was sent to Charlotte the first week of May, after batting .211/.265/.276 over the season's first month.

He was brought back to Chicago on July 4. Since then, he's batting .219/.253/.331. His on-base percentage is actually lower in this bigger sample, and while we've seen a slight increase in slugging, no one is excited about four home runs and seven doubles over a two-month period from a player whose power is supposed to be his carrying tool.

The Sox are 19-47 in the 66 games Colas has started this season, and he's weighing down the team with more than just poor offense. 

Colas has been called out multiple times by manager Pedro Grifol for his poor decision-making in the outfield. On Sunday, he threw to third base on a single to right, failing to retire a Detroit runner who was headed to third, and allowing the batter to take an extra 90 feet into second base. On a later play, Colas nearly decapitated second baseman Elvis Andrus on a collision in shallow right, turning what should have been an out into a double.

This comes on the heels of a big mistake in the bottom of the ninth inning last Tuesday in Kansas City, when Colas threw to second base on a play where he needed to throw the ball toward home. The Sox eventually lost that game in walk-off fashion.

A lot of fans are very angry about the demotion of Colas, believing the Sox are bullying a younger player. 

But guess what? Colas isn't a big leaguer. Nobody likes his .571 OPS, but with the team out of the race, you could live with that if the player were correcting his mistakes and showing competence in other facets of the game.

Unfortunately, Colas is a poor hitter, a bad baserunner and an even worse defender. He should not have been the right fielder at the start of the season. He should not be the right fielder now, and he should not be the right fielder at the start of next season either. 

As Sox fans, we've been screaming about the need for more accountability. Well, here's some accountability for a player. Good. Now apply the same standards to the more veteran players on the team, who have been dogging it far too often.

The Sox need to make more decisions like this.

Catcher Carlos Perez is taking Colas' spot on the roster. The Sox also optioned pitcher Edgar Navarro to Triple-A Charlotte and recalled pitcher Deivi Garcia.

White Sox continue to have weakness in right field

Before Monday's game against the Los Angeles Angels, the White Sox made a swap of bench players. They optioned infielder Jose Rodriguez to Double-A Birmingham and recalled outfielder Adam Haseley from Triple-A Charlotte.

The Rodriguez move makes sense. The 22-year-old was called up June 19, but he only appeared in one game -- as a pinch runner. Given that manager Pedro Grifol apparently had no intention of using him, Rodriguez is better off getting regular at-bats in Birmingham and continuing his development.

But why recall Haseley? The 27-year-old appeared in 26 games with the Sox earlier this season and slashed .222/.282/.278. His numbers in Charlotte are fine -- a .796 OPS in 35 games -- but that reflects exactly what Haseley is: a Quad-A outfielder.

He's another guy the Sox can toss into their right field mix, but there's no rational reason to believe Haseley can move the needle at a position that has been a perpetual weakness for years.

Right now, Gavin Sheets and Clint Frazier are forming a platoon in right field, with the lefty Sheets playing against right-handed pitching, and the righty Frazier playing against lefties. If the Sox have a lead late on days when Sheets is playing, Frazier comes in because he is the superior defensive player.

But the main problem is neither man has been hitting:

Sheets in the month of June: .195/.298/.317 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and only 2 doubles in 17 games

Frazier in the month of June: .147/.275/.177 with only 1 double and 1 RBI in 18 games

As a matter of fact, Frazier has more walks (6) than hits (5) this month, and he is without a homer on the season. Right field is supposed to be a power position. The Sox are getting nothing of the sort.

Remember what happened in the offseason? The Sox did not address right field, believing rookie Oscar Colas was ready to man the position. It didn't work out early, as Colas batted .211/.265/.276 with only one homer and seven RBIs in 25 games before being optioned.

Colas has an .823 OPS in 43 games in Triple-A Charlotte. That's good, not great. BUT ... since June 13, he's posted a slash line of .295/.354/.613. He's homered three times in the past two days. He went 8 for 19 on the Knights' most recent homestand.

There's still plenty of upside in the 24-year-old Colas. Why not give him another shot in right field while he's hot? Wouldn't that be a more inspired use of a roster spot than the journeyman Haseley?

White Sox make 11 roster moves, beat Twins in 10 innings

Tim Anderson

Andrew Benintendi's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the White Sox to a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.

It took 30 games, but the Sox (9-21) have finally won two in a row for the first time in the 2023 season. But the biggest news of the day came during the afternoon, when the club announced a series of 11 roster moves.

In the 40-plus years I've been following this team, I don't think I've seen anything quite like it. I guess you might say it's indicative of the fact that things have not been going well. 

Let's take a look at the comings and goings.

Who's here?

• Tim Anderson (sprained knee) was activated off the 10-day injured list. He played shortstop and batted leadoff Tuesday night for the first time since suffering the injury April 10. The Sox went 3-15 during his 18-game absence.
• Hanser Alberto (groin strain) was activated off the 10-day injured list. He appeared in Tuesday's game as a late-inning defensive replacement and scored the winning run as the ghost runner in the 10th inning.
• Veteran right-hander Alex Colome had his contract selected from Triple-A Charlotte. Colome served as the Sox closer in 2019-20. He pitched two-thirds of an inning Tuesday night and gave up a game-tying solo home run to Minnesota's Nick Gordon.
• Outfielder Billy Hamilton had his contract selected from Triple-A Charlotte. This is also his second stint with the Sox. He was a member of the 2021 AL Central championship team. He appeared in Tuesday's game as a pinch runner in the ninth inning. He stole a base, but was stranded at third.
• Pitcher Sammy Peralta had his contract selected from Triple-A Charlotte. The 24-year-old has never pitched in the majors. He figures to be deployed as the second lefty out of the bullpen -- or maybe the first lefty, given how bad Aaron Bummer has pitched this season.

Who's gone?

• Veteran relief pitcher Joe Kelly was placed on the paternity list. This move was expected Tuesday.
• Right fielder Oscar Colas was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. The decision to give the 24-year-old rookie a starting job proved premature, as Colas batted .211/.265/.276 with only one home run in 25 games. He'll need to work on his plate discipline before he can return to the majors. Once again, right field looks like a sore spot for the Sox.
• Second baseman Lenyn Sosa was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. The 23-year-old is not ready for the big leagues at this time. He batted .151/.167/.245 in 16 games with one homer. With Anderson's return, Elvis Andrus moves from shortstop back to second base.
• Utility player Romy Gonzalez was placed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. A fake injury? You decide. Gonzalez is batting .139/.139/.194, and he's struggled at every position he's played defensively. Had he been optioned to Charlotte, no one would have batted an eye.
• Veteran reliever Jake Diekman was designated for assignment. The lefty was the only acquisition made by the Sox at last season's trade deadline, and he was a disaster. He had a 6.52 ERA in 26 games with the Sox in 2022. This year, he was 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA in 13 games. The evidence suggests the 36-year-old's career might be over.
• Minor league pitcher Franklin German was designated for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster for some of the additions noted above.

How much impact will these moves make? My thinking is that Anderson is the only one that moves the needle, but it's clear that Sox brass is shaking it up to try to save this sagging season. 

What else is there to do right now?

Michael Kopech sharp in spring debut

Fans and media shouldn't draw grand conclusions from spring training results. The main goal for pitchers, in particular, is to stay healthy and build stamina to get ready for the start of the regular season. If good results come during these outings, it's a bonus.

For White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech, his spring training debut Sunday afternoon against the Los Angeles Angels went just as you would hope. He worked three innings and retired all nine batters he faced in a game that finished in a 1-1 tie.

Kopech, who had offseason knee surgery, is being brought along slowly with the hope that he can start the Sox's home opener -- and fifth game of the season -- April 3 against the San Francisco Giants.

The plan for Kopech on Sunday was to throw about 45 pitches. The thought was he would pitch two innings. Fortunately, he only needed 23 pitches to get through the first two innings, which afforded him the opportunity to go out there one more inning.

Watching the outing, it appeared Kopech threw almost exclusively fastballs and sliders. I noticed only one changeup. His velocity topped out at 98 mph, which is terrific news. That's a sign that he's healthy.

The Sox need him to be healthy, and take the next step as a pitcher this season. He has top-of-the-rotation talent. Now's the time for him to live up to his potential.

The other piece of good news for the Sox involves outfielder Oscar Colas, who homered for the team's lone run Sunday. For Colas, it was his second home run in as many days, and he's batting .400 for the spring.

More importantly, he's only struck out once in 25 at-bats, and he's making good swing decisions at the plate. That was the question mark about Colas -- will he be a wild swinger, chasing everything? If not, he's ready to be the starting right fielder in Chicago.

So far, so good.

The Sox are 7-6-1 this spring.

White Sox sign 7 as international signing period opens

Major League Baseball's international signing period opened Sunday, and the White Sox have announced the signing of seven prospects from Latin American countries.

None of these guys are going to be familiar to fans in the U.S., so I won't pretend to have any inside information on any of them. The consensus seems to be that this group of seven players is a little underwhelming -- the Sox didn't sign any headlining prospects here -- but you never know when a diamond in the rough can be found.

Here are the seven players added, with their position, country and signing bonus:

1. Luis Reyes, P, Dominican Republic, $700,000
2. Abraham Nunez, OF, Dominican Republic, $700,000
3. D'Angelo Tejada, SS, Dominican Republic, $350,000
   
4. Rafael Alvarez, OF, Cuba, $300,000
5. Juan Uribe Jr., SS, Dominican Republic, $200,000
6. Albert Alberto, OF, Dominican Republic, $50,000
7. Denny Lima, P, Dominican Republic, $10,000

By all accounts, Reyes is the best prospect in the class. He's ranked No. 41 on the international Top 50 prospects list. According to an article written by The Athletic's James Fegan, who gets better information on these Latin prospects than most, Reyes is a 6-foot-3 right-hander with a "power fastball," slider and changeup.

The most recognizable name on this list is, of course, Uribe Jr. Yes, he is the son of former White Sox shortstop and World Series champion Juan Uribe. It is obviously way too soon to determine if he will be as good as his dad.

The Sox expect to add more signings in the coming weeks. Angelo Hernandez, a catcher out of Venezuela, is allegedly going to sign with the Sox for $500,000.

If Hernandez is added, the Sox are estimated to still have another $2.5 million to use in the international market. Those dollars can be spent anytime in 2023, or they could be traded to another club.

Worth noting: Sometimes these low-budget international prospects actually do amount to something. If you look at Baseball America's top 10 White Sox prospects right now, six of them come from the international pool -- outfielder Oscar Colas, third baseman Bryan Ramos, shortstops Jose Rodriguez and Lenyn Sosa, and pitchers Norge Vera and Cristian Mena.

As critical as I have been of the Sox in a lot of areas, international signings is one area where they've done a decent job -- despite their frugal ways.

Report: White Sox add Jake Marisnick to outfield mix

Jake Marisnick

Maybe the Charlotte Knights need outfielders? They probably do, especially if Oscar Colas is expected to start the 2023 season with the White Sox.

I'm just trying to think of reasons why the Sox are stockpiling veteran outfielders on minor league contracts. Earlier this offseason, they picked Victor Reyes and Billy Hamilton off the scrap heap. According to reports, they added 10-year veteran Jake Marisnick on a minor league deal over the weekend.

Marisnick, 31, is getting an invitation to spring training, and if he makes the club, he will reportedly earn a salary of $1.3 million.

We've asked the question before on this blog: If Luis Robert gets hurt at any point during the 2023 season, who plays center field?

Marisnick is a possible answer. He's always been a good defensive player. He can play any of the three outfield spots and do so in an above-average way.

Unfortunately, he's bounced around the league -- five teams since 2019 -- because he's never been a good hitter. His career slash line is .228/.281/.384 over 831 games. He's passable against left-handed pitching -- a career .704 OPS -- but he's struggled to a .640 OPS against right-handers over his career.

Injuries have also crept in. Thumb surgery limited Marisnick to only 31 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022. He batted. .234/.272/.390 with two homers, six doubles and six RBIs in 82 plate appearances.

Obviously, there's a reason he's available on a minor league deal. 

As we've noted, the Sox have question marks in the outfield once you get past Robert and free agent acquisition Andrew Benintendi. The rookie Colas is the presumptive favorite to play right field, and nobody knows who the fourth outfielder will be. 

Perhaps the Sox are counting on one of Reyes, Hamilton or Marisnick to win the job. I'd prefer a more solid option in a "win-now" season, but we know the Sox are prone to "knocking on wood" more often than not when it comes to matters of roster depth.

White Sox make Andrew Benintendi signing official

Andrew Benintendi

Andrew Benintendi is now wearing No. 23 for the White Sox. His signing became official Tuesday after he passed his physical, and the outfielder met with the media Wednesday afternoon.

The structure of the five-year, $75 million contract is notable. Benintendi receives a $3 million signing bonus, and the rest of it is backloaded:

• 2023: $8 million
• 2024: $16.5 million
• 2025: $16.5 million
• 2026: $16.5 million
• 2027: $14.5 million

We've discussed before how the Sox are bumping up against their self-imposed payroll limits for the 2023 season, so perhaps they convinced Benintendi to take a little less money in the first year of the contract in order to free up space to make one more free agent signing.

All of the big free agents are off the board now, but the Sox still have needs at second base, in the outfield and in the starting rotation.

We're hearing more talk of the Sox being satisfied with their internal options at second base and starting pitcher. I'm not satisfied, but my roster evaluations tend to be different than those of the Sox front office. 

But I digress.

Is there another outfield signing in the future? Perhaps the Sox would be interested in Adam Duvall, or some other right-handed hitting outfielder? 

It would make sense. The projected starting outfield is Benintendi in left, Luis Robert in center and rookie Oscar Colas in right. (Eloy Jimenez is a designated hitter, as far as I'm concerned.)

Victor Reyes and Billy Hamilton will be in spring training on minor league contracts, but neither man should be anything more than a fifth outfielder.

The Sox need a reliable fourth outfielder in case the rookie Colas struggles. Not to mention, they need a reliable fourth outfielder in the event that Robert gets injured again. We've yet to see Robert play 100 games in a season, so it only makes sense to have a sensible option in place should a backup center fielder be needed.

Right now, Colas is probably the backup center fielder, which isn't fair to the rookie. Or, maybe Hamilton is the backup center fielder, but frankly, he's not good enough to be trusted in that role.

I'd prefer a right-handed bat for the outfield, since Colas bats left. We'll see if the Sox have a move up their sleeve.

So long, Jose Abreu: Longtime White Sox first baseman headed to Houston

Jose Abreu

It's a bitter pill for White Sox fans to swallow, even though we knew it was coming.

Longtime first baseman Jose Abreu is leaving town. He's agreed to a three-year deal with the World Series champion Houston Astros. Terms of the contract have not been disclosed, but sources say Abreu will make about $60 million over the lifetime of the deal.

During his nine-year career with the Sox, Abreu appeared in 1,270 games and batted .292/.354/.506 with 243 home runs, 16 triples, 303 doubles and 863 RBIs. He posted five seasons of 30 home runs or more, six seasons of 100 RBIs or more, and he won the American League MVP with 19 homers and 60 RBIs in the COVID-shortened 60-game season in 2020.

For Abreu, Houston is a perfect fit. The Astros were ready to move on from Yuli Gurriel as their first baseman. Abreu, 35, will bat sixth in the Houston batting order -- behind Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker -- and he will not be expected to carry the team, like he was in Chicago.

This move also presents Abreu with his best chance to win a championship. The Astros have advanced to the AL Championship Series in six consecutive seasons. Four times, they have advanced to the World Series. Two times, they have won the World Series.

The Astros are actually "competing for multiple championships," unlike the Sox, who are established pretenders. 

So, it's a great move for Abreu, but where does that leave the Sox? 

Well, there isn't a single position player left on the Chicago roster who you can point to and say, "I know what that man is going to give me." Abreu was that guy, and now he's gone.

Go around the diamond, and you'll see that the Sox have a health question or a performance question at every position:

Catcher: Yasmani Grandal is coming off an injury-plagued season that was the worst of his career.

First base: How confident are you that Andrew Vaughn is ready to take Abreu's place?

Second base: We don't know who is playing second base for the Sox.

Shortstop: Injuries limited Tim Anderson to 79 games last season. He turns 30 in June.

Third base: Yoan Moncada was a combination of injured and bad throughout 2022.

Left field: We don't know who is playing left field for the Sox.

Center field: Because of injuries, Luis Robert had zero home runs and only two RBIs after the All-Star break in 2022.

Right field: Oscar Colas seems like he has a legitimate chance to win the job. Will he hit as a rookie?

Designated hitter: Injury questions have moved Eloy Jimenez from left field to full-time DH. Hey, he gets hurt running the bases, too, so hold your breath.

None of this inspires confidence, does it? Sure, Abreu's getting older, and his power has declined. But he's been the one guy the Sox can count on for years and years. Now, who are you leaning on?

What do we make of the Oscar Colas signing?

Oscar Colas

This will be a blog about baseball players whom I've never seen play before.

The White Sox signed two outfielders during the international signing period, 23-year-old Oscar Colas and 17-year-old Erick Hernandez.

Colas signed a $2.7 million deal, while Hernandez gets $1 million. Both these players bat left and throw left, but it's hard for a fan to know exactly what the Sox are getting.

Hernandez will most likely spend 2022 playing in the Dominican Summer League, and with him being a teenager, it will probably be years before he's on the radar as far as possibly being added to the 40-man roster.

Colas, however, is a different story. He comes with some degree of hype, as he has been called the "Cuban Ohtani" in the past. However, despite his ability to throw a 95-mph fastball, Colas will not be a pitcher in the U.S. He will be focused on playing outfield, and he will be playing ball in this country this season -- likely starting at Double-A Birmingham, from what I'm hearing.

One bit of concern with Colas: He hasn't played organized baseball since 2019. He's basically been in limbo, participating in "controlled games" in the Dominican Republic and waiting for the Sox to sign him -- the team didn't have the money available during last year's international signing period.

That said, the last time Colas played in a professional league, he more than held his own in Japan. He slashed .302/.350/.516 with 11 home runs, 19 doubles and 46 RBIs in 66 games for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Not bad at all, especially knowing the Japanese leagues produce some decent ballplayers and provide some decent competition.

Signing Colas is a worthwhile move in my book, especially since the Cuban players already in the organization should help ease his transition to a new country and a new culture.

The Sox certainly could use a power-hitting, left-handed corner outfielder. Only problem is, 2022 is a win-now season for the Sox, and it is not realistic to believe Colas can fill that hole immediately. Long term, is he a potential solution? Sure. You never know. I'll be interested to see how he looks whenever spring training starts.

However, this signing does not let the Sox front office off the hook. When the lockout ends, they still need to be active in free agency and trades and find a right fielder for 2022.