Edgar

Quero

Thaiss is on the move again in a crosstown Chicago swap just a few weeks after being shipped to the Cubs from the Angels where he batted .208/.313/.342 with 22 homers and six steals in 771 plate appearances dating back to 2019. The 29-year-old former first-round pick never quite panned out in Los Angeles and projects as merely extra catching depth for the White Sox behind starter Korey Lee until top prospects Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel are ready to ascend to the big leagues.

There hasn’t been word of any injury to White Sox catchers, so if Quero is added, it might be as a replacement for Chuckie Robinson. Quero, 21, has hit .281/.368/.467 in 97 games between Double- and Triple-A this season, and he is widely viewed as the White Sox’s catcher of the future.

It was originally thought that Quero might return this week, but it doesn’t look like that’s happening. Quero, the White Sox’s best long-term hope at catcher, has been sidelined at Triple-A Charlotte since Aug. 13.

Quero has been on a tear since getting promoted last month, hitting .333/.434/.587 with four homers in 18 games. He was pretty good in Double-A, too, coming in at .275/.360/.463 in 72 games. It probably doesn’t make a ton of sense for the White Sox to start his clock now, but at age 21, he might already be the best catching option in the organization.

No real surprises here as Colás figured to be edged out of contention for an Opening Day roster spot after an influx of talent during the offseason. Meanwhile, Quero and Bush represent a pair of top prospects on the verge of making it to the big leagues relatively soon. It’s a bit surprising to see Eder heading back to Double-A, but he’ll get plenty of innings there to open the year.

Quero is considered the top prospect in the Angels’ system after a breakout season last year in which he posted a .965 OPS with 17 homers in 111 games at the Single-A level. The 20-year-old switch-hitting backstop has compiled a .717 OPS at the Double-A level this season and is one of the more interesting prospects to monitor moving forward. He has a chance to be the catcher of the future in Chicago.

The 19-year-old Quero, one of the Angels’ best prospects, went 0-for-4 with three walks this spring. He figures to open 2023 in high-A ball.