White Sox Sign Former All-Star First Baseman
The White Sox have added first baseman Jared Walsh to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. Walsh is expected to report to Arizona before being assigned to the Charlotte Knights.
Walsh has spent his first five seasons in the MLB with the Angels before joining the Rangers this offseason. He cracked the Texas Rangers Opening Day roster by producing a .827 OPS during Spring Training.
The 30-year-old was waived by the Rangers in April after hitting just .226 with one home run in his first 53 at-bats. He struck out in 35% of those at-bats but did manage to produce an 11.5% walk rate. The Rangers decided to jettison him from the roster while he was in the midst of a slump as Nathaniel Lowe inched closer to a return.
Walsh owns a career .226/.317/.321 slash line with 59 home runs, 191 RBIs, 1.5 WAR, and 101 OPS+. The Georgia native was named an All-Star in 2021 after hitting a career-high 29 home runs and 98 RBIs. While he has struggled so far he has one of the hardest-hit balls in the MLB this season at 112.5 mph.
He gives the White Sox organization another left-handed bat. Walsh can also play right field but has spent the bulk of his time at first base logging 344 games there compared to just 29 in right field. He is considered a below-average defender by most metrics. Walsh is currently tied for fourth amongst American League first in errors with two.
The move doesn’t fit White Sox general manager Chirs Getz’s theme of targeting defensive upgrades this offseason. But after a horrendous start to the season, Getz has been adding veterans to try and bolster the team’s depth while avoiding the dubious distinction of the worst record in MLB history. It is hard to see where Walsh will find playing time if he is called up to the big leagues. Andrew Vaughn is struggling but it seems unlikely the team will move off their former first-round pick this year. Meanwhile, his backup, Gavin Sheets has been one of the most productive hitters on the team in April.