3 difficult decisions the White Sox will need to make this offseason

Choosing a catcher

The latest news from the White Sox is that they have signed former Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado to a one-year deal. The 13-year veteran is coming in to help replace what the Sox are losing after not bringing back Yasmani Grandal who had been with the team for four years. Now, the White Sox have some decisions, tough ones, on who they are going to feature at catcher this year.

You can almost bet that they will have Maldonado as part of the catching “rotation”. The acquisition may also leave some wondering why they have replaced an aging catcher with another aging catcher. But for the money they spent, unless something drastic happens, you can be assured that Maldonado will be a part of the catching group this year. Max Stassi is likely to be the other catcher involved in the group this year. The ten-year veteran gives the White Sox another option but not a young one.

It’s time the White Sox developed some younger talent at the catcher position. This might be where a guy like Korey Lee, who is only 25 years old, comes into play and sticks with the team in some capacity. I can see him starting in the minors and then making his way up to the big leagues should Stassi or Maldonado get injured. Either way, the White Sox have some decisions to make with their catching corps this offseason to ensure that they are putting the right players in the right places and building for the future.