Patrick Wisdom is no longer going to hit home runs at Wrigley Field, but that does not mean he should stop crushing dingers in Chicago.
The Chicago White Sox lineup needs hitters who can put the ball in the air, and now that Wisdom has been let go by the Cubs, this a cost-effective veteran the Southside team should sign.
Wisdom's slash line was not great in 2024 (.171/.237/.392), and he hit just eight home runs. His advanced stats were still good for a power hitter. It is better when you compare his barrel or hard-hit percentage to Andrew Vaughn.
Wisdom would be a much better first-base option for the White Sox in 2025 than Vaughn because Patrick can put the ball in the air.
Wisdom's flyball percentage was 66% last season, and his career is 51.6%. Vaughn's career flyball percentage is 38.2% and was 45.8% last season.
That is not going to cut it at Guaranteed Rate Field. Wisdom is also a net-neutral defender, whereas Vaughn is a negative defender.
Also, MLBTradeRumors.com projects Wisdom would have gotten $3 million in arbitration had he not been designated for assignment. Vaughn is supposed to get at least $6 million. Since Vaughn has been nothing but a replacement-level player for the past four seasons, the Sox could save a couple of million bucks and get power from first base again.
From 2021-2023, Patrick Wisdom averaged over 25 homers a year for the Cubs, all while making a smidge over league minimum and being a top-tier clubhouse presence.
— Alex Cohen (@voiceofcohen2) November 20, 2024
All the best to Patrick. He deserves it. https://t.co/KLht5MJuEA
The new director of hitting Ryan Fuller wants more players who will hit the ball hard and will lift it. Wisdom would fit that new philosophy. Vaughn has shown he is inconsistent at best when it comes to crushing the ball or even driving it into the gaps.
Plus, Wisdom is a good clubhouse guy, and the White Sox front office is always looking for good character players.
White Sox should bring in Patrick Wisdom IMMEDIATELY.
— Shane Riordan (@shane_riordan) November 20, 2024
Maybe last season was an indication that Wisdom is going to turn back into a pumpkin, and he will no longer crush double-digit home runs. The other drawback to Wisdom is he will strike out a lot.
Since winning is not expected, having a player who goes for all or nothing is not a terrible addition to the roster.
This team is claiming poverty and needs power. Wisdom would address lowering the payroll and hitting the ball deep where Vaughn is adding more unnecessary costs while not providing much power or anything else that is exceptional.