Pressing White Sox trade deadline need is growing more difficult to address by the day

The White Sox catching woes were on full display once again in Monday’s series opener against the Yankees. With Jazz Chisholm on second base, Quero lazily tossed the ball back to pitcher Chris Murphy during the fourth inning, and Chisholm took advantage, swiping second base. He’d later go on to score a crucial run. A few innings later, Quero’s pickoff attempt at second base went into center field, giving the Yankees an extra base and ultimately, another run. It seems like each and every day, a White Sox catcher commits a truly brutal mistake, and it’s become blatantly obvious that the White Sox need help behind the plate. The problem is, not a ton of help may be attainable. 

In case you haven’t been paying attention, White Sox starting catcher Kyle Teel suffered an ankle sprain last week against the Rangers that may end his season, leaving the team with Drew Romo and Edgar Quero as their catching options. According to a report from Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the White Sox recognize the need and are “Working hard” to add a catcher. In a previous post, I outlined three rental catchers that could be options, but some complications have arisen. 

The White Sox catching interests have gotten more complicated in recent days

First on my list was Athletics catcher Jonah Heim. The 31-year-old has a .700 OPS in 59 games this season, and prior to this week, didn’t have a clear role in the Athletics lineup. An injury to starting catcher Shea Langeliers could change the plans, however. Langeliers may miss the rest of the season, and Heim is now thrust into the starting job. The Athletics aren’t going to make the playoffs, but it’s difficult on your pitching staff to get rid of both catchers in the middle of the season. Heim is an impending free agent, so surely the A’s are open to moving him for the right price, but it may be a much higher price than it was before. Similar logic applies to Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson. Though there hasn’t been an injury affecting his role, Stephenson’s price may be going up due to the injury to Langeliers decreasing the supply. With the Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox in the market for a catcher, the competition is going to be steep, and the quality options are diminishing. 

Another name tied to the White Sox in recent days is Mets catcher Luis Torrens. Primarily a backup for Francisco Alvarez, Torrens is known as an excellent defender behind the plate with limited offensive output. Still, his .611 OPS would be an improvement over the offensive output from Drew Romo and Edgar Quero, and his defense would certainly be an upgrade. The issue for the White Sox is control. Torrens is signed for 2027 for $4.75 million and for 2028 at $6.75 million, making him an affordable option behind the dish for the next two seasons. Because of this contract, the Mets are not incredibly open to moving him. New York has had an abysmal season, but with a ton of talent on the roster and an ownership group not afraid to spend money, they aren’t likely to embark on a full rebuild and trade away too much controllable talent. 

There’s no doubt in my mind that Chris Getz and the White Sox are aware of the team’s shortcomings at the catcher position and are exploring avenues to improve it. But adding at a premium position may be more complicated than initially thought. With six days to go until the trade deadline, there’s still plenty of time for things to change. Will the White Sox ultimately convert on a deal to add a catcher? Who knows. But fans can feel comfort knowing they’re trying.

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