According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, veteran Nick Senzel will be signed by the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. According to Sox Machine’s James Fegan, Senzel is set to sign a major league contract. The seasoned player will probably report straight to the team on Friday after the All-Star break.
Due to his poor performance this season, Senzel was released by the Washington Nationals in the middle of July. The rebuilding club made the decision to let go of the veteran in order to give younger players more playing time. Senzel is going to join with the White Sox, who are also a rebuilding team, and he should get some playing time.
Sign Nick Senzel with the Chicago White Sox
Senzel was non-tendered by the Cincinnati Reds and signed a one-year, $2 million contract with Washington in December. With expertise playing all over the diamond, he is a versatile player. Nevertheless, in an effort to increase his value on the rebuilding Nationals, he signed a contract to play third base on a regular basis. Regretfully, he had severe problems with the bat, glove, and his health.
In 235 plate appearances, the 29-year-old hit.209/.303/.359 (89 wRC+) with a below-league-average strikeout rate and a strong walk rate. According to Statcast, the right-hander did not make good contact, proving that his subpar performance was not an anomaly. It also carried on Senzel’s poor contact for a number of years.
Senzel combined a terrible defence with his mediocre offensive. Senzel got -8 Defensive Runs Saved and -4 Outs Above Average in 388 1/3 defensive innings at third base. Though it should be noted that, according to these measures, he has only played third base this season, his career outfield defence has been far worse.
Senzel, a previous top prospect, is not new to difficulties this year. He has hit.235/.302/.368 (78 wRC+) in 1,601 career plate appearances and has a career fWAR of -0.5.
The fact that he has had numerous injuries over his career doesn’t help either. This includes the period this season that I missed due to a fractured thumb. Senzel probably does not have many more opportunities to establish himself in the majors, even if the injuries hindered his growth.
How Senzel’s Signing Fits with the ChiSox
When the White Sox officially announce the Senzel signing, they will need to free up a spot on the 40-man roster. Given the season, it’s only logical for many to assume that a deal will soon create space.
But there doesn’t appear to be a trade imminent. Chicago may be able to make room by assigning or adding a player to the 60-day injured list. Nevertheless, by the deadline this summer, the group should be among the busiest sellers.
Paul DeJong, an infielder on the South Side, is enjoying a good season and could be dealt at a second straight deadline. Senzel might sign with the Sox if he continues to hit well enough over the course of the next week to draw trade interest.
However, it is more likely that he adds experience to a severely injured White Sox team.
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