With Kyle Teel nearing a return and Drew Romo producing, Edgar Quero’s struggles are becoming too difficult for the White Sox to ignore.
Had you asked just about anybody what the greatest strength of the Chicago White Sox was heading into the 2026 season, they probably would have pointed to the catching position and the depth the team had there.
Two former top 100 catching prospects made their MLB debuts for the White Sox in 2025, and both showed the potential to be future stars in the big leagues.
Kyle Teel, who the White Sox acquired as a primary piece in the trade return for Garrett Crochet from the Red Sox, hit eight home runs and posted a .786 OPS in 78 games as a rookie. He's one of the best young catchers in baseball and the future of the White Sox at the position. But the White Sox also had Edgar Quero, a switch hitter who was just 22 years old on Opening Day 2026, and a player who posted a .689 OPS while demonstrating tremendous pitch recognition skills as a rookie.
Even if the upside with Quero was never quite what it was with Teel, it still felt like he was going to be a high-quality starting catcher for a long time. And perhaps he still will be, but up to this point, 2026 has been the opposite of what the White Sox were hoping for out of Quero, and I couldn't have been more wrong about the trajectory I thought he'd be on.
In my preseason predictions for the 2026 season, I estimated that Quero would be the biggest surprise. I pointed to a 48-game stretch from early July through mid-September where he had 10 doubles, five home runs, and an .809 OPS. I fully expected that to be the version of Quero we would see more consistently in 2026.
But 24 games in, Quero is batting .159 with a .446 OPS. He has just one extra-base hit. He currently ranks as the worst hitter in baseball in expected slugging percentage, barrel rate, and launch angle sweet spot rate. He's in the bottom 10th percentile in xwOBA, expected batting average, hard-hit percentage, and bat speed. He's also been one of the worst blocking and framing catchers in baseball and one of the slowest players in the league.
There’s no sugarcoating it. There’s nothing to celebrate.
Under normal circumstances, I might be tempted to let Quero ride this out a little longer and see if he can break out of his slump and make some adjustments. But given the current roster dynamics of the White Sox and the eventual return of Kyle Teel from the injured list, it's becoming time for the White Sox to demote Quero to Triple-A Charlotte and give him a reset in the minor leagues. In fact, it almost feels inevitable.
Last weekend, the White Sox designated Reese McGuire for assignment and selected the contract of 24-year-old switch-hitting catcher Drew Romo. Romo earned an opportunity in Chicago with a .946 OPS in Triple-A to begin the season. He's a former first-round pick and top prospect in his own right, known for his strong defensive ability, but now showing legitimate offensive upside as well. That has already translated at the MLB level.
On Tuesday night against the Angels, Romo powered the White Sox to a win by hitting two home runs, the first two of his MLB career, with one coming from each side of the plate. That alone makes him a more impactful offensive contributor for the White Sox this season than Quero has been through 24 games.
Unless something changes drastically in the coming weeks before Kyle Teel returns, it's hard to see a scenario where the White Sox keep Quero at the MLB level while sending Romo back to Triple-A after he's helped them win games. It makes far more sense for Romo to fill the role we expected Quero to occupy at the start of the 2026 season, while Teel takes over as the primary catcher and Quero heads to Charlotte for a reset.
As long as the White Sox are getting production from the position, it probably doesn't matter who it's coming from. Especially when you're dealing with three young catchers who all have plenty of club control and could be part of the organization's future. But sometimes it's just difficult to find your swing and make adjustments while navigating the rigors of a 162-game MLB season.
So maybe the best thing for both the White Sox and Edgar Quero is to send him back to the minor leagues and get back to the basics.