It wasn’t long ago that the White Sox lineup finally got back to full strength. Munetaka Murakami and Kyle Teel both recently recovered from their respective leg injuries in mid-July, allowing Will Venable to roll out the fully complete lineup he expected to have on Opening Day.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the injury bug to hit again. Teel left last night’s game after suffering a non-contact injury at home plate that was initially described as an ankle injury. Following further evaluation, the White Sox announced this afternoon that he was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left ankle sprain, with Edgar Quero being recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to replace him. This ankle issue is the third separate injury Teel has had this season after already spending time on the shelf earlier in the year because of a right hamstring strain and an LCL sprain in his right knee.
Considering the circumstances, it feels like Teel and the White Sox dodged a bullet and avoided the worst case scenario. Still, this new injury development raises a new question for Chris Getz and the rest of the White Sox front office to consider ahead of the trade deadline: what to do about the catching position with Teel being a question mark and his recovery timeline up in the air.
Internal Options
The most obvious place to start looking is internally. Drew Romo has been on the big-league roster for most of the season and Edgar Quero spent a large chunk of the season with the White Sox as well. While they have done an admirable job managing a pitching staff, their offensive production has left a lot to be desired. Both are hitting under .200 and the team ranks dead last in MLB in catcher bWAR largely because of them. They will likely hold down the fort in the short term over the next few weeks, but it’s difficult to envision them remaining the club’s catching tandem beyond the trade deadline.
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Korey Lee and Michael Turner are currently in Triple-A with the Charlotte Knights and provide additional internal options. Lee has spent his fair share of time with the White Sox in recent years, but seems to have fallen out of favor recently as the team already designated him for assignment in late March only for him to clear waivers. Turner, a 27-year-old left-handed hitting catcher who was the White Sox ninth-round pick in 2022, is hitting .311 with an .882 OPS in 180 plate appearances with the Knights. He has put himself on the radar and could be a name to watch if they choose to give someone else a chance.
Emerging Prospect
In Double-A, Boston Smith has also put himself on the radar. Acquired from the Nationals in the Curtis Mead trade in late March, the 23-year-old left-handed hitting catcher has broken out since joining the White Sox organization. He has 20 home runs across three minor league levels this season, including six in just 12 Double-A games with a 1.382 OPS for the Barons entering the day. His production can’t be denied, but it seems unlikely that the organization would rush his development and promote him to the big leagues during a playoff hunt.
Rental Market
The next catcher demographic to assess is the rental market, where three names stand out. Ryan Jeffers of the Twins, Tyler Stephenson of the Reds, and Jonah Heim of the A’s are all free agents after the season and would provide a short-term solution behind the plate for the White Sox without requiring a heavy prospect cost.
Jeffers has been the most productive player of this group this season, but it seems unlikely that the Twins would trade him to a team ahead of them in the division even as a rental. The right-handed hitting Stephenson has been roughly league average offensively this season and is an elite blocker behind the plate, while the switch-hitting Heim has nine home runs on the season and has mashed lefties. With both on reasonable contracts for 2026 and free agents after the season, either makes sense if the White Sox want to strengthen the catching position without giving up a haul of prospects.
Defensive Specialists
There are also several defensive specialist catchers that could be available. Luis Torrens of the Mets, Tyler Heineman of the Angels, Elias Díaz of the Rangers, and Freddy Fermin of the Padres fit in this group. No one in this veteran foursome would provide any meaningful upgrade with the bat over what the White Sox have internally, but all are elite defensive catchers who can handle a pitching staff and provide value behind the plate. This tier makes sense if the White Sox are willing to sacrifice offense for defense at catcher, similar to how the Guardians construct their catching tandem with Austin Hedges and Patrick Bailey. Kyle Higashioka of the Rangers, Christian Vázquez of the Astros, and Jose Trevino of the Reds are other veteran options with experience who shouldn’t cost too much in terms of prospects.
Controllable Catchers
If the White Sox want to put more resources into the catcher position, a couple of candidates with team control stand out. Adley Rutschman of the Orioles will not be a free agent until after the 2027 season, while Francisco Alvarez of the Mets won’t reach free agency until after 2029. Either of these options would represent substantial offensive upgrades for the White Sox, but would cost more in prospect currency because they aren’t rentals. Rutschman in particular stands out because of his pedigree and ability to switch hit. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the Orioles are listening to offers on Rutschman, but the asking price certainly won’t be cheap.
Dream Acquisitions
Hunter Goodman of the Rockies and Shea Langeliers of the A’s make up the last tier of dream targets. Both right-handed-hitting backstops were All-Stars this season and are among the best catchers in baseball, but play for teams that could potentially trade them to accumulate prospect assets. Goodman has three and a half seasons of team control left, while Langeliers has two and a half seasons of control. Either would require enormous prospect packages to obtain but would turn the biggest weakness in the White Sox lineup into a strength. Given that adding starting pitching remains the biggest priority, I wouldn’t expect Chris Getz to make a serious offer for either of them. Nevertheless, they remain intriguing options to keep an eye on.
Final Verdict
Considering all the options and the circumstances that come with each, the choice is pretty simple to me. As much as Rutschman, Goodman, or Langeliers make sense for the White Sox and would improve the team, the prospects that would be needed to trade for them are better used to address the starting rotation. Teel still figures to be an integral part of the future of this team moving forward, so I don’t think it makes sense to give up a substantial prospect package for another catcher.
With that in mind, Tyler Stephenson or Jonah Heim stand out as the ideal fits in my opinion. They are clear offensive upgrades and represent experienced catchers who are capable of playing in meaningful games. Add in the fact that they are rentals, and either would provide a meaningful short-term upgrade for this season while allowing Teel to reclaim his starting spot when he is ready to return. In any case, there are no shortage of options for the White Sox to assess over the next two weeks.
