The White Sox have signed infielder Wilmer Difo to a minor league deal, according to the transactions tracker on Difo’s MLB.com player page.
Difo, 32, is a veteran of eight major league seasons who last played in the majors back in 2022. After signing with the Nationals out of the Dominican Republic and making his pro debut at the age of 18 back in 2010, he made his big league debut with D.C. back in 2015. He’d spend part of six seasons in the US capital, hitting a relatively lackluster .247/.309/.348 in a bench role while playing primarily shortstop as well as second base, third base, and all three outfield spots. While he didn’t make the club’s postseason rosters, Difo played 43 games for the Nats during the 2019 season that saw them go on to win the first World Series championship in franchise history.
Difo’s time with the Nationals came to an end late in the 2020 season, when he was designated for assignment to make room for then-top prospect Carter Kieboom on the club’s active roster. Difo eventually caught on with the Pirates on a minor league deal and had the best season of his career with Pittsburgh in 2021. In 116 games with the club, Difo slashed a roughly league average .269/.329/.384 with a wRC+ of 92 while splitting time between second and third base, shortstop, and right field.
Despite that relatively solid performance as a bench player, the Pirates did not retain Difo headed into the 2022 season. He caught on with the Diamondbacks on a minor league deal, but ultimately made it into just three late-September games with the club after they had already fallen out of the playoff hunt. Difo went on to spend the entire 2023 season in the Yankees organization. Unfortunately, he didn’t manage to crack the club’s big league roster and struggled to a .208/.322/.303 slash line in 96 games with the club’s Triple-A affiliate.
Now, Difo has signed his fourth consecutive minor league deal with a new team and will suit up for the White Sox at the Triple-A level. Chicago entered the season at the start of a rebuild following their devastating 101-loss season last year and so far have gone just 2-12 in the young 2024 campaign. The club’s situation offers little hope of success at the big league level this season, but it’s feasible that an injury or two to the club’s current options of Nicky Lopez, Braden Shewmake, Lenyn Sosa, and Paul DeJong around the infield could provide a path back to the majors for Difo. In the meantime, he’ll try to break through alongside fellow non-roster veteran Danny Mendick with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte.
Sox getting down and dirty in more dumpster diving
Yes but they absolutely have to b/c they lack infield depth.
Sure because let’s make Bryan Ramos repeat AA
Aiden: No, they lack an owner who cares.
Loved him in Spiderman with Toby Mcguire!
I see what you did there. Isn’t he also the little irritable green troll in the Calgonite commercial?
I thought the dude in the red hoodie swimming around the dumpster near my place yesterday looked like Getz.
If it’s all the same, I’d rather have Willem Dafoe than Wilmer Difo.
The article is rather lengthy for a player who has had, to be generous, a modest MLB career, and at age 32, his summers of glory are dwindling.
This signing does nothing to interest or excite me, but it is consistent with the many dregs who have been signed during the Getz era. What was the motto of Kreuger Industries? “We don’t care and it shows.” Fits the Sox like a bloody glove.
sad but true
Guessing with Remillard’s promotion AAA needed an extra body.
I was at Game 5 of the 2016 NLDS in Washington, Dodgers v Nationals. LA brought Kershaw in to close out the game and with two outs the Nationals brought Wilmer Difo in to pinch hit. The Nats fans around me were jeering Wilmer and cursing the decision. Difo proceeded to strikeout on a curve in the dirt ending the series. Nats fans piled on more insults on Wilmer after the K. That is my only memory of Difo. I do wish him the best, and the White Sox are one of the best spots to get some playing time right now.
Series was over when Murphy got under one in the 9th
d-rick: That moment of glory is probably why the Sox signed him. That, and he’ll sign to play for $800k. By the way, the Sox have become a hit on local TV. I almost split a gut when Sox IF Lenyn Sosa beat out a hit. The only problem was, he ran over the base,never touching it. And the balls flying out of gloves and the WPs and PBs…It’s definitely must-see TV.
Slight correction, Remillard missed 1st trying to beat out a bunt.
Nats fans in 2016 are a barometer of what exactly? Maybe the least knowledgeable fan base- recall this living in DC when the Nats moved from Montreal and the stadium comprised largely of out of town fans, expats and lobbyist types who stated for 4 innings tops.
Willem Dafoe was busy…
White Sox AAA theme song:
Are we not Mendick?
We are Difo!
Inspired. Nice work Dad
Are we not men?? We are Difo!!!
Dad part 2
Never mistake activity for achievement.
I miss the days when Braves and Nats fans were threatening to kill each other over who would be in the HoF: Difo or Jose Peraza
Anyone who goes to a White Sox game enables Getz and Reinsdork to continue this nonsense.
So long as you keep giving Jerry your money nothing will change.
Same goes for the Bulls.
Sox should consider having a daily drawing for one lucky fan to play the field and bat. Can’t do much worse than what’s happening now and might get close to 15,000 to attend home games this way.
White Sox entire team for Ohtani. Who says no?
His bookie?
The Dodgers.
This team has the worst record in baseball and Jerry and Chris are now going to blame it on injuries. They were terrible to start the season and they are terrible now!! Please, please sell the team to somebody who might care about winning.
I have box seats for the White Sox vs Marlins series. What am I bid?
A buck three eighty. Plus eleventy-seven cents for all three.
I expected them to be bad but not historically bad.
Aiden, bet on the Under, while you still can.
I won’t. If Robert or Moncada injury didn’t happen then a 2-13 wouldn’t happen.
Just bring up Montgomery and Ramos already, rather let them get there playing time in the bigs than the rest of these bums they sign
Getz has said not to rush any prospects.
Guaranteed Rats Stadium is already bursting with fan activity, just like in Oakland.