The White Sox added to their outfield depth once again this week, signing Mark Payton to a minor-league deal and assigning him as a non-roster invite to Spring Training. This move was first noticed on Payton’s MLB transactions page.
Payton, 30, is a Chicago native and St. Rita High School alum. He was drafted out of high school by the Twins, but chose to attend the University of Texas, where he would eventually sign with the Yankees after being drafted in the 7th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He has bounced around in recent seasons, spending time with the Yankees, Athletics, Reds, and Mets.
Payton does not have an extensive major league career, slashing just .175/.250/.200 in 44 major league plate appearances. He does, however, have an extensive minor league career, and in over 1,300 plate appearances in AAA, he has slashed .297/.371/.505. He has already had one at-bat in Spring Training for the White Sox, going 0-for-1.
Given that Payton is already 30 and doesn’t have much major league experience, it’s pretty clear the White Sox view him as a emergency depth scenario option. Payton will likely slot in as a starting outfielder for the Charlotte Knights once the season begins, only serving in a major league role in the case of injury/extreme ineffectiveness at the Major League level.
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