White Sox, Travis Swaggerty Agree To Minor League Deal

The White Sox have agreed to a deal with outfielder Travis Swaggerty, whom the Pirates released last month. The former No. 10 overall draft pick effectively announced the news himself on Instagram. MLBTR has confirmed that it’s a minor league deal between the two parties.

Swaggerty, 26 later this week, made a very brief MLB debut last year with Pittsburgh, going 1-for-9 in his only big league action to date. He’s been injured for much of the season but had been on a rehab assignment prior to his DFA and subsequent release. He’s been healthy enough for just 72 plate appearances in Triple-A this year, batting .200/.278/.369 in that small sample. As recently as the 2022 season, he hit .254/.348/.400 (102 wRC+) in 458 plate appearances with Triple-A Indianapolis.

Prior to the 2019 season, MLB.com ranked Swaggerty as the sport’s No. 87 overall prospect, touting his plus speed, plus glove and disciplined approach while also crediting him with an average hit tool and average power. Swaggerty has regularly displayed a keen eye at the plate, drawing a walk in 11.4% of his minor league plate appearances, and he’s swiped 59 bags in 314 minor league games (20-for-25 in Triple-A last year). He’s also fanned in nearly a quarter of his plate appearances since being drafted, however, and has never topped 11 homers in a season. He’s also dealt with several injuries, most notably requiring surgery on his non-throwing shoulder after he dislocated it during a slide in 2021.

Swaggerty becomes the fourth former top prospect on whom the White Sox have taken a chance since their deadline sell-off. Chicago also claimed right-handers Brent Honeywell Jr. and Deivi Garcia off waivers and acquired righty Luis Patino from the Rays for cash. All three were, at various points over the past few seasons, among the most touted pitching prospects in the sport. There’s little harm in the White Sox taking a look at some former top prospects in the final weeks of the season — and perhaps into next year — given the thin nature of their own farm and the various holes they’ll need to fill in the offseason.