The White Sox introduced that they’ve signed infielder Bobby Dalbec to a minor league cope with an invitation to main league spring coaching. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reviews that Dalbec will make $1.25MM if within the majors with $500K of incentives out there to him as effectively. The CAA Sports activities shopper will even have alternatives to opt-out of the deal in June or July if not on the roster.
Dalbec, 30 in June, joins a brand new group for the primary time in his profession. He was drafted by the Purple Sox in 2016 and performed for that membership on the massive league degree for elements of the previous 5 seasons. The ebook on Dalbec is that he has energy potential however strikes out far too typically to utilize it. He has taken 1,044 journeys to the plate in his main league profession so far, hitting residence runs in 47 of these but additionally getting punched out 36.8% of the time.
That’s one thing that’s really gotten worse over time. He hit 25 residence runs in 2021 whereas placing out at a 34.4% clip, with the Purple Sox certainly hoping for that quantity to return down as he received extra massive league expertise. However he’s had 146 plate appearances over the previous two seasons and been set down on strikes at a large 48.6% clip in these. He was outrighted off Boston’s roster in September and elected free company at season’s finish.
The White Sox are a very good match for him, as there’s not a lot blocking his path again to the large leagues. Dalbec has largely performed first base in his profession however has additionally seen vital time at third, whereas making temporary appearances within the center infield and in proper area.
Chicago simply wrapped up the worst season of the fashionable period and has little or no settled in its place participant combine. Andrew Vaughn continues to be the primary baseman however his manufacturing has declined in every of the previous two years. Even when he bounces again, the White Sox are extremely more likely to commerce him since he can solely be retained through arbitration by 2026.
Veterans like Josh Rojas, Mike Tauchman and Austin Slater have been introduced in to shore up varied elements of the roster however any of them could possibly be reduce unfastened or traded all year long, relying on how issues go in 2025. Kids like Miguel Vargas, Bryan Ramos and Colson Montgomery can be allotted numerous future enjoying time however none of them are established within the majors simply but.
Regardless of the strikeouts, Dalbec has continued to supply within the minors. He’s had 956 Triple-A plate appearances over the previous three years with 58 homers. Although he had a 34.6% strikeout charge in that pattern, he additionally had an 11.8% stroll charge, a mixed batting line of .260/.358/.523 and a 121 wRC+. If he can carry a few of that as much as the majors with the White Sox, he has lower than three years of service time and may due to this fact be cheaply retained past this 12 months through arbitration if he has a roster spot at season’s finish. He’s now out of choices, nevertheless, which might make it tough for him to carry a roster spot even when he will get one.
