Chicago White Sox sign former Cardinal legend

Jason Burke | Nov 19, 2024

Jul 10, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Slater (48) catches a fly out hit by Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (not pictured) in the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Chicago White Sox are expected to sign former Stanford Cardinal legend Austin Slater to a big-league deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

NEWS: Veteran OF Austin Slater has an agreement for an MLB deal with the White Sox

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 18, 2024

Slater was originally selected in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants, and up until the 2024 season, that had been the only organization he'd been for the past decade. The 31-year-old made his MLB debut in 2017, but wasn't really a regular with the club until the 2021 campaign.

2021 was also Slater's best overall season, where he hit .241 with a .320 OBP and racked up 1.4 bWAR and a 101 OPS+. It wasn't his best season at the dish, however, as Slater held a 121 OPS+ (21% better than league average) the following year.

This past season, Slater began with the Giants, but was traded in early July to the Cincinnati Reds for left-hander Alex Young. With the Reds, he got into a total of eight games, batted .111 with a .190 OBP and was on the move again at the Trade Deadline, this time heading to the postseason-bound Baltimore Orioles.

With the O's, Slater made it into 33 games down the stretch and hit a respectable .246 with a .342 OBP while tossing in a home run and three doubles for good measure.

So how does Slater, entering his age 32 season, fit with the Chicago White Sox? Well, he played all three outfield positions in 2024, spending the most time in right field, where he graded out slightly above average with a +1 Out Above Average. He's roughly average at all three spots defensively, and boasts some decent speed and arm strength that will make him a nice addition to the roster.

The White Sox lost 121 games last season, so adding a few average-ish big leaguers is going to help the quality of the team go up. Slater may not be a flashy signing, but he's going to be a useful player for Chicago.

The most likely scenario right now with the way that the roster is constructed is that Slater will split time in right with Zach DeLoach, with the former Giants handling the right-handed pitchers, and DeLoach on the weak side of the platoon, taking on lefties.