Chris Getz Indicates There Is A Surprising Leader In RF Competition

It has been a long time since the White Sox have gotten any average production out of their right field position. It has been a revolving door of washed-up veterans, failed prospects, and basically any other label you could give a player. But finally, the White Sox have seemed to make some moves that could indicate solid output out of the position.

The White Sox have added plenty of names to the Spring Training roster that are fighting for the starting right field gig, as well as the fourth outfielder spot. They have added Zach DeLoach, Dominic Fletcher, Kevin Pillar, Brett Phillips, Rafael Ortega, and Mark Payton to compete with Oscar Colas and Gavin Sheets.

While none of these players are household names or all-stars, there are a few young players with some solid upside and the added veterans to the mix can create a strong competition to get the best potential out of everyone. As we have seen from many of Chris Getz’s moves, he has added veteran depth at a lot of the positions to ensure there is competition for almost every empty spot. This could be a solid move if the veterans push the younger guys to perform to the highest level they can.

Spring Training is going to be a dogfight for all of these guys and they should all get an opportunity to show what they can do. But, one name has already stood out as the likely choice for the everyday right fielder, and it is not a name that most people would expect at this point in Spring Training.

According to James Fegan, Chris Getz has said that Dominic Fletcher has a “leg up” in the right field battle. This is a big sign of confidence in the newly acquired Fletcher, as he has not played in a Spring Training game yet. This is also a sign that Getz has very little confidence in the incumbents, Gavin Sheets and Oscar Colas.

This is the best case scenario for the White Sox, as Fletcher has some of the highest upside out of the group of guys competing. A lot of people are comparing him to Adam Eaton, and the first time around, Eaton was a very good player for the White Sox.

If Fletcher turns out to be a solid RF and a staple in the outfield for the White Sox over the next few years, this will turn out to be a great trade regardless of what we gave up to get him. It would be great to see him develop into a top of the order guy for the White Sox.

In his smaller sample size last year Fletcher hit .301 with two home runs and had 14 RBIs. He did not steal a base but he did walk a decent bit, seven times in just above 100 plate appearances. According to Baseball Savant, Fletcher has a strong arm and is a solid fielder. This would be great, as the Whtie Sox have had some suspect fielding in right as of late, so if he can at least shore that up, that would be a win.

It seems likely that Fletcher will win the job, but Zach DeLoach could be another solid canidate, as the White Sox acquired him in the Gregory Santos trade. I would love to see a Spring Training battle between them and the loser takes the fourth outfield spot to start the year.

Regardless, there are some better options than usual and it should be a fun camp battle to watch.