Chicago White Sox Trade Catcher Matt Thaiss To Tampa Bay Rays

The White Sox acquired minor league outfielder Dru Baker, who hit .245 in 17 Triple-A games this season, as Thaiss heads to Tampa Bay.

Chicago White Sox catcher Matt Thaiss (29) hits against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

CHICAGO – The White Sox traded catcher Matt Thaiss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday in exchange for outfielder Dru Baker.

In 35 games with the White Sox this season, Thaiss totaled one home run, eight RBI, four doubles, one stolen base, 23 walks and 21 strikeouts. He slashed .212/.382/.294/.676 across 110 plate appearances, and was worth 0.8 wins above replacement.

The White Sox acquired Thaiss in December in a trade with the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations. He signed a one-year contract in November with the Cubs worth $1 million while in the major leagues and $400,000 while in the minor leagues, according to the Associated Press. Thaiss previously played 245 games across six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.

The Triple-A Durham Bulls placed Baker on the seven-day injured list on April 22, and sent him on a rehab assignment on May 20. Across 61 plate appearances in Triple-A, Baker slashed .245/.344/.302/.646 with one home run, three RBI, one stolen base, eight walks and 11 strikeouts. Since going on the rehab assignment, he has one hit in 16 plate appearances in the Florida Complex League.

Baker, 25, was a fourth-round pick by the Rays in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Texas Tech. Spending the whole 2024 season in Double-A, he posted a .288 batting average with 42 stolen bases, but did not hit any home runs and finished with a .672 OPS. He is not ranked among the Rays' top 30 prospects.

Baker has spent his entire professional career with the Rays since 2021 and has yet to make his major league debut. He has at least 90 appearances at all three outfield spots, though the White Sox currently carry six outfielders on the major league roster: Luis Robert Jr., Austin Slater, Mike Tauchman, Andrew Benintendi, Michael A. Taylor and Joshua Palacios.

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