The Chicago White Sox have added some veteran firepower to their outfield, signing Randal Grichuk to a one-year, $1.25 million deal on Monday. The move comes as the team places outfielder Austin Hays back on the 10-day injured list due to a left calf strain.
Grichuk, 34, brings a much-needed right-handed bat to the lineup, especially against left-handed pitching. Over his 13-year MLB career, he’s posted a solid .268 average with an .816 OPS, 79 home runs, and 220 RBIs in 1,569 at-bats versus southpaws. From 2022 to 2024, he was even more lethal, hitting .317 with a .940 OPS against lefties.
"It kind of came together last second," Grichuk said before Monday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Angels. "We were talking to a few other teams and were about to get something done when they came into the mix. It’s a young, exciting team that is playing good baseball, so we felt like it was a good spot."
The White Sox have endured a rough stretch, losing at least 100 games in each of the past three seasons—including a record-setting 121 losses in 2024. But there’s a new energy in Chicago this year. Entering Monday with a 16-18 record, the team has been buoyed by the powerful bat of first baseman Munetaka Murakami, who already has 13 homers and 26 RBIs.
"Any time you get a chance to throw on the jersey and compete and keep playing, it’s an honor," said Grichuk, a 2009 first-round pick who’s now playing for his sixth team in four years. "They’ve had some tough years here, but they’re on the up-and-up. They’ve got a lot of good guys, and I’m excited to grind with them."
Hays, who missed most of April with a right hamstring strain, returned last week but managed only three games before the calf injury sidelined him. He’s expected to miss at least two weeks.
"With Hays going down, we needed a right-handed outfielder," Chicago manager Will Venable said. "Grichuk fit the roster, he was available, and we feel really lucky that we got him. He’s a guy with a ton of experience who has performed really well in his league."