The Chicago White Sox roster is locked and loaded. Nearly every position is accounted for and fans have already begun penciling in their opening day lineups. However, one position still has a large question mark. Who will be the backup catcher behind Yasmani Grandal?
The Chicago White Sox has some intriguing options to be the backup catcher.
After James McCann took his talents to Queens to play for the Mets it broke up the best catching tandem in baseball. Luckily for the White Sox, they still have plenty of internal candidates in Zach Collins, Yermin Mercedes, and Seby Zavala. They also spiced things up by adding Jonathan Lucroy to the mix. With Yasmani Grandal nursing a knee injury all four candidates have had ample opportunity to showcase their talents.
They say competition breeds excellence. So far it has brought out the best in all the catchers in camp making manager Tony La Russa’s decision a difficult one. Each has played well in the limited Spring Training action they have seen. The skipper discussed what he was looking for in a backup catcher once the season is underway.
"” If there’s one thing it is, it’s think and handle the pitching. That’s the number one. The great thinkers can really bring the best out of a pitcher, makes it tougher to hit. Thats the number one thing.”"
The Hall of Fame manager continued adding
"“It’s the receiving, the throwing, the hitting, there’s nothing that’s not important. But thinking, calling a good game, that’s priority number one.”"
With these priorities in mind, who has the inside track position? Unfortunately, La Russa has made it clear that carrying three catchers on Opening Day is highly unlikely. That means strap it down because only one man is coming out of this competition with a job. Here is a breakdown of each catcher and what they can bring to the table in 2021: