With the Trade Deadline looming just two weeks away, the White Sox’ catching situation has gone from “it would be nice to get a backup catcher” to “we need a catcher.”
In case you missed it, Kyle Teel suffered a non-contact ankle sprain in last night’s game against the Rangers. Though there are no estimates for how long he might be out, it feels safe to assume at least 4-6 weeks, putting his return timeline somewhere in September. This is the best case scenario, as it doesn’t likely end his season, but the White Sox certainly need new options.
In the short term, Edgar Quero figures to get the bulk of the starts since he’s on the 40-man roster, though his early-season struggles and less-than-inspiring numbers since being sent to Charlotte (.594 OPS, 51 wRC+ in AAA) make him a band-aid option rather than a legitimate solution in the middle of a playoff push.
Luckily, there figures to be several catchers available and potentially on the move at this year’s trade deadline; let’s break down the potential options, focusing on whether they have years of control remaining or if they would simply present as a rental option. Why does this matter, of course? It’s all about the cost of acquisition.
Controllable Catchers
Shea Langeliers, Athletics
If the White Sox want to pursue a catcher who would help them beyond 2026, Shea Langeliers may be the most logical name on the market. The 28-year-old entered Monday hitting .258/.327/.490 with 22 HR and 52 RBI through 88 games, good for a 121 wRC+ and 2.3 fWAR. He’s shown power from both sides of the plate, but clearly does most of his damage against left-handed pitching (185 wRC+), which is certainly another point in his favor with a lefty-heavy White Sox lineup.
Though Langeliers will not become a free agent until after the 2028 season, his availability appears more credible than it would have earlier in the season. The Athletics lost 10 of 11 games entering Sunday and reportedly told teams they were “open to anything.” Jon Heyman identified Langeliers as a player who could become available after extension discussions between the catcher and the organization failed to produce an agreement.
There are some defensive questions with Langeliers, however. Although he possesses one of the strongest throwing arms at the position, his overall value has been hurt by inconsistent receiving/framing. He’s slightly above-average when it comes to challenges via ABS, though “slightly above-average” is still better than what the White Sox have had with ABS this year.
Much like many of the catchers in this first section, Langeliers makes a ton of sense if the White Sox are willing to use the bulk of their prospect capital to make a splash at the catcher position. With the need to improve against LHP and replace lost power potential with Teel’s injury, the case can easily be made to use those resources on a long-term option like Langeliers.
Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies
Hunter Goodman would give the White Sox the most immediate power of any catcher potentially on the market. The 26-year-old is hitting .257/.326/.561 with 30 home runs through 384 plate appearances, good for a 126 OPS+ and 2.3 fWAR. His .887 OPS leads all qualified catchers, and he ranks among league leaders in average exit velocity, barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and bat speed. He has been well above average against both LHP (128 wRC+) and RHP (116 wRC+).
Goodman can also contribute at first base or in the outfield, which would make it easier for the White Sox to keep his bat in the lineup after Teel returns, whether later this season or next.
There are clear downsides, however. Goodman strikes out in more than 30% of his plate appearances and has generally graded as an average or below-average defensive catcher, particularly as a pitch framer. However, he is one of the best in baseball at ABS challenges, rating second behind Dillon Dingler for overturned calls vs. expected.
Availability may be the largest obstacle. Colorado obviously views Goodman as a core player and, according to reports, is reluctant to trade him. He still has three seasons of club control remaining after 2026, meaning the commanded return for his services would be the highest of any player on this list.
Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets
Francisco Alvarez may be the most interesting controllable option not typically included among the obvious names. With the Mets likely entering some sort of seller mode, Alvarez is a player whose name could surface in trade discussions. He still has three more seasons of team control remaining as a former top prospect who has been solid, but has not yet fully developed into a star.
Alvarez missed roughly a month with a torn right meniscus, but his power remains intriguing. After a two-homer game on July 16, he ranked among the top 10 major-league catchers in home runs despite his injury-shortened season. He previously hit 25 home runs as a 21-year-old rookie and produced a 124 wRC+ in 2025. The 24-year-old is hitting .257/.326/.440 this season, good for a 114 wRC+. He has done more of his damage against RHP while hovering around a 100 wRC+ against LHP.
The downside is that the White Sox wouldn’t exactly be acquiring a defensive stalwart in Alvarez. He has consistently ranked among the worst defensive catchers in the league throughout his career, and additionally, he has not been strong behind the plate with ABS. If the White Sox were to acquire Alvarez, they would clearly be signaling that they are more worried about losing Teel’s offensive abilities than improving on his defensive shortcomings.
The question is whether the Mets will actually trade him. MLB.com reported that Alvarez would theoretically bring back a substantial return because of his power and the lack of quality catchers available. At the same time, New York does not have an obvious major-league-ready replacement in its farm system, unless they feel confident that Luis Torrens can be a longer-term option for the franchise.
Could the White Sox grab an arm (like Luke Weaver) and bat from Queens?
Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles
Adley Rutschman is probably the least practical option on this list, as the Orioles placed him on the 10-day injured list Monday with left wrist inflammation. It is his third IL stint of the season following ankle inflammation and a concussion. However, with Samuel Basallo under a long-term contract, and the Orioles still struggling in a tough AL East, it could make sense to try and move Rutschman with quite a few teams looking for help behind the plate.
The switch-hitting 28-year-old entered Monday batting .251/.331/.433 with eight home runs, 19 doubles and 47 RBI, which represents a rebound after a rough 2025 season. He is under club control through 2027, is one of the top defensive catchers in baseball, and comes with a pulled fly ball profile that the White Sox have employed with their left-handers.
It’s certainly an interesting idea, but again, the recent injury puts this one into serious question.
Rental Options
Let’s move on to the rental options – which, if you ask me, are far more likely unless the White Sox no longer believe Kyle Teel would be a long-term answer for them behind the plate. There are a few intriguing options here that could build on some of Teel’s shortcomings behind the plate.
Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota Twins
Jeffers may be the most impactful rental catcher potentially available. The 29-year-old has hit .288/.401/.540 with eight home runs in 42 games this season, walking just as often as he has struck out (15.6% of the time). This has led to a 162 wRC+ and 1.9 fWAR on the season, with him equally mashing from both sides of the plate (166 wRC+ vs. LHP, 158 wRC+ vs. RHP).
These numbers come with an important qualification, as Jeffers missed time with a broken hamate bone and only recently returned to the Minnesota lineup (42 games this season). The White Sox would need to be comfortable with his health before making a trade – something that, unfortunately, has never been a given throughout Jeffers’ career. However, assuming he is healthy, Jeffers would give the White Sox a legitimate right-handed middle-of-the-order threat to replace Teel. He has also been above-average defensively as well as with ABS, so he presents as a legitimate upgrade over both Teel and his immediate replacement in Quero.
The Twins find themselves just five games back in the AL Central, so they don’t necessarily need to sell – especially to their desperate division rival. Expect there to be a *slight* divisional premium on any asking price attached to Jeffers if the White Sox were to explore that route.
Tyler Stephenson, Cincinnati Reds
In this humble nerd’s opinion, Tyler Stephenson is the most realistic rental option. The Reds have reportedly informed teams that they are open for business and are primarily focused on moving players with expiring contracts, making Stephenson a perfect fit.
Stephenson’s overall 2026 numbers aren’t overly impressive, as he’s hitting .245/.322/.392 on the year, good for a .316 wOBA and just a 93 wRC+. He does have a strong 2024 season under his belt, in which he hit .258/.338/.444 with 19 home runs.
This season, he actually has reverse splits, meaning he hits RHP better than LHP, but he has largely been shielded from LHP this season, facing southpaws in just 52 PA. For his career, however, he is slightly stronger against LHP (111 wRC+) compared to RHP (102 wRC+).
So, what’s the appeal to Stephenson? For starters, the expected price. If the White Sox would prefer to spend some of their most valuable prospect capital on bolstering the pitching staff, Stephenson would likely be the cheapest rental that still provides legitimate production. In addition, Stephenson does feature some of the traits of hitters that the White Sox have targeted: strong swing decisions via both chase rate and walk rate and a pulled fly ball rate that is at his highest rate since 2022. He could easily slide into the lower third of this lefty-heavy White Sox offense against both LHP and RHP. Additionally, he is rated the third-best catcher at ABS challenges, though he is one of the weakest framing catchers in all of baseball. It’s not a perfect profile, but he does present some improvements in areas compared to Teel.
At the end of the day, the Reds are likely motivated to move Stephenson, and the White Sox would likely prefer to not surrender one of their better prospects out of desperation. His strengths complement Teel’s weaknesses well, and with the rest of the White Sox’ lineup healthy, the team doesn’t need Stephenson to be a prolific offensive threat. At the same time, the profile shows that he has the potential to do plenty of damage.
Jonah Heim, Athletics
If the White Sox are looking for a less expensive veteran, they could go back to the Athletics and grab Jonah Heim as a fallback option. The 31-year-old is hitting just .227/.281/.432, good for a .308 wOBA and 92 wRC+. While he is a switch-hitter, he’s seen limited playing time this season, so it’s not clear that a full-time role is the best option for him.
He’s been known as a strong defensive catcher throughout his career, but he’s seen some decline in that department in recent seasons. He is above-average at ABS challenges, but he’s been abysmal against RHP this season (48 wRC+), so he would still be viewed as a platoon option.
Atlanta designated Heim for assignment in May before trading him to the Athletics for cash considerations. It’s been a less-than-ideal season for him, meaning he would likely be the cheapest of all the options available.
Of all the players presented here, he’s also the least appealing option to me. He fits, but that’s mostly because he’s a catcher. He’s far from a perfect fit, even among rentals.
The Ultimate Debate
Other Names Considered: Liam Hicks (MIA), Eric Haase (recent DFA), Matt Thaiss (recent DFA)
Here’s the ultimate debate when it comes to making a move here, and I alluded to it multiple times throughout this article: how should the White Sox allocate their limited trade resources? Pitching remains the most pressing need, even if the lack of a consistent option behind the plate creates the feeling of desperation. If the team has already identified which prospects they’re willing to part with at this year’s deadline, should catching now be prioritized instead when putting together packages?
It’s not an easy decision, despite what Monday night may make it feel like. Jordan Hicks‘ emergence from the bullpen perhaps tips the scales in favor of a catcher, but non-rental bats don’t exactly come cheap, and it seems likely that the team will want to add *someone* to a very unproven starting rotation when it comes to playoff pushes.
In addition, what are the White Sox going to value most behind the plate? If they just need someone to command a game and play strong defense, they might not go all-in on a catcher, choose a rental, and use any “major” prospect capital on arms. If they want someone who can hit too, that changes the calculus back in favor of a controllable catcher.
Finally, the biggest question mark: how long is Teel actually going to be out? If he will return by September for the late-season push, then what’s the point of acquiring a controllable catcher unless the price is absolutely right? Acquiring a controllable catcher would say a lot about how the team now views the tandem of Teel/Quero behind the dish almost a year after White Sox fans were trying to squeeze them both into lineups somehow.
The reality of this entire situation is that Teel wasn’t exactly strong this season in his return, and neither were his predecessors. In other words, the team has been able to succeed with some good platoon matchups throughout the rest of the lineup. While this situation certainly stinks, it’s far from a death sentence for a team that’s been playing with house money all season. There are options for Chris Getz to explore, but his creativity is certainly going to be put to a little bit more of a test than he perhaps imagined it would be just 24 hours ago.
The August 3rd trade deadline continues to loom. Let the fun continue.
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Featured Image: Cincinnati Reds / Twitter (X)
Considering that Teel or Quero might be both on the 2027 roster unless traded in the off season or sooner, I think if we are going to give up prospects we should go for our real needs such as Giants ace Webb who still has 2+ years on his contract and left handed starter Ray for short term stability and also to eat innings to automatically help our bull pen with less of a work load. I think the Sox have found their closer in Taylor and will have an overload of outfielders with right handed bats Hays and Pereira on rehab in AAA ball. The Sox have made it this far without production from the catcher spot, although if we can pick up a veteran catcher without tearing up the farm system I would say yes to that idea.
Of all the options I like Adley Rutschman best. He is a very good defensive catcher and would be excellent working with some of the Sox’ young and talented arms.
The only drawback seems to be his injury concerns although the most recent injury doesn’t seem to be serious enough to be viewed as an obstacle.
Goodman won’t be traded, I don’t think. Langeliers might be the best offensive option but he suffers defensively in comparison to Rutschman. There isn’t anybody else om that list that is better than the options the Sox already have.
Catching is the second most important position on the field and should not be viewed lightly.