Unique defensive decision gives the White Sox more options this offseason

During the late innings of Sunday afternoon's game against the San Diego Padres, which also happened to be the last home game of the season for the Chicago White Sox, catcher Korey Lee found himself playing left field.

Lee, a 26-year-old that has played in 171 games for the White Sox over the last three seasons, had never played a defensive position other than catcher (and pitcher) in his Major League career.

You wouldn't know it based on his performance on Sunday. Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill flared a ball into foul territory in left field, immediately testing Lee. He covered a lot of ground before making an impressive sliding catch.

Given Lee's athletic ability, it's surprising that it has taken this long for him to find his way into the outfield. He's the 8th fastest catcher in baseball according to sprint speed on Baseball Savant (27.6 ft per second).

It's still unclear if Lee was only playing left field out of necessity - as Andrew Benintendi is dealing with an achilles injury and the White Sox had no more outfielders on their bench - or if this could be something he continues to explore long-term.

One thing's for sure. Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel are going to be the White Sox catching tandem for the foreseeable future.

If Lee is going to have a place on the 2026 roster, the availability to slide into a corner outfield position might be the thing that earns him a spot on the team. It also could give him more value in the trade market this offseason.

The White Sox should explore trading Korey Lee

Lee has shown enough potential to be a quality backup catcher in the big leagues. He just so happens to find himself on a team with two of the best young backstops in baseball.

It might make sense for the White Sox, who are deficient in other areas, to trade from their strong catching pool in the offseason.

Any team that needs catching help should have interest in Lee, and if he also has the versatility to play left field, that's a bonus.

Turning a rebuilding roster into a contending team is difficult, but one thing every good organization does is sell high on their assets. Lee's .762 OPS in 22 games this season and athletic feats in left field give Chicago every reason to cash in their chips now.