While the rest of the baseball world was focused on Shohei Ohtani signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, the Chicago White Sox and Atlanta Braves swung a trade.
The Sox acquired veteran catcher Max Stassi and cash in exchange for a player to be named later. Stassi had just been acquired from the Los Angeles Angels the day before.
Per White Sox reporter Daryl Van Schouwen on social media:
Stassi is owed $7 million in 2024, the bulk of which is expected to be paid by the Braves.
The 32-year-old backstop has played a decade in the big leagues with the Astros and Angels. He helped the Astros win the World Series during the 2017 season.
Stassi did not play at all in 2023 while recovering from a hip injury, and then because of a family matter. He will return in 2024 as a lifetime .212 hitter with 41 career homers.
This should be a good opportunity for Stassi. The White Sox don't figure to be in contention in 2024 so there should be some innings available for Stassi behind the plate. Furthermore, Stassi's veteran presence can help the White Sox developing pitching staff, and he can serve as a mentor to young catcher Korey Lee, who is a former top prospect who was acquired by Chicago during the trade deadline last year.
Chicago lost catcher Yasmani Grandal to free agency.
Stassi's most productive season at the plate saw him hit 13 homers in 2021. He played a career-best 102 games during the 2022 season with the Angels.
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