White Sox fans will get a glimpse into their potential catching future throughout the rest of the year.
This afternoon, the club announced that they will call up catcher Korey Lee from Charlotte while optioning catcher Carlos Perez to Charlotte.
The 25-year-old catcher made his way into the White Sox organization near the trade deadline this year when Houston sent him in exchange for Kendall Graveman. Originally a first-round draft pick, Lee worked his way through the Astros system and appeared in 12 games for the Astros in 2022 before being sent back down.
In 2023, Lee appeared in 68 games for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Astros Triple-A affiliate. He slashed .283/.328/.406 with five home runs. Since making his way to Charlotte, he has appeared in 14 games, slashing .255/.309/.275. MLB Pipeline rates Lee’s power at the plate and arm strength as his plus characteristics. Lee was listed as the White Sox’s 18th overall prospect during MLB Pipeline’s midseason re-ranking.
Perez, 26, has been up and down with the team this season, showing some improvement offensively. In 30 plate appearances, Perez has hit .241/.267/.345, good for a .611 OPS. His catching skills are still up for debate, as he hasn’t had much of a sample size to work with. However, his +1 Catcher Stealing Runs Above Average is a point in his favor, though there isn’t much data to speak of on his blocking (-1 Blocks Above Average) or framing (0 Catcher Framing Runs) just yet.
Given this move and the expected departure of Yasmani Grandal this offseason, the White Sox appear most willing to give Lee the main chance to claim a long-term home behind the plate for himself with this opportunity.
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Featured Image: MLB Pipeline / Twitter
