Catcher Korey Lee has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Lee was designated for assignment by the White Sox three days ago after being informed that he wouldn’t make the Opening Day roster.
The outright assignment keeps Lee in the organization, which may prove ideal for the Sox. A few weeks ago, Lee was poised for the backup catcher spot, with Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero splitting time between catcher and DH to keep both in the lineup. Then, Teel strained his hamstring in the World Baseball Classic, leading him to start the year on the injured list. The injury prompted Chicago to sign Reese McGuire to a cheap one-year deal as a backup while Quero started behind the plate. Despite his excellent performance in Spring Training, Lee was ultimately the odd man out. He’ll now start the year as Triple-A depth, but he’s likely the next man up should Quero or McGuire suffer an injury themselves.
Lee has made 530 career plate appearances between the Astros and White Sox from 2022-25. His first significant look came in 2024 with the Sox, making 394 PA over 125 games. He batted just .210/.244/.347 with a 65 wRC+, although he showed some power with 12 home runs. He spent most of 2025 at Triple-A and fared slightly better with an 81 wRC+. Still, his overall offensive output is underwhelming given his status as a former first-round draft pick.
Instead, Lee’s value comes from his defense and ability to work with a pitching staff. In 2024, Statcast graded him in the 97th percentile for pop time and the 82nd percentile for caught stealing above average. In contrast, he earned negative marks for his blocking and framing. Despite those flaws, Lee’s arm strength, youth, and affordability give him some appeal as minor-league depth. He has just over two years of service time and is out of option years. If his contract is eventually selected, he would need to hit enough to stick on the roster or else be designated for assignment. In that scenario, he would have the right to refuse another outright assignment.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
