In the midst of the White Sox’s offseason, their attention has largely been on potential trades. However, they recently acquired outfielder Dominic Fletcher from the D-Backs. The exchange involved sending pitching prospect Cristian Mena to Arizona in order to evaluate Fletcher, which has given him a strong chance of securing a starting position in camp.
General manager Chris Getz informed reporters that Fletcher has the advantage in the competition for the right field position. If he successfully secures the spot, it will be his first Opening Day job. Fletcher made his MLB debut towards the end of last April.
During his time with the Arizona team, Fletcher didn’t receive much opportunity in the major leagues. He played in 28 games and displayed a respectable .301/.350/.441 performance in his first 102 plate appearances. For the majority of the year, Fletcher played in Triple-A Reno where he achieved a .291/.399/.500 batting average with 10 home runs in 334 plate appearances. He maintained a modest strikeout rate of 18.6% and an impressive walk rate of 12.6%.
Throughout his professional career, the 26-year-old has consistently exhibited above-average offensive skills. In four minor league seasons, he holds a .295/.366/.474 line. However, it’s important to note that this performance often occurred in hitter-friendly environments against younger competition. Consequently, many evaluators believe he is better suited as a supplementary outfielder rather than a regular starter. Following the trade, Baseball America ranked him as the #20 prospect in the Chicago system.
Despite these projections, the White Sox are providing Fletcher with the opportunity to exceed expectations. Last season, they had the weakest right field group in MLB, with a batting line of .219/.271/.344 and subpar defense. Oscar Colás, a highly regarded prospect, struggled with a disappointing .216/.257/.314 slash line in his first 75 MLB games. Gavin Sheets didn’t fare much better with a .203/.267/.331 mark. Both Colás and Sheets have the option to be sent back to Triple-A Charlotte without being placed on waivers, as they still have minor league options available.
Apart from Fletcher, the White Sox haven’t made significant additions to their short-term outfield mix. They acquired Zach DeLoach from the Mariners, who is currently on the 40-man roster but has yet to make his MLB debut. DeLoach had an impressive showing in Triple-A last year with a .286/.387/.481 performance, hitting 23 home runs but also striking out at a concerning rate of 27.8%. Kevin Pillar, Rafael Ortega, and Brett Phillips are also present in camp as non-roster invitees. Pillar, being a right-handed hitter, may have the best chance of securing an MLB job among the three. Fletcher, DeLoach, Colás, and Sheets all bat from the left side.
The remaining two outfield positions at Guaranteed Rate Field are already filled. Luis Robert Jr. is a key player in center field, while Andrew Benintendi, despite a challenging first season in Chicago, will have the opportunity to bounce back in the second year of his record-breaking $75MM free agent contract.
According to the Source mlbtraderumors.com