2:39 p.m.: White Sox manager Pedro Grifol confirmed to reporters (including Scott Merkin of MLB.com) that Robinson has the ability to opt out of his contract with the team if he is not added to the 40-man roster.
12:08 p.m.: The White Sox announced this afternoon that they have designated a catcher contract Chuckie Robinson. The one who plays outside Duke Ellis was selected for assignment to replace Robinson on the 40-man roster. Robinson was optioned to Triple-A following his contract option.
Robinson, 29, signed with the White Sox on a minor league deal in December. In 41 games at the Triple-A level this year, he hit just .235/.288/.386 for a 24.4% slugging rate. That lackluster slash line, however, was enough to earn Robinson a spot on the 40-man roster for the first time since 2022, when he appeared in 25 games for the Reds and slashed just .136/.136/.271 in 60 outings. plate the club. With the White Sox, Robinson is the depth catcher behind the team’s current tandem Martin Maldonado again Corey Lee, giving the club a choice angler they can rely on in the event of an injury. By adding Robinson to the 40-man roster, the White Sox also bypassed any hypothetical opt-outs Robinson might have had on his minor league contract with the team, securing his spot in the organization.
He replaced 40-year-old Robinson Ellis, who was selected from the team’s roster earlier this month. The 26-year-old was selected by the Padres in the 26th round in 2017 but did not sign. Eventually, he landed with the White Sox in 2020 as an undrafted free agent and made his pro debut for the team the following year. Ellis has worked in the team’s minor league system the past four years but has generally struggled to hit at each level, posting an overall slash line of .241/.328/.333 over his four seasons in the minors.
Ellis however managed to crack the majors despite this offensive performance due to his blazing speed. The outfielder has 117 bags in 133 chances as a junior and is 34-for-36 at the minor league level this year. That elite run carried over into his time in Chicago, where the White Sox used him primarily as a shortstop and saw him steal four bases in four attempts during his short time in Chicago. The White Sox will have one week to make a trade or attempt to move Ellis through waivers. If he is not wanted, they will have the opportunity to put him in the minor leagues. Given Ellis’ ability to not attack, it would be easy to imagine clubs passing on the guy. However, with that being said, it is at least possible that his abilities as a speedster could catch the eye of a team that has room for a pinch runner and defensive player in their bench mix.
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