With the past decade featuring a wide range of highs and very low lows for the Chicago White Sox, plenty of notable players have made pit stops on the South Side.
In a continuation of a recent post I made about random Cubs of the past decade, I figured I’d make a series out of it for all the Immaculate Grid players out there.
Heading to Chicago’s South Side, the past decade for the White Sox has been one of plenty of turbulence. Emerging from the mid 2010’s as a rebuilding team, the latter half of the last decade saw plenty of promise and optimism about a future competitive era of the team, one that appeared to come to fruition in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
The White Sox ultimately secured two consecutive playoff berths to start the decade, including a 93-win campaign in 2021 that saw them win the American League Central by a comfortable 13-game margin. After a disappointing four-game ALDS loss to the Houston Astros, the White Sox have been mired in poor play, culminating with the worst record from a team in modern MLB history in 2024 with a ledger of 41-121.
With this level of rapid change within the franchise from rebuilding to contending to falling right back to square one, the White Sox have seen a wide range of personnel move in and out of the Rate Field gates in the past 10 years.
Although this past decade has also featured the play of recognizable franchise stars such as José Abreu and Tim Anderson, there have also been plenty of names fans have likely forgotten. Here’s a trip down memory lane:
Geovany Soto, Catcher (2015, 2017, 91 total games played)
Mostly known for his career-opening stretch on Chicago’s North Side with the Cubs, Soto finished his career as a backup catcher journeyman, making two separate stops with the White Sox.
Soto was first acquired by the South Siders in January 2015, and went on to play 78 games with the White Sox that season as the primary backup to Tyler Flowers. The veteran catcher ultimately posted passable numbers, slashing .219/.301/.406/.708 with nine home runs and eight doubles across 210 plate appearances, good for a slightly below-average 96 OPS+.
After spending the 2016 season as a seldom-used backup for the Los Angeles Angels, Soto returned to the White Sox ahead of the 2017 season as a free agent, though he was subject to even less playing time.
Following a season in which he appeared in just 26 games with the Angels, Soto played in only 13 games with the 2017 White Sox, going 8-for-42 with three home runs and four walks. Soto ultimately played his final MLB game with the South Siders on May 7, 2017, and was granted free agency at the end of the season.
Though mostly remembered for his stellar 2008 season with the Cubs that saw him make the All-Star team, finish 13th in NL MVP voting and win the NL Rookie of the Year award, Soto bounced around a bit after his time with the Cubs.
In addition to both Chicago teams and the Angels, Soto also spent time with the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics.
Tyler Clippard, Relief Pitcher (2017, 11 games played)
Regarded as one of the most consistent and well-traveled relief arms of his generation, right-hander Tyler Clippard had a brief but effective stint on Chicago’s South Side in the 2017 season.
Primarily known for his time with the Washington Nationals which saw him make All-Star games in 2011 and 2014, Clippard played with nine other clubs in his MLB career that spanned from 2007 to 2022.
After being acquired by his original MLB team in the New York Yankees at the 2016 trade deadline, Clippard spent the last part of 2016 and the opening half of 2017 in the Bronx before he was shipped to the White Sox as part of a package in a notable trade that sent Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle all to the Yankees.
Though the 2017 White Sox were nowhere near contention, Clippard was steady as a relief arm for Rick Renteria’s team. In 11 games with the Sox, Clippard posted a 1-1 record with a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings of work alongside five walks and 12 strikeouts.
Less than a month after being dealt to Chicago, Clippard was traded by the White Sox to the Houston Astros in exchange for cash or a player to be named later on Aug. 13. While the Astros went on to win the World Series in 2017, Clippard struggled in his tenure with Houston and was not named to the playoff roster.
In addition to the Yankees, White Sox, Nationals and Astros, Clippard played with the Oakland Athletics, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians/Guardians and Minnesota Twins in his 16-year career.
Joakim Soria, Relief Pitcher (2018, 40 games played)
Another longtime reliever known as one of the most steady arms of his generation, the 14-year career of Joakim Soria included a brief stint with the Chicago White Sox, despite Soria mostly being known for his years with the AL Central rival Kansas City Royals.
Ahead of the 2018 season, Soria’s second stint with Kansas City came to an end when he was involved in a three-team trade also involving the Los Angeles Dodgers that sent him to the White Sox along with cash.
While the 2018 White Sox ultimately finished 62-100, it would certainly be hard to fault Soria. Over 40 games with the club, the veteran righty managed a 2.56 ERA with 16 saves while posting 10 walks and 49 strikeouts in 38.2 innings of work.
The stellar work made Soria a trade target for a contending team, with the White Sox ultimately shipping him to the Milwaukee Brewers in July 2018 in exchange for two minor-league players. Soria went on to struggle with Milwaukee, posting a -0.2 WAR and 4.09 ERA over 26 games to finish the season before managing a ghastly 7.71 ERA in seven playoff games.
In addition to the Royals, White Sox and Brewers, Soria spent time with the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks and Toronto Blue Jays in 14 MLB seasons between 2007 and 2021.
Jon Jay, Outfielder (2019, 47 games played)
Widely known for his time as an outfield mainstay for the competitive early 2010’s St. Louis Cardinals, Jay made several other stops in the back half of his career, including a rather underwhelming stint on Chicago’s South Side.
Signed by the White Sox as a free agent in January 2019, Jay primarily served as a backup for the South Siders, appearing in just 47 games throughout the season while mostly appearing in right field.
At the plate, Jay slashed .267/.311/.315/.626, amounting to a miniscule 69 OPS+ with eight doubles and no triples or home runs. Though previously a threat on the basepaths earlier in his career, Jay didn’t manage a single stolen base attempt during his tenure with the White Sox.
Jay was granted free agency at the end of the season and went on to play 23 more MLB games across the next two seasons before announcing his retirement in April 2022.
Along with the Cardinals and White Sox, Jay suited up for the San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels over his 12-year career.
Gio González, Starting Pitcher (2020, 12 games played)
A seasoned veteran who was among the game’s best left-handed pitchers in the early 2010’s, González finished his career with a 12-game stint that included four starts with the Chicago White Sox in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
González was signed by the White Sox in December 2019, figuring to be a back-of-the-rotation arm after posting a 3.50 ERA across 19 games and 17 starts in 2019 with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Unfortunately for González and the South Siders, things didn’t exactly go to plan. González went 1-2 with a 4.83 ERA across 31.2 innings of work, allowing 40 hits and 19 walks alongside 34 strikeouts, amounting to a monstrous 1.863 WHIP.
The lefty also allowed six home runs in his limited action, the worst mark in his career since allowing nine home runs in 34 innings during his rookie 2008 campaign.
Though the White Sox won 35 of their 60 games and qualified for the postseason, González did not appear in their three-game AL Wild Card Round loss to the Oakland Athletics. While González did ink a minor-league deal and spring training invite with the Miami Marlins ahead of the 2021 season, he announced his retirement upon his release before the start of the season.
In a 13-year career, González posted a solid 29.8 WAR and spent time with the Oakland Athletics and Washington Nationals in addition to the Brewers and White Sox. González’s finest year came in 2012 with Washington, which saw him lead all of baseball with 21 wins and a 2.82 FIP while finishing third in NL Cy Young Award voting.
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