The White Sox have found themselves some minor-league depth with major-league experience.
According to Robert Murray, the White Sox have signed second baseman Hanser Alberto to a minor-league deal that will likely include an invitation to Spring Training.
Alberto, 30, was well-liked in his one season in Los Angeles. He is also a former Royal, so perhaps Pedro Grifol and his staff enjoyed Alberto when he was on the team in 2021.
Alberto is a career .272/.294/.380 hitter who has shown the ability to play all over the field (1B, 2B, SS, 3B, LF, and RF) in his career. He grades out average to below-average defensively, though he did post +2 Outs Above Average (OAA) with the Orioles at second base in 2019. His best season was in fact that 2019 season in Baltimore, in which he hit .305/.329/.422 in 139 games.
In 73 games with the Dodgers last season, Alberto hit .244/.258/.365, good for a 73 wRC+.
It is likely that Alberto has been brought in to provide the White Sox with some insurance at the second base position. While the team has signaled that Romy Gonzalez and Lenyn Sosa are likely to battle it out for the second base job to start the season – with Leury Garcia serving as a backup – Alberto can come in and provide some competition at the position without blocking Gonzalez and Sosa from getting their chance to show they can produce at the major league level.
This likely won’t preclude the White Sox from continuing to look for areas to improve, as this is just a minor-league deal, but these sorts of deals are what should probably be expected from a second base perspective throughout the remainder of the offseason. At both second base and right field, the White Sox seem comfortable with their rookie options with enough insurance to make sure they have backup options – however uninspiring – should any of their rookies begin to struggle.
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This is bs. Give Andus a contract and let him play 2nd!!
More non competitive moves by a team that will finish 3rd in a weak division… Way to go Hahn !!
Terrible organization from top to bottom and they don’t recognize talent. The blind leading the blind.. don’t waste your time or money on these clowns…
Can’t agree more… anyone who pays for tickets now is sucker. Ebenezer Jerry only cares about his balance sheet. Nothing will change until he dies and Sox get now ownership.
Sorry. I support the team in good and bad times. Not a fair weather fan!
What could Jerry Reinsdorf be gunning for? He has owned the Chicago Bulls since 1985. The White Sox since 1981. No doubt Jerry is an NBA Hall of Fame owner. Longevity in baseball might bring an MLB Hall of Fame nod. He, I believe, would be the first two-major sport Hall of Fame owner. Enshrinement.
Another round of dumpster dives…
Solid signing. Has a bat. Minor league money. Minimum in the bigs. These are the things that build winning. Grifol will make this team competitive.
I believe Sox bats will be lively. Sox pitching will be solid.
How about contacting the Cubs & trying to get Nick Madrigal back? They don’t have a job for him, probably wouldn’t take much.
So hard to be a fan of this team right now. Letting there window close without even trying on there end. Life long fan though. But not going to any games or buying no merchandise.
What’s the point. No better than what they have now.