CHICAGO – The Chicago White Sox have acquired veteran catcher Max Stassi and cash considerations from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for a player to be named later or cash.
Stassi, 32, was traded yesterday by the Los Angeles Angels to the Braves with infielder David Fletcher in exchange for first baseman Evan White and left-handed pitcher Tyler Thomas. He missed the entire 2023 season due to stints on the injured list with a left hip strain and Restricted List due to a family medical issue.
Stassi, 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, is a career .212/.295/.361 (241-1,137) hitter with 41 home runs, 128 RBI and 136 runs scored in 403 games over 10 major-league seasons with Houston (2013-19) and the Angels (2019-22). He combined to record 29 homers and 85 RBI in 220 games over his last three seasons with the Angels (2020-22).
According to FanGraphs.com, Stassi’s 38.1 framing rate from 2018-22 was the second best by a catcher in the MLB, trailing only Austin Hedges (43.5), his 24 Defensive Runs Saved ranked third, and his 55.4 Defensive Rating ranked fifth.
Stassi originally was selected by Oakland in the fourth round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of UCLA. He was traded to the Astros on February 4, 2013 as part of a five-player deal and to the Angels on July 31, 2019 in a three-player deal.
The White Sox 40-man roster increases to 40.
