The White Sox announced the signing of outfielder Austin Slater to a one-year deal. The Ballengee Group client is reportedly guaranteed $1.75MM and can unlock another $500K in performance bonuses. Slater would receive $50K in his 50th game and $75K apiece at 75 and 100 games. He’ll collect $50K for his 100th, 150th and 200th plate appearance and would earn another $75K each at 250 and 300 trips to the dish.
Slater, 31, was an eighth-round pick by San Francisco out of Stanford during the 2014 draft. The outfielder spent more than a decade in the Giants organization as he made his big league debut in 2017 and remained with the club through last season. In the first three seasons of his career, Slater was a decent but unspectacular fourth outfielder for San Francisco, slashing a combined .254/.335/.368 in 544 total plate appearances during that time. While primarily an outfielder, he also received occasional time at first base and even made token appearances at both second and third base off the Giants’ bench.
The outfielder broke out during the shortened 2020 season, however, with a 150 wRC+ and a .282/.408/.506 slash line in 104 trips to the plate while appearing in 31 of the club’s 60 games. That leap forward offensively earned Slater an expanded role over the next few years, and from 2021 to 2023 he became a regular for the Giants against left-handed pitching. While he was still generally shielded from righties, Slater slashed a respectable .257/.345/.412 in 343 games from 2021 to 2023. That’s good for a respectable 113 wRC+, and across those 838 plate appearances he walked at a 10.5% clip, swatted 24 homers, and swiped 29 bases despite frequent trips to the injured list cutting down on his playing time over the years.
Unfortunately for Slater, his production cratered in 2024. The outfielder hit just .209/.321/.266 (76 wRC+) overall in 212 trips to the plate this year while bouncing between the Giants, Reds, and Orioles. Even more surprisingly, the outfielder actually carried reverse splits this year after years of feasting on left-handed pitching. While he enjoyed a 141 wRC+ against lefties from 2020 to 2023, Slater hit just .188/.310/.231 against them in 142 plate appearances this year. Dismal as that overall production last year was, there is a silver lining in Slater’s performance. Once he arrived in Baltimore on the day of the trade deadline, he looked much more like the player he’s been throughout his career. In 79 plate appearances with the Orioles down the stretch, Slater hit .246/.342/.333 (102 wRC+) overall and posted a 114 wRC+ against southpaws.
That late-season rebound could inspire additional confidence in Slater’s ability to return to form in 2025 and beyond. That appears to be what the White Sox are betting on, and Slater makes plenty of sense for the club as a right-handed platoon option. Veteran lefty bat Andrew Benintendi is entrenched in left field, while the club also employs a host of left-handed youngsters in right field and at DH including Zach DeLoach, Dominic Fletcher, Gavin Sheets, and Oscar Colas. Of that group, only DeLoach (in a sample of just 79 big league PAs) lacks a significant platoon split.
Mixing in Slater against left-handed pitching should be a huge boost for a Sox offense that produced an MLB-worst 74 wRC+ against left-handed pitching last year, even if he merely recreates the production he offered the Orioles rather than bouncing back to the excellent form he showed from 2020 to 2023. While even an excellent short-side platoon bat isn’t going to make the White Sox contenders in 2025 following a 121-loss season this year, Slater was sufficiently attractive as a trade piece this summer to get dealt not once, but twice prior to the deadline. If he can garner that level of interest amid a down season, it’s easy to imagine the White Sox recouping some value for his services next July in the event he bounces back.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported the White Sox were signing Slater to a major league deal. Robert Murray of FanSided reported the $1.75MM base salary and the $500K in incentives. The Associated Press reported the incentive structure.
Kind of shocked to see them hand him a major league deal. 5th outfielder at best.
Someone should give Slater a cognitive test.
Care to expand on that comment? Not a Giants fan so haven’t watched his career that closely.
It may have been a hint of “who in their right mind would voluntarily play for the CWS?”
I’m not saying it-just my reading of the comment.
Who else was offering an MLB deal?
2nd on that team.
He’s statistically one of the most elite pinch hitters against LHP. He’s athletic enough to play all three OF positions. There should be no shock or surprise about a major league deal unless you aren’t paying attention or don’t know ball
The shock is how quickly agreed to sign with the CWS!
stymee – He wanted to make sure he’s there for the 20th anniversary celebration!!
Two decades without a championship, hard for me to imagine.
Playing time and fully guaranteed major league contract. It’s common for marginal player to sign with bad teams for playing time. Not to mention hecould be flipped to a contender mid season.
On top of all that his salary is 1.75 million, not exactly breaking the bank.
Yes, but it does move the needle a bit for the White Sox. I can see them going from 121 losses to 120 losses now. Good move.
The White Sox should be fielding a team of cheap MLB veterans in 2025 with the hopes of offloading them at the trade deadline.
I imagine this is the plan they pitched to Austin Slater, who could be a LHP terrorizer, something any team would likely want in the postseason.
What a PLAN!!!!!
Slater is unlikely to terrorize anyone, much less to be someone that a solid team would want on it’s playoff roster.
Who cares how much they lose in 2025, it will be a large number. Development of young position players shouldn’t be hurried, as the SOX repeatedly have done with all but TA. Slater can be a placeholder and provide them a trade asset similar to DeJong.
I like Getz’ philosophy accumulating 4-tool Middle IF & low WHIP Relief prospects. Do it again.
Speaking of TA, is he on any team’s roster?
Unless you think they are in the Juan Soto sweepstakes, I’m not sure who you expect them to sign who “moves the needle”. Trust me, I watched 162 last year, he’ll help.
Good luck.
Several yeasr from now, we will look back at this moment as to when the Sox once again started to become a juggernaut..
When were the White Sox a juggernaut? 1918-1919?
You bet! (See what I did there?)
What do you mean they signed a major leaguer?
Shouldnt white sox be trying to sign young players with potential instead of bad old players?
It seems that the White Sox have had a hard time doing what they should be doing for a couple years now. (To be fair, their players have also suffered from the same thing of not doing what they’re supposed to do)
Pretty harmless if it’s a 1yr MLB minimum salary level agreement. There are no significant OF prospects knocking on the door unless that is part of a return for Crochet or “if” they trade Robert this offseason.
Bad teams sign vets with the hopes that they can flip them at the deadline if they play well and cut them if they don’t. Your idea would never work because free agency is not where you find “young players with potential,” it is where you find guys around 30 that will play at (or below) the level they have already reached. Unless you want to overpay for someone like Soto, that is.
That’s true. But, also, the Sox are still trying to find “competency” at positions around the diamond.
Especially, when it comes to the outfield. They’ve had the worst group of outfielders for years now while playing first basemen like Gavin Sheets in RF. It’s been a joke how little production they’ve had in their OF.
Another thing is that the Sox seem to be the only team that cannot draft, sign or develop any good outfielders. It’s amazing. Almost like they’re trying not to.
Extraordinary. Pham was the only regular with an OPS+ as high as 100. After Pham, only Moancada with 45 PA beat 100.
That’s incredible.
Not really incredible when you consider it was arguably the worst team ever put on the field in MLB history.. More explanatory than incredible.
I’m not sure of anything regarding the White Sox farm, but the Rockies have a major glut of outfield prospects right now. Is there potential for a prospect swap there?
Crochet for your OF prospects. Call them
There’s no harm in signing a couple cheap free agents. They can raise the floor a little and hopefully set a good example for the younger guys. As the article mentioned, don’t forget that a decent bounce back from Slater could allow the ChiSox to flip him for something.
Gina: Oh, they’ll flip him alright. Can’t see Slater signing with this trash of a team other than using it to add something to his value, then escaping the asylum to, well, anyone else.
What young players with potential are you going to find on the free agent market? They will need to develop young players in the minors. Meanwhile, they still have to fill out the major league roster.
Slates is a smart guy, Stanford grad and was a good Giant. I wish him nothing but the best
@ Digdugler. Young players with potential typically aren’t FA. When they are, the contracts tend to be long and for a lot of money. That doesn’t make sense for the White Sox right now. They need a good, productive farm, then they can start shopping on the top shelf.
All I can figure is Slater has some sort of dirt on MLB – how else does he keep landing deals?
A 115 OPS+ from ‘20-‘23?
Lord: And, of course, the Sox wait to sign formerly good players until their value drops. They should be called “The Chicago Showcase.”
Uh, that’s exactly what you do. Buy low. As opposed to overpaying and selling low
Only the Sox never get anything of value for these veterans that they’re going to flip.
True so far, that Vargas deal stung/stunk
This is his first time in free agency. Thus, the first time he has “landed a deal”.
They might as well, he’s been a solid enough hitter as recently as 2023. If he has some sort of bounce back maybe they could get a lotto ticket for him at the deadline. Next I think they should sign some bounce back relief candidates on a 1 year deal. There is never a shortage of teams who need relievers at the deadline.
Nice! ChiSox & Angels more active in the offseason than the Yankees and Dodgers.
Old York: The difference is, the nyy and Dodgers don’t sign players on their way down.
Seems like a good move. Cheap and the type of bat that will likely be desired at the trade deadline, so easy to move for another lottery ticket.
Every year a few of these under the radar moves end up looking brilliant in hindsight.
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Dad, you’re posting your password again.
I like the sign, good numbers, hits and .OBP are respectable, he starts on the White Sox. I am in the contingent that Robert should be moved for whatever you can get for him at this point. He is potentially an all star caliber player and should draw some interest and return one or two decent prospects. I also would like to see them move start Sheets at first base. I can’t stand having a short right handed first baseman and Vaughn doesn’t hit enough to make that kind of sacrifice defensively.
Agree, addition by subtraction moving on from Vaughn and Gavin can hold down the fort at 1b
Enjoyed Slater’s brand of “less injured Austin Hays” that he brought to the Orioles.
Can’t argue that!
‘tis a slow news day when the debate is on for/against Austin Slater’s value to the White Sox
When healthy Slater is a solid rotational player who can pinch hit as well.
On a team that lacks depth, he’s a good guy to have around.
Like the fact that he got picked up after the Sox plucked Fuller over from the Os to be their director of hitting. Ryan must have seen something and made adjustments in Slater’s small sample size to recommend bringing him over.
I wonder if Colas is getting the hints Getz has given him these past two seasons?
Slater did well with the Giants, but with a young and developing team in Chicago he will be a great fit.
First deal of the Ryan Fuller era.
Right? And if the Os get off the schneid and make a deal for Crochet will be nice to have Fuller assemble the list of O prospects.
Boston has the players to make that deal, O’s don’t, Sox have Lee and Quero at catcher, Coby Mayo is a pass, like Vaughn Grissom, Braden Montgomery and Serrano III, looks like Luis Gonzalez, that’s a deal right there.
Actually Coby Mayo probably the best prospect in baseball. To say he is a pass is an overstatement, I’d probably take Coby Mayo for Crochet straight up. But he is so good that we couldn’t get much else in the trade and as a Sox fan I’m dreaming of a real coupe. But Mayo is the player to get.
Orioles have much more to offer than the Red Sux!
It’s a question of spreading the return across multiple upside players or getting the very best prospect in return, as a Sox fan you feel the desperation.
I couldn’t trade Coby Mayo if I were the O’s though so it’s not really feasible, so it’s a pass in a way.
I like the trade with Boston because Montgomery fits their timeline, I like Vaughn Grissom at 2nd, Sox need a second baseman, and Serrano, while a little clumsy, has a good eye and could solidify his approach.
You can look at a signing like this two ways. An opportunity for the organization to flip a guy at the deadline if he is doing well. Also for the player who maybe lacked opportunities with their former club to increase their personal value.
Slater was one of my favorite Giants and was the Giants longest tenured player in 2024. Nice to see him in the postseason with the O’s after a rough start due to injuries this year and nice to see him returning for his 9th big league season with a major league contract.
White Sox are just going through the motions until their octogenarian owner hears norman greenbaum calling and everyone in baseball ops is summarily fired.
With this one move the White Sox accomplished what many thought was impossible – they got worse.
Slater is another Gabe Kapler-type of player; can play all three OF spots, hits lefties well, and is totally ripped with absolutely no power…
Not a bad move for either the White Sox (gee, they could let Oscar Colas be the 5th OF…) or Slater (do moderately well and get flipped at the deadline).
I feel the whole “flip em at the deadline” is getting overused
“He’s a 5th outfielder”
“Elite pinch runner against LHP that can play all OF spots”
Yes there’s value there but seriously how good does this guy have to play for 3 months to be of value to a contender and honestly what’s the flip return? Not a top 30 prospect.
This is a “we aren’t contending keep the kids learning in the minors” signing to me. Nothing more.
Old news. Happened Monday morning about 10!
Hey brah, been meaning to ask can we get some red bull in these things? Sometimes a guy’s gotta ride the bull, yanno what I mean? Later Slater
White Sox, aiming for the bottom again.I guess since they could not get a top ten draft pick in 2025 they would try to lose another major league record of games again in 2025 to try to get the first rounder in 2026?
Ain’t guaranteed
Shh, don’t tell Jerry-atric or his GM that, you’ll really wreck their plans.
Come on, Deeds. “Dismal as that overall production last year was” is NOT PROPER ENGLISH. You can’t just leave “as” out to start the sentence because you feel like it. Grammar isn’t optional for a “professional” writer, which you are by one definition (just one, though).