The White Sox have continued today’s sell-off by moving another reliever, this time to the Astros.
According to Jeff Passan, the White Sox have acquired catcher Korey Lee from the Astros in exchange for relief pitcher Kendall Graveman.
Graveman, 32, has had an up-and-down 2023 campaign, registering a 3.48 ERA and a 4.85 FIP in 44 innings. He joined the White Sox before the 2022 season and delivered a 3.18 ERA last year. Because this year has been far less successful, even with a year left on his contract, the White Sox still felt it best to send him back to the same team that he pitched for before his three-year contract on the South Side.
Lee is a fascinating return for the White, as he was drafted ahead of projections in the first round in 2019 by Houston. Since then, he appeared in 25 games for the Astros in 2022 before getting sent down after struggling. This year he boasts a .734 OPS with 5 homers and 12 stolen bases. MLB Pipeline rates Lee’s power at the plate and arm strength as his plus characteristics. Lee is currently on the injured list with an oblique strain and ranks as the Astros’ 29th-best prospect in their system.
Baseball America does give a nice report of the 25-year-old behind the plate:
“Behind the plate, Lee is far more of a sure thing, with a variety of average-to-plus skills. He is a an average framer based on the team’s internal metrics, an above-average blocker and a true 80-grade thrower. Lee’s arm is a real weapon against the running game. He is able to nab basestealers at a high rate with powerful and accurate throws, consistently clocking elite pop times on throws to second base.”
– Baseball America
For a reliever that hasn’t been as good as advertised, a high-upside player like Lee is certainly a nice addition to the White Sox. This likely means Yasmani Grandal could be among the next to go, though more importantly, gives the White Sox another option to look at behind the plate in the near term until Edgar Quero is ready to contribute at the major league level.
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