The lockout hasn’t stopped the White Sox from making minor league moves, and it appears that they’ve made yet another one.
This week, the White Sox signed infielder Jason Matthews to a minor league deal. This was first reported by Matthews himself during an appearance on the Auckland Tuatara baseball podcast.
Matthews, 24, played three years at the University of South Carolina Upstate after graduating from West Burlington High School. He finished his college career with a .319/.413/.400 slash line, with a career-high 20 doubles in 2021, and played all 119 of his games at SS.
Matthews finished his Junior College career in 2021, and instead of going the traditional draft route, played for the Great Falls Voyagers (former White Sox Affiliate) in the Pioneer League. Another White Sox minor league signing from this offseason – Ben Norman – also played with Matthews at Great Falls this year.
While in the Pioneer League, Matthews put up some solid numbers. He played 78 games, posting a .351/.448/.551 slash line with 8 homers – showing some true power for the first time in his career. He was named the International Player of the Year of the Pioneer Baseball League as well.
The White Sox have not officially announced this signing, meaning it will be some time before we get clarity on where Matthews will likely start within the organization. However, it’s safe to assume he will start his career at the A-ball level and hopefully work his way up to serve as a depth piece in some form.
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Featured Photo: USC Upstate Baseball (@UpstateBSB) / Twitter
