The Chicago White Sox hit on most of their prospects. Unfortunately, Zack Collins was not one of the ones that had much success. He was at or near the top of the White Sox organization’s prospect pool before making his Major League debut but never reached that potential.
He had some moments of triumph but never was able to truly impress enough to stick with the MLB team for good. Yasmani Grandal came in and became the full-time catcher while a guy like Seby Zavala passed him on the depth chart.
There is even Nick Ciuffo in the mix as he signed a Minor League deal. Since doing that, he impressed a bit to the point where people think he had the inside track to get signed to the MLB and be Grandal’s backup.
That was until a trade was made between the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. The White Sox sent Collins north of the border in exchange for Reese McGuire. He is now likely going to be the person that Chicago uses to be the backup catcher and in more of a defensive role.
The Chicago White Sox are hoping that they get something out of Reese McGuire.
He is a much better defensive catcher that can only hope to spark some offense. The White Sox needs someone who can be reliable when it comes to a defensive backstop as it was a big issue in 2021. If McGuire can help shore up that area of the game for the Sox, he will be a useful player.
Like Collins, McGuire is a former first-round pick that didn’t pan out as well for the Jays. Now, a change of scenery is happening for two guys who might need it. This is the chance for Toronto to try and get more out of a once highly-regarded young catcher.
The same will be said about the White Sox. This team is so deep that this is a chance worth taking right now. Grandal is the main catcher but this team just has a few better options with this guy coming in to try and prove himself. Hopefully, if anything, he gives them some defensive depth.