The Chicago White Sox are a team that’s really struggling right now. They are winning just a handful of games and cannot seem to find their rhythm. It appears it’s not for a lack of trying as the players seemingly try hard every time they are up to bat.
They just can’t generate enough offense when they are at the plate. The pitching has been a little less than desirable, except for a couple of guys that are really pulling their weight.
It’s just an unfortunate turn of events that has brought this team down to where it is, struggling to win and apparently out of the playoff picture.
One area that always seems to get some scrutiny by White Sox fans is the catcher position. People still love to criticize the money that the White Sox put out to sign Yasmani Grandal and what they have got in return.
And when backup Seby Zavala is in the game, people don’t criticize his time behind the plate as much as they criticize his time at the plate attempting to hit the ball. He’s not terribly consistent but he’s managed to come up big in some situations.
The White Sox have an interesting thing going on behind the plate.
Grandal is no spring chicken. He’s had his share of bumps and bruises and appears to be getting a little weaker as the season goes along. It’s easy to see that Grandal is starting to break down. Years of catching the ball and being in that catcher’s position have surely weighed on his body.
We may be seeing the last of Grandal in a White Sox uniform. At the end of this year, he will be a free agent and the White Sox may not end up spending any more money on him. He might find some work elsewhere but may end up heading into retirement.
Right now, Grandal is 34 years old and missing games at an ever-increasing rate. He may be more of a liability now than anything.
Zavala has his moments. He has been able to hit some home runs at key times but doesn’t do much else at the plate when he’s up to bat.
Where he excels, really, is behind the plate although he lets the occasional ball get by him (not entirely his fault thanks to some of the wild pitches we have seen).
He’s been fairly solid there this season. If he could just pick up his offense, the White Sox might have, at least, a solid backup catcher for the future.
I think Zavala will be in the mix next year at catcher for the White Sox. Whether or not he is the starter would remain to be seen but the White Sox will likely have him doing something with the team in 2024.
It would be wise for the White Sox to try to sign a veteran catcher in the offseason, someone that can complement the pitching staff well while being able to have a strong presence behind and at the plate.
There could be some talent out there available that the White Sox could use to help take care of their needs at the catcher spot.
We’ll look into that more as the season progresses.