The 2027 Chicago White Sox have to sort out the catching position. There are four guys who are in the organizational mix for next year, as well as one free agent.
One of those players is Joey Bart, who was injured almost immediately after he arrived as a trade-deadline acquisition.
Another is free agent Jake Rogers.
We'll examine each player below -- but the only thing we're sure of is that Kyle Teel will be one of the two -- assuming the Sox only carry two -- catchers on the 2027 big-league roster. Spotrac is our source for contracts and Baseball Reference for stats.
Also, check out my breakdowns of the outfield and infield. OK, here goes!
Examining the 2027 Chicago White Sox Catchers
It's unlikely the Sox will shop for a free-agent catcher or seek one via trade, nevertheless, we'll take a peek at the potentially available players and start at the end. But first, the current players.
Let's start with Kyle Teel and work from there.
Kyle Teel
The Sox's number one catcher this year missed a lot of time due to injury. He's got the potential to be a reliable hitter, and he's pretty good at ABS challenges, though he sometimes uses them too early in games. Some reports suggested pitchers were mildly questioning his pitch selection, too.
Still, with all that in mind, he's likely the number one backstop next year, too, unless veteran Joey Bart remains on the roster and overtakes Teel as the top guy.
Joey Bart
Assuming Bart is fully back after being injured on a hit-by-pitch, the veteran could supplant Teel or platoon with him. Or perhaps DH. He is under team control still.
He could also be trade bait if another catching candidate pairs with Teel.
Edgar Quero
Quero was once, along with Teel, supposed to be the catcher of the Sox's future. But while his bat has some pop, he's struggled mightily at the plate.
That's too bad, because if Quero could be counted on to hit consistently, he and Teel could platoon, or he could DH while Teel handles most of the catching duties.
But Quero got sent down three times in 2026 and has two options remaining. Could he be trade bait, as a change of scenery guy? Does he just need another year of minor-league seasoning? He's only 23 years old. He's someone who bears watching.
Drew Romo
Romo is a pretty prototypical backup catcher -- OK defender, very light hitter, seems to work well with pitchers. He probably played too much in 2026 because of Teel's injuries. I can see him returning if other options don't work out, but I'd rather that even the backup catcher have more thunder in their bat.
Jake Rogers
Rogers was signed late in the season on a flyer after Bart got hurt. The journeyman is a free agent, and while he had a couple of nice moments for the Sox during the stretch run, he was clearly there to fill a roster hole and I don't see him returning.
Final Catching Overview
At the end of the day, I think that, barring a trade or free-agent signing -- and that seems unlikely at this point -- the catching unit will be Teel and Catcher X. If Catcher X is Bart, it will be interesting to see how each player is deployed, especially with DH as an option. Ditto if Quero is here and Bart isn't. If it's Teel and Romo, then Teel is the clear starter.
What's trickier is figuring out who will be here. The Sox aren't carrying five catchers. It will be easy to let the 32-year-old Rogers go. Romo, who is 24 and has two more minor-league options remaining, could also return to the minors.
The free-agent market isn't great, just as a side note. The highest-WAR players are over 30, and with Teel, Quero, and Romo being young and Bart being 30, it seems the Sox will stay young at the position.
It will be Teel and Quero, or Teel and Bart, or Teel and Romo, most likely. The question is, which combo will be the one?
I'd love to see Bart or Quero moved for starting pitching, with the player remaining finding some offense. That's in an ideal world. We don't live in an ideal world. This spot will bear watching for 2027.
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