Munetaka Murakami’s looming return from the IL could force the White Sox into a difficult decision involving Jacob Gonzalez and the corresponding roster move.
We could be just days away from first baseman Munetaka Murakami returning to the Chicago White Sox from the IL for the first time since May 29.
Murakami has been sidelined for over a month, but according to White Sox manager Will Venable, he'll head to Charlotte for a rehab assignment this week, with the possibility that he could be activated before the All-Star break.
And of course, that day can't come soon enough. Murakami is a force in Chicago's lineup and one of the best power hitters in the game. He's a feared power threat, lineup protection, and an on-base machine all in one.
But when the White Sox activate Murakami, there will be a really difficult roster decision facing them. What does that corresponding move look like? And would the White Sox actually send down Jacob Gonzalez, who is more deserving of a roster spot than some of the other players currently on the team?
Gonzalez was brought up by the White Sox on May 30 as a direct replacement for Murakami. He's played in 28 games for the White Sox this season and spent every defensive inning but one at first base.
In those 28 games, Gonzalez is batting .253 with two home runs, 17 RBIs, and a .707 OPS. He's really turned it on as of late and has been a strong contributor for Chicago. In his last 10 games, Gonzalez is batting .382 with a 1.021 OPS and 12 of those 17 RBIs.
It's hard to imagine that Gonzalez has much more to prove in Triple-A Charlotte. He was hitting .317 with 19 home runs, 62 RBIs, and a 1.087 OPS for the Knights before he got promoted.
At 24 years old, the former first-round pick has left no doubt that he belongs in the big leagues. The difficulty will be for the White Sox to figure out what his role needs to look like moving forward.
Once Murakami returns, he, Miguel Vargas, and Colson Montgomery will all be in the lineup every day, regardless of the matchup. That much is a no-brainer. Up to this point, Chase Meidroth has also been a regular at second base.
Some of the other positions for the White Sox, like the outfield and the DH spot, change on a platoon basis. That has allowed several players to carve out roles on this White Sox team. But I'm not sure it helps Gonzalez much. I don't think Andrew Benintendi is going anywhere as the regular DH against right-handed pitching. Gonzalez has taken almost all of his at-bats against righties this season, but if the infield is crowded and Benintendi is locked in as the DH, where are the at-bats coming from for Gonzalez at the MLB level once Murakami returns?
Gonzalez would be a valuable bench piece and a potential pinch hitter for the White Sox if they keep him around. But is that better for his long-term development than playing every day in Triple-A would be? That's ultimately the question the White Sox front office needs to answer.
The contributions from Junior Perez since he was called up have been appreciated, but I do think Perez is more of a Triple-A player at this stage of his career who still has some work to do before he's ready for the big leagues. For my money, I'd rather send Perez down than Gonzalez, even if it means having one fewer right-handed hitting outfielder on the active roster.
Luisangel Acuña could go, too. He doesn't bring much to the White Sox besides serving as a late-game pinch runner. If the objective is to field the best team possible from an offensive standpoint, he's on the outside looking in, and there's really no world in which Acuña will get regular playing time with the White Sox.
The issue there, though, is minor league options. The White Sox could send down Gonzalez without consequence, whereas Acuña would need to be designated for assignment. The White Sox would risk losing him from the organization entirely. That doesn't matter much to me, but I'm not sure the White Sox are ready to quit on that experiment just yet.
Hence the difficult decision that is coming. You've got yourself a player in Jacob Gonzalez who deserves to be on this team and should still be part of the long-term future with the White Sox. But unless he's being used as a platoon option at second base with Meidroth, the at-bats just might not be there once Murakami returns.
One thing the White Sox love about Gonzalez is his versatility. If any of their infielders go down, he could step in and replace them with his ability to play third base, shortstop, second base, or even first. But the burden is now on Chris Getz to decide what's best for the White Sox both right now and in the future. He also needs to keep in mind the best interests of the individual players, the clubhouse chemistry, and the things that go beyond the baseball field.
