Pressure Just Increased for White Sox at MLB Trade Deadline

If adding a catcher at the upcoming trade deadline was not already a priority for the Chicago White Sox, it absolutely should be now.

On Monday night, White Sox catcher Kyle Teel was removed from the game in the second inning with an ankle injury. It was severe enough that Teel had to be helped off the field by a trainer, and manager Will Venable was ready to commit to an IL stint immediately following the game.

It is still unclear whether Teel suffered some sort of ankle sprain or truly did significant damage to his Achilles tendon. But either way, the 24-year-old catcher is expected to miss another significant chunk of time.

There is a reason the White Sox were so desperate for Teel to come back in the first place. While he was out at the start of the season, both Drew Romo and Edgar Quero failed to step up and prove they could be quality MLB backstops, either offensively or defensively.

Even since Teel returned, the catching position has not given Chicago much production. Teel is batting .190 with two home runs and a .588 OPS over 63 at-bats this season, but he is undeniably the best option the White Sox have available.

Romo has been close to unplayable for nearly two months now. Dating back to May 31, he is 4-for-53 at the plate with a .236 OPS and just one RBI. Edgar Quero was sent down so that he could get regular at-bats and try to figure out his swing, but his .594 OPS in Triple-A doesn't inspire much confidence that he has made the necessary adjustments just yet.

Hence why adding a backup catcher at the trade deadline was already a point of discussion among White Sox fans. A swing for Shea Langeliers, Adley Rutschman, or Hunter Goodman is probably a bit unrealistic. But why could Chicago not go out and grab a veteran catcher on an expiring contract, such as Jonah Heim or Ryan Jeffers?

A day ago, that may have seemed like a luxury trade for a team that needs to prioritize upgrading its pitching staff. But with the rest of Teel's 2026 season now uncertain, the pressure is increasing on Chris Getz and the White Sox front office to find a catcher on the trade market.

As it should be. The White Sox are playing good baseball as the deadline approaches and currently have the third best record and second best run differential in the American League. Chicago is only 4.0 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, who currently hold the top seed in the AL.

This is a very real opportunity to secure home field advantage for at least one, if not multiple, playoff series. And if the White Sox are serious about capitalizing on that opportunity and giving this team a chance to advance in the postseason and win a World Series, they cannot finish the year or begin a playoff run with some combination of Quero and Romo catching on a regular basis.

Chicago's needs are becoming clearer by the day. And now it is on the front office to show they mean business.