Maligned former White Sox top pick annoyingly resurfaces out of nowhere with Rays

There may not be a better symbol of the White Sox failed rebuild than former fourth-overall pick Nick Madrigal. The White Sox selected Madrigal early in 2018 knowing his limitations, but hoped he’d hit for enough contact that none of the flaws mattered, a microcosm of the team’s mentality during what was supposed to be a golden age of White Sox baseball. Madrigal lasted less than one full season on the White Sox roster before being traded away, and his flaws have become glaring in the years since. Still, he continues to receive opportunities. 

Madrigal, 29, has signed a minor league deal with the Rays just days after being designated for assignment by the Angels. The Angels gave him a shot in the big leagues despite middling results in Triple-A, more due to roster necessity. Madrigal surprisingly posted decent results in a 15-game sample, hitting .273 and walking more than he struck out. His limitations, however, remained in place, as Madrigal had just one extra-base hit in that span and his slugging percentage was under .300. With the Angels getting healthier, they had to make a tough decision regarding their roster, and Madrigal was chosen as the odd-man out. He elected free agency instead of accepting a minor league assignment, and landed a contract with the Rays the next day. 

Nick Madrigal's White Sox numbers were better than you think

I’ll admit, when I looked at Madrigal’s numbers with the White Sox, they were better than I expected. For as much deserved criticism as there is from White Sox fans about Madrigal, the results weren’t terrible. Madrigal hit .340 in 29 games during the shortened 2020 season, though he hit zero home runs and three doubles which limited his OPS to .745. He was off to a strong start in 2021 as well, hitting .305 with a .774 OPS before suffering a season-ending injury. Despite his strong numbers and injury, the White Sox dealt Madrigal to the Cubs at the deadline that season in the trade that brought them Craig Kimbrel. At the time, it felt like a hefty price to pay, but neither Madrigal or Kimbrel ever worked out on their new teams. 

On his new deal with the Rays, Madrigal was assigned to Triple-A Durham, but there’s a very good chance he sees another big league call-up in the near future. The Rays, currently in first place in the AL East, would offer Madrigal an opportunity with a contending organization that has a strong history of developing players, and it could be his best opportunity since leaving the White Sox in 2021. 

The White Sox organization has come a long way since Madrigal’s departure, and they’ve completely shifted their approach to the draft under Mike Shirley. Watching their former top picks fail is a stark reminder of the organizational failures over the years, and it’s a period of history the White Sox hope to never repeat. As the 2026 draft approaches and the White Sox get set to make their first overall pick, they should look at Madrigal as motivation to get this pick right. The future of the franchise depends on it.

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