The Chicago White Sox have signed 1B/OF LaMonte Wade Jr. to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.
Just one day after general manager Chris Getz met with the media and predicted a “very active stretch” for the Chicago White Sox in the wake of trading Luis Robert Jr., the team has made its first addition of veteran depth.
The White Sox signed 1B/OF LaMonte Wade Jr. to a minor league contract on Thursday and invited him to spring training.
Wade began his career with the Minnesota Twins, debuting in 2019, and has now played seven MLB seasons with stops in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
His best years came with the Giants in 2021, 2023, and 2024.
Across the 2023–2024 seasons, Wade appeared in 252 games, logging 760 at-bats, totaling 30 doubles, 25 home runs, and posting a .777 OPS.
Then came 2025 — and it all came crashing back down.
Wade struggled mightily through his first 50 games with San Francisco. He was designated for assignment and traded to the Angels in June, only to be outright released by early August. Even the floundering Angels didn’t have room for him on their 26-man roster.
He finished the season hitting .167 with a .525 OPS over 80 games.
Earlier in his career, Wade was viewed primarily as a corner outfielder. While he still plays there occasionally, he’s now primarily a first baseman.
In 2024, Wade logged 742 innings at first base for the Giants and just 42 innings in the outfield. In 2025, he played 380 innings at first base and 130 innings in the outfield, almost all of that coming with the Angels after the trade.
This move does not address the White Sox’s most pressing need — the outfield.
Munetaka Murakami should be the everyday first baseman, and players like Curtis Mead or Miguel Vargas are capable of filling in if he needs a day off.
What the White Sox need is outfield stability. An aging veteran coming off the worst season of his career — who has posted negative defensive WAR every year — doesn’t accomplish that.
I’m all for bringing Wade into spring training. He’s a veteran presence who could positively impact younger players. And if the bat plays, maybe you find room for him on the bench.
But White Sox fans should still keep their heads on a swivel.
This isn’t exactly what anyone had in mind when Getz said the team would be “very active” — and I hope it’s not what he had in mind either.