The Chicago White Sox had a lot of issues in 2022, but one of the biggest was the production they got from behind the plate. Four catchers saw time with the White Sox last season, Reese McGuire, Seby Zavala, Yasmani Grandal, and Carlos Perez. Their catchers combined for a -2.4 WAR, the 27th worst in the MLB, behind only the Reds, Astros, and Angels.
Their .315 slugging percentage as a unit ranked 25th in the MLB. No White Sox catcher hit more than five home runs. To make matters worse, the highest-paid player in franchise history was one of the culprits. Unfortunately, their defense was not much better. No team had more passed balls than the White Sox with 15. They also ranked 20th amongst catchers in performance by fielding runs with a -3 mark
There were only a few positive takeaways for the group. As a whole, the four would receive a D+ for their efforts. Let’s get into individual grades.
Reese McGuire
In an effort to upgrade the backup catcher position, Rick Hahn traded Zack Collins to the Blue Jays in exchange for Reese McGuire. McGuire was once a Top 100 prospect in baseball and was in need of a change of scenery. McGuire was a defense upgrade and threw out runners at a high clip the previous season. A skill White sox catchers lacked in 2021.
McGuire had only been with the White Sox for 53 games before getting moved once again. He was shipped to Boston at the deadline in exchange for Jake Diekman.
McGuire was a nonfactor offensively. He slashed .225/.261/.285 with just 10 RBIs and no home runs for the White Sox. However, what he lacked in production at the plate he made up for with his defense behind it. He had +7 defensive runs saved, caught runners stealing at a 31 percent rate, and received high pitch framing grades from Statcast.
The White Sox undoubtedly missed his defense, but they were trading from an area of strength at the time. After Yasmani Grandal landed on the IL, the White Sox called up Seby Zavala. Zavala surprised many with an impressive offensive output. The front office also assumed that Grandal would bounce back upon his return to the lineup.
While McGuire did his job defensively, the White Sox were not about to keep three catchers on the roster. Ultimately the decision came down to McGuire and Seby Zavala. The former first round pick was out of minor-league options. For a team mired with offensive inconsistency, the choice to keep Zavala was easy.
McGuire was a solid player during his time with the White Sox, but his offensive deficiencies cannot be overlooked.
Grade: C-
Seby Zavala
Seby Zavala was the best catcher of the bunch. He appeared in 61 games, starting 58 of them behind the plate. Zavala slashed .270/.347/.382 with an 107 OPS+. This came just a year after he hit .182 and struggled at the plate.
Zavala admitted that he nearly ruined his swing by trying to play through the pain in his hand the previous year. It took him two years to shake the habits he developed while dealing with the discomfort. It was nice to see what Zavala could do when fully healthy.
But the Fort Hood native only hit two home runs and 21 BRIs in 2022. The fact that he was Tony La Russa’s best offensive catcher is more of an indictment of the roster than an endorsement for Zavala.
He was a solid defensive catcher. The 29-year-old pitch framing ranked amongst the top four percentile, while his pop time was slightly above league average.
While 2022 represented Zavala’s best stint in the major leagues, he may still need to battle Carlos Perez for a roster spot next season.
Grade: C+
Yasmani Grandal
Yasmani Grandal is the highest-paid player in franchise history. His 2022 season alone makes his four-year deal worth 73 million look like a lousy investment, regardless of what he does next season.
To say Grandal was bad is an understatement. In 387 at-bats, he hit just five home runs and drove in 27. He slashed .202/.301/.269 with a .570 OPS. His walk rate still ranked in the top nine percent of the MLB, but it dropped 11.2 percent from the previous year. Meanwhile, the 34-year-old barrel percentage was the lowest of his career at 4.8 percent.
With the shift being banned next season, Grandal should increase his average. It would be hard to see him having another season with such low production, but the power numbers need to improve. The switch-hitting Cuban is one of the slowest players in baseball, so while getting on base is great, he often clogs the basepaths.
Another issue was his defense. Grandal has always been a solid defensive catcher. Just two years ago, most metrics considered him the best defensive catcher in baseball. But in 2022, his pop time ranked amongst baseball’s worst in the bottom one percentile. His eight passed balls were also second most in the MLB.
Injuries played a factor. Grandal spent some time on the IL. At the beginning of the year, it didn’t look like his legs were fully recovered after off-season surgery. But when you make as much money as Grandal, your excuses don’t carry as much weight.
Grade: F
Carlos Perez
Carlos Perez got his first taste of big-league action in 2022, even if it was only 18 plate appearances. Perez went 4-for-18 with two RBIs and two doubles.
The 26-year-old could challenge Zavala for the backup catcher job in 2023. He turned some heads as a non-roster invitee to Spring Training in 2021, then continued to impress by belting 13 home runs and earning a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte by the end of the season.
This year Perez batted .254 with a .766 OPS, 76 RBIs, and 21 home runs in Charlotte. His 21 home runs in Charlotte are more than all three White Sox catchers combined in the majors.
Given his limited playing time in Chicago, it is hard to give him a fair grade. But getting promoted to the show after a great season in the minors has got to count for something.
Grade: C
