The White Sox announced on Thursday that they had selected voltiseur contracts Joshua Palacios and receiver Omar Narvaez. (The probability of Narvaez’s move was reported for the first time last night.) They also placed a recipient Korey Lee and outfall Mike Tauchman On the list of wounded 10 days due to a sprain on the left ankle and a tense hamstrings, respectively.
The SOXs had only one place of 40 years opened, so they released the right -hander Juan Carela To accommodate the addition of Palacios and Narvaez. Carela was acquired by Yankees in the 2023 trade which sent Keynan Middleton In New York, and the SOX selected it from the list of 40 men last November to protect it from the rule 5 project. However, Carela underwent a torn ulnar collateral ligament during spring training and required Tommy John surgery.
Since injured players cannot be placed on outright derogations, the SOX will rather free Carela. It is relatively common for teams and players in this exact situation to quickly conclude a new minor league contract, but the right -hander will technically have the possibility of speaking to 29 other clubs, assuming that it erases the derogations to be released. The 23-year-old right-hander has not yet made his debut in MLB, but the SOX added it to the list of 40 men on the heels of a 2024 season during which he recorded 106 2/3 rounds of 3.71 ERA Ball with a withdrawal rate of 25.2% and a walking rate of 9.9% between High-A and Double-A.
Palacios, 29, played in parts of four big league seasons between the Blue Jays, the Nationals and the Pirates. He saw semi-regulating work in Pittsburgh during the 2023 season and showed a little pop but had trouble climbing on the basis. He entered training in the spring outside the minor league options and did not cut a pirate club which had several external field options in front of the depth board. The pirates appointed Palacios for assignment and exceeded him in Triple-A, but he rejected the mission in favor of the free agency, which was his right as a player who had been exceeded once in his career.
In the past two seasons in Pittsburgh, Palacios reduced .236 / .291 / .398 with a dozen circuits in 342 plates appearances. Its 19.9% withdrawal rate is a few ticks below the League brand, and it was in the grip of an average of .264 on the balls in play despite a frequent hard contact, which could create a certain optimism for better performance. However, Palacios is also a ball striker on the extreme ground (51% as a pirate) with a good adventure speed and a heavy approach – which makes him a little sensitive to a lower babip.
However, with Tauchman and Andrew Beniniendi On the injured list – Benintende has undergone adductive tension earlier this week – Palacios should have a chance for a major playing time. If he can make the most of it, he can be checked for four years beyond the current season. He is a career striker .302 / .389 / .482 in 720 appearances in triple-a plates, so there is certainly a performance history in the upper minors on which the White Sox can dream.
At this point, it is not yet clear how long Lee or Tauchman will be sidelined. Lee suffered the injury by rushing to the first goal yesterday when Guardians Catcher Austin Hedges Throwing behind him in a selection attempt (video link). Lee’s left ankle has considerably distorted and was labeled when it collapsed from the bag. He suffered obvious because the coaches of the White Sox helped him leave the field. It was released quickly, going 5 for 15 with a pair of doubles and a pair of walks in 17 plates appearances (.333 / .412 / .467).
As for the Tauchman veteran, he missed the first week and more of the season with pressure in the same right isolation and did his debut in 2025 as on April 6. The 34-year-old man signed a one-year agreement, 1.95 mm of dollars in a free agency and only appeared in three games so far, going 4-for 10 (all singles) with a pair of balls in a dozens for the plate (.400 / .500 / .400). Since he is now dealing with consecutive strains in the same muscle, it would not be a surprise if the SOX adopt a more cautious approach to his absence this time. The schedules for Lee and Tauchman will probably become clearer after the manager Will Venable Meet the media before the final of today’s series in Cleveland.
