Stop me if you’ve heard this before: The Chicago White Sox entered this past offseason needing to fill a hole in right field.
This time around, right field was not the most glaring need for the Sox, who were coming off a record-breaking 121-loss season in 2024. But the White Sox needing an answer in right field has become an evergreen dilemma.
Young outfielder Braden Montgomery, who was acquired from the Red Sox in the Garrett Crochet deal, has been a promising bat in the minor leagues with a defensive skillset that should profile well in right field. That said, Montgomery is just 22 years old, and he's at least a year or two away from joining the big league club.
The White Sox elected to go through free agency to fill the need in the short-term, signing veteran outfielders Austin Slater and Mike Tauchman early in the offseason. With Slater and Tauchman hitting from opposite sides of the plate, a platoon was in the cards for the two veteran outfielders.
Both veterans have been succesful when not battling injuries this season. Tauchman specifically has had a really positive impact on and off the field. It leaves Chris Getz with a really hard decision - but it's a good problem to have.
Mike Tauchman's MLB background
Tauchman, 34, is a familiar name to Chicago fans. He grew up in the Chicago suburb of Palatine and played his college ball at Bradley University. Tauchman was original drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 2013, and made his big league debut for them in 2017.
Before signing with the White Sox, Tauchman spent the previous two seasons with the Chicago Cubs. Tauchman’s calling card was his exceptional glove in the outfield and his ability to work the count for quality at-bats.
Tauchman was an above-average offensive player in each of his last two seasons. He had an OPS+ of 106 in 217 games with the Cubs. Tauchman's best offensive season of his career was with the Yankees in 2019, when he hit 13 home runs and put up an .865 OPS in 87 games.
The White Sox knew Tauchman would, at the very least, bring his solid glove and strong locker room presence to their young team. But they hoped for an offensive output similar to what he had shown in his more succesful MLB seasons.
Tauchman's success with the White Sox
2025 didn’t get off to the start Tauchman or the White Sox were looking for, as a Spring Training hamstring injury started him on the IL for the regular season. Tauchman was activated on April 6th, and began the season 4-for-10 with 2 walks before reaggravating his hamstring and landing back on the Injured List after just 3 games.
Tauchman finally got healthy again and was activated before the Sox series against the Rangers on May 23rd. Entering Tuesday’s game against Detroit, Tauchman has made 9 starts since his return from injury.
He has gotten at least one hit in eight (8) of those nine (9) starts, including four multi-hit games. He is 12-for-36 (.333) with seven extra-base hits (4 doubles, a triple, 2 home runs) over that span, as well. Tauchman’s OPS for the season now sits at 1.063.
Mike Tauchman has a 220 wRC+ and 0.8 fWAR in 12 games as a member of the White Sox. That’s just absurd man
— Julian (@Julian4948) June 2, 2025
A tough decision for the team
White it’s a very small sample size, this kind of production far exceeds the expectations for Tauchman coming in, and it raises a very interesting conversation about his trade value.
With an arbitration year still remaining in 2026, Tauchman is not playing on an expiring contract, so it could make sense for the White Sox to keep him around as a solid veteran presence on a team that will still be very young in 2026.
On the flip side of things, this first half tear potentially makes Tauchman a valuable trade asset. Luis Robert Jr.'s value has never been lower, and the Sox may be looking for other pieces they can move to get a solid return.
Realistically, Tauchman isn’t going to land the White Sox an elite haul of prospects in a trade, but a contending team looking for a versatile outfielder that hits left-handed will be hard-pressed to find one off to a better start than Tauchman.
It's a tough call for Chris Getz and the White Sox. Do they sell high to expedite the rebuild? Or do they hold on to the veteran outfielder for the leadership he brings on a daily basis?
While the front office figures that out, the Sox will rely on Tauchman to be a spark for an offense that has struggled all year. Whether he sustains his red-hot start or not, it’s great to see a hometown guy succeeding at the Major League level, especially for the hometown team. It isn't very often that a veteran free agent signing works out for the White Sox, so here’s hoping Tauchman can stay healthy and continue to produce. The White Sox definitely need it.