In the subsequent days following the departure of Luis Robert Jr. in exchange for Luisangel Acuna and Truman Pauley, the White Sox signed 1B LaMonte Wade Jr. to a minor league contract. This signing is the most recent in a flurry of minor signings within the past weeks.
Wade first made a name for himself in 2021 as the primary first-baseman of the San Francisco Giants, a team that won 107 games and the only non-Dodgers NL West division title since 2013. In that season, Wade put up a respectable 117 OPS+ en route to finishing 21st in NL MVP voting. He looked to follow up his breakout campaign with another strong showing, but 2022 would ultimately be a disappointment, as he battled injury and only played in 77 games. 2023 and 2024 would go on to be nearly identical seasons, both campaigns in which he slashed a 120 OPS+ and an OBP north of .370. Unfortunately, 2025 was a major struggle for Wade, as he was DFA'd by the Giants in June after early season struggles and spent the remainder of the season with the Los Angeles Angels. Despite the disastrous season, there is still one thing he does at an elite level: he gets on base.
Wade has been no stranger taking walks, and his OBP has often been 100 points higher than his batting average. His impeccable eye led to a 15.5% walk rate in 2024, good for 99th percentile in all of MLB. He paired that with strikeout rate in the 73th percentile and chase rate in the 94th. Likely his last chance to prove he's still a major league talent, the White Sox aren't taking much of a risk on the 32-year-old infielder, but the deal still has a potential upside. His path to regular at bats in Chicago is unclear, but the White Sox clearly see talent that's worth bringing into camp.
LaMonte Wade Jr. goes back-to-back with Jorge Soler. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/IuzU1q7Jmk
— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2024
RHP Tyson Miller's last big league season was a tremendous success
The White Sox also signed RHP Tyson Miller to a minor league deal, notable for his 171 ERA+ in 2024 with the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs. While not an overpowering pitcher, he put up a very respectable 5-1 record with 54 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched. A left hip impingement kept Miller from pitching in the majors in 2025, so his future production is certainly a question mark. Luckily, Miller has an arsenal that relys heavily on break and location rather than velocity, and known for getting outs via the groundball rather than strikeout.
If Miller can be even 75 percent of what he was in 2024, this signing would go down as a major success. If he stays up with the club and puts up good production, he'll likely be a deadline piece that could be used to attract more prospects. Miller should compete for a spot in the White Sox bullpen in Spring Training, and the team certainly hopes to unlock his success from 2024.
The White Sox also agreed to terms with several international players, as well as a pair of undrafted right-handed pitchers to fill out the lower levels of their minor leagues. Other reported recent signees include LHP Rylan Kaufman and IF Darren Baker, who are unlikely to crack the 26 man roster out of Spring Training, but could reach Chicago at some point in 2026.
Whether any of these recent minor league signings with play a role on the 2026 White Sox remains to be seen, but a recent history of success certainly indicates the White Sox desire to chase upside. An unexpected breakout could be a massive development in Chicago.