The White Sox have designated infielder Josh Rojas for assignment and recalled catcher Korey Lee from Triple-A Charlotte, the team announced on Friday.
Rojas was among several veterans that the White Sox acquired this offseason. Despite owning a .225 batting average in 142 games with the Mariners last season, Rojas checked several boxes for general manager Chris Getz. In his first six MLB seasons, he owned a 10% walk rate and one of the lowest chase rates in baseball at 22%. He also provided defensive flexibility with experience at third base and both middle infield positions.
But Rojas missed the start of the season after fracturing his right big toe in Spring Training, and failed to get into a rhythm at the plate once he returned. In 189 plate appearances, he hit just .180 with a .511 OPS. During that stretch, he had just 11 RBIs, four stolen bases, and a pair of homers.
Rojas’ defense didn’t strengthen his case either, as the 31-year-old posted a -7 Outs Above Average and committed five errors at third base.
The promotions of Chase Meidroth and Colson Montgomery further squeezed his opportunities up the middle. With Lenyn Sosa swinging the bat well and Miguel Vargas handling most of the work at third, finding at-bats for Rojas became increasingly difficult.
Rojas signed a one-year deal worth $3.5 million that was laced with incentives. The deal allowed him to earn $100,000 if he played in 90 games and an additional $100,000 for every ten games after that, up to 130. The White Sox DFA’d him after just 69 games played. He also could have made $100,000 if he had logged 300 plate appearances, a mark he fell 89 short of.
Korey Lee will get another chance with the big league club after being sent to the minors after just 14 games played this season. The promotions of Edgar Quero and the veteran presence of Matt Thaiss pushed him off the roster at the time. Once Thaiss was traded to Tampa Bay, the White Sox opted to promote their top catching prospect, Kyle Teel, who has been splitting time behind the plate with Quero ever since.
While Lee’s future with the team is murky, he has posted a respectable .717 OPS with eight homers and 28 RBIs in 55 games in Charlotte this season. Lee has never been much of a hitter in the majors with a career slash line of just .192/.300/.357 and a near 30% strikeout rate. But he did connect for 12 home runs in 2024 and showed signs he could be a viable backup catcher.
Lee made strides defensively over 125 games last season, ranking fifth in the American League with 25 runners caught stealing, though he also led the league in passed balls. How many chances he gets behind the plate this time may depend on the continued play of Teel and Quero.
The White Sox 40-man roster currently sits at 38, leaving the door open for some more moves.
