Where Does Korey Lee Fit In The Chicago White Sox Roster?

The Chicago Whtie Sox are not devoid of talent at the catcher position.

You have the top two catchers on the team, Max Stassi and Martin Maldonado. Then you have a guy that some people may have forgotten about or given up on in Korey Lee.

Lee made his debut in the majors towards the end of last season with the Whtie Sox and, aside from his batting, was a decent option at catcher. Sure, he had a hiccup or two but overall, he was solid behind the plate.

Now we are in 2024 and wondering just where Lee might fit in with this team.

I must be blunt, it’s not with the major league squad. The talent ahead of him, including Stassi and Maldonado, is too good. Unless there is an injury to one of those two in Spring Training, or they are a complete and total bust, Lee is going to start his 2024 season in the minors.

But that might not be all that bad.

If it’s seasoning you want, that’s what you get in the minor leagues. Players “grow up” and become much more adept to the majors in the minor leagues. Lee needs just a little more time to grow before he can be considered a full-time player in the major leagues. Now, if someone gets hurt, I could see him as a temporary solution but a permanent one, not quite yet.

As previously stated, Lee had a rough start to his career at the plate for the White Sox. His slash line in 2023 was .077/.143/.139 in 65 at-bats. He had one home run and drove in zero runs. That’s not great for someone who is trying to stick with the team and earn himself a roster spot (for the next year).

That’s why the White Sox brought in Stassi and Maldonado. The departure of Yasmani Grandal, as well as Lee’s struggles at the plate, forced them to do something to shore up the catcher position. Lee was and still is not the long-term answer.

But his defensive prowess is decent enough he could be considered as a fill in should someone get injured. I believe that Lee will be one of the best defensive catchers in the minors and will end up being just as solid in the majors. He just needs time.

Lee has been in the minor league system since 2021 so he’s got a few minor league games under his belt. With a little more experience, he could easily be in the Whtie Sox catcher rotation next year. But he is slated to fill in this year should he need to.

It’s going to be exciting to watch Lee “grow up” and get better. He’s got a little way to go and I wouldn’t expect him to be ready for permanent duty in the majors for a year or two but this 25-year-old may surprise some people and end up being a star at some point.

I would not bet against him.