Report: White Sox Working on Trade for Catcher

With catcher Kyle Teel hitting the injured list and expected to miss between six and 12 weeks with a high ankle sprain, the Chicago White Sox are wasting no time trying to find his replacement.

According to a report from MLB insiders Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the White Sox are “working hard to acquire a catcher.”

Tyler Stephenson of the Cincinnati Reds is a name to watch. The 31-year-old veteran is batting .244 with eight home runs and a .712 OPS this season. Early indications are that the White Sox have had conversations with Cincinnati about Stephenson, but the market remains highly competitive for the available catchers.

The New York Yankees are one team that seems set on adding a catcher at the deadline. Minnesota Twins backstop Ryan Jeffers has been a target for the Yankees, but they may shift their focus to Stephenson if Minnesota decides to stand pat.

That's one of the primary holdups for every trade deadline buyer right now. The market has yet to take shape because so many teams remain on the bubble between buying and selling. That is true even of the Reds, who have won their last two games to improve to 47-54 and remain just 5.5 games out of an NL wild card spot.

It is still more likely than not that the Reds sell, especially with expiring contracts like Stephenson's. But should they go on a run over the next week, things could get more complicated.

Outside of Stephenson and Jeffers, Jonah Heim of the Athletics would also make a lot of sense. The Twins could also move Victor Caratini as a half measure while keeping Jeffers.  

Regardless, it makes sense for the White Sox to be aggressive and get a deal done as quickly as possible. While Teel told MLB.com that he expects his ankle injury to fall somewhere in the five to eight week range, rather than the initial timeline suggesting 6-12 weeks on the shelf, eight weeks would still take us to the middle of September by the time he returns to game action. And that's provided everything goes according to plan.

Chicago needed a catcher anyway, even with Teel healthy. Neither Edgar Quero nor Drew Romo is getting the job done. Another competent backstop, especially one who hits right-handed, would be a welcome addition.

Whoever the White Sox add could serve as the everyday starter while Teel is on the shelf, then potentially split duties with him if he returns before the end of the regular season and earns his at-bats.

Just because the trade deadline isn't until August 3 doesn't mean the White Sox can't pull the trigger on a trade early. Chris Getz has already been picking up the phone and looking to replace Teel.