Kevan Smith
Kevan Smith returning to the Chicago White Sox could make some sense for 2022.
The White Sox already tried bringing back Adam Eaton for a reunion last season with disastrous results. Could Kevan Smith fare better in a return to the Southside?
Many fans forget that Smith was actually a solid player during his three-year tenure with the White Sox. In 2017, he batted .283 with 21 extra-base hits. The following season, he hit .292. He and Omar Narvaez combined for the best offensive numbers between every backstop in baseball.
The 33-year old has hit for average for the majority of his career. Heading into 2021, Smith had a career .272/.321/.384 slash line. However, Smith does not hit for much power. In six major league seasons, he has only hit 13 round-trippers.
In the 2020 offseason, he signed a minor-league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. Two weeks later he traded to the Atlanta Braves and logged 101 plate appearances. He hit just .165 with a 28.7 strikeout rate during that time and cleared outright waivers before electing for free agency last August.
Smith can still provide a lot of organizations with some catching depth and for a minor league deal, he is worth bringing in to compete for the job. He hasn’t hit the same since leaving Chicago so a return to Guaranteed Rate Field could be what he needs to revive his career.