White Sox Might Need to Make Another Change in the Outfield

When the Chicago White Sox activated outfielder Everson Pereira from the injured list, ended his rehab assignment, and optioned Junior Perez back to Triple-A Charlotte, it seemed like they were getting a clear upgrade in the outfield.

While Perez displayed big power and played a decent corner outfield, he regularly looked overmatched against MLB pitching and clearly has areas of his game he needs to work on before he can help the White Sox in any regular capacity.

Pereira, on the other hand, was off to a great start this season, crushing left-handed pitching and showcasing the power the White Sox acquired him for throughout April. Three different stints on the IL, however, have made it difficult for Chicago to truly know what it has in Pereira. And with the MLB trade deadline approaching on August 3, some difficult decisions might have to be made.

The White Sox don't have an obvious roster spot for both Everson Pereira and Austin Hays. Both players were on rehab assignments with Triple-A Charlotte at the same time, and Pereira was the one who got activated while Hays remains in Triple-A. The White Sox may reach a point where they're forced to trade one of Pereira or Hays, especially if they prioritize keeping both Luisangel Acuña and Tristan Peters on the roster.

But perhaps another change to the outfield is necessary. The injuries made it difficult for the White Sox to understand what Pereira could be, but the more he plays since returning from the IL, the clearer it becomes that Austin Hays is the better option for Chicago.

Pereira went 0-for-6 with five strikeouts in the series against the New York Yankees. Dating back to April 23, he has three hits in his last 31 at-bats with just one RBI, zero extra-base hits, and 14 strikeouts. Hays, meanwhile, has five hits in his last three games with Triple-A Charlotte and is now hitting .294 with an .894 OPS and three home runs during his current rehab assignment.

Hays was an All-Star in 2023. He has consistently been a league-average hitter or better at the MLB level throughout his career. And as the White Sox search for reliable bats and experience for the home stretch of the 2026 season, Hays has more value. That's why Chicago signed him in the first place. 

The argument for keeping Pereira is a simple one. He doesn't have any minor league options remaining, so taking him off the active roster would mean designating him for assignment. Pereira is 25 years old and packed with athleticism, which simply makes it hard to give up on him, even after a rough stretch. He can also play center field, which the White Sox might value over having a logjam in the corner outfield positions, where players like Hays, Randal Grichuk, and Andrew Benintendi don't provide much defensive value.

In my opinion, Braden Montgomery has shown enough for me to believe he's a competent center fielder on days Peters isn't in the lineup. Montgomery should be getting everyday at-bats regardless, and if occasionally shifting him from right field to center field helps the White Sox construct a more well-rounded offensive lineup, that's a sacrifice worth making.

As far as Pereira is concerned, it would definitely be tough to let him go. He's the type of player who could end up becoming "the one who got away." But Chicago is currently in a playoff race. The White Sox are trying to win the AL Central. Keeping a player like Pereira on the roster, allowing him to work through his struggles, and hoping to develop him at the MLB level would have been wise for the 2024 or 2025 White Sox (rebuilding clubs that prioritized development over results). That can't be true of this year's team. Not if the White Sox seriously want to make the postseason.

The bats have been struggling since the All-Star break, and now more than ever, the White Sox need a consistent veteran in the lineup to stabilize things. Austin Hays could be that guy. That's what the White Sox brought him in to be.

Some big decisions will need to be made over the weekend. Trades will be completed, and the future of baseball organizations will shift. What the White Sox do over the next few days could ultimately be what we look back on in a few months as the key to an incredible or incredibly disappointing finish. And for my money, among those difficult decisions should be a shift from Everson Pereira to Austin Hays in the White Sox outfield.