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The 121 losses posted by the Chicago White Sox in 2024 set a record for the most losses in MLB history. As the club's front office now attempts to pick up the pieces, they have announced one of their first offseason news.
Insider Jon Heyman broke on Monday morning that the Sox would be signing veteran Austin Slater to a one-year deal. Although the New York Post writer could not confirm the dollar amount, it is understood that Slater has penned a major league deal.
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"NEWS: Veteran OF Austin Slater has an agreement for an MLB deal with the White Sox" - Jon Heyman
Predictably, it did not take long for the cohort of fans on X to chime in with their say. Set against the backdrop of big-name free agents like Juan Soto, many could not help but make light of the Slater signing as if it was a bigger deal than it, probably, is.
A San Francisco Giants draft pick in the eighth round of the 2014 June Amateur Draft, Slater played ball in the Bay from 2017 until 2023. Slater's best season came in 2021 when he hit 12 home runs and 32 RBIs while batting .241 through 129 games. However, Slater's play has been on a stark decline. In 2024, spread across three teams, Slater hit a mere .185 in 51 games. Fans were sure to poke fun at the Chicago White Sox for making a play for the struggling veteran.
"Final piece of the puzzle" - joked a fan
"Wow white sox spending big this offseason" - lambasted another
"They could win the central now! Wow" - snarked a fan
Although the 121 losses posted by the 2024 Sox were the worst since 1901, they edged the 1962 New York Mets by less than a percentage point to salvage the title of being the club with the worst winning percentage ever. Many fans do not view the White Sox as a contending club.
"I’m so sorry Austin" - offered a fan
"Nice move. Finally a platoon coming to the southside" - was another thought
"Your world series MVP" - was a final jab at Slater
Chicago White Sox continue to pick up the pieces left from 2024
Earlier this month, Sox GM Chris Getz announced that former MLB player Will Venable would be coming on as manager in 2024. As Getz said of his selection:
“That’s what I was looking for. I was looking for a partner in this, and it’s a pretty good sign that it’s already as natural as it is.”
The team has a massive amount of work to do, but at least they will have Austin Slater to help them along.
