Mike

Tauchman

Tauchman signed a one-year contract with the White Sox back in December and appears to be the favorite to lead off this season ahead of Luis Robert Jr. and Andrew Vaughn. The 34-year-old veteran’s on-base skills have never been in question, which makes him a decent table-setter during Chicago’s rebuilding process. Tauchman offers some appeal for fantasy purposes, especially in deeper mixed leagues and AL-only formats, as a double-digit homers and steals source with a solid supply of runs scored.

“We are not going to have someone designated for that role,” Venable said at spring training on Thursday. “We are going to use it to get guys off their feet, to be able to match up defensively, and to kind of leave that open as a way to do all those things.” The White Sox don’t have a player who profiles best as a designated hitter but have plenty of outfielders, so this feels like a good way to ensure that four of Mike Tauchman, Andrew Benintendi, Luis Robert Jr., Austin Slater, and Michael A. Taylor can all get consistent at-bats.

This was first reported Monday, but these things take time. Tauchman will stay in Chicago after being non-tendered by the Cubs at the end of the 2024 season, and the 34-year-old should be a serviceable fourth outfielder with a chance to make some starts for one of the worst teams in baseball.

No word yet on the length or financial terms, but it’s a major-league deal for Tauchman, who was non-tendered a couple weeks ago by the Cubs after posting a serviceable .723 OPS with seven homers and six steals in 350 plate appearances last year. The 34-year-old journeyman outfielder is more of a bench option as a capable backup than anything at this stage of his career.

There was interest in Tauchman in July, but the Cubs rebuffed it, suggesting he was in their 2025 plans. Alas, it looks like he’ll head elsewhere. The 33-year-old hit .248/.357/.366 in 350 plate appearances last season. His defensive value has fallen off, but the on-base ability makes him useful.

There was talk of Tauchman being moved prior to the deadline, and it probably would have worked out better for everyone if it had happened, considering that he’s barely played since. His .249/.355/.370 line is pretty solid, and he could yet be sent off in a minor deal this winter if the Cubs don’t want to pay him $3 million or so to come off the bench.

Busch takes a seat with Pirates fireballer Jared Jones toeing the rubber on Tuesday night while Cody Bellinger takes a turn at the cold corner and Mike Tauchman patrols right field. The 26-year-old rookie has gone 1-for-11 over his last two games, so a quick break might not be a bad idea.

Tauchman smacked a one-out double off of Miles Mikolas in the fourth inning and ultimately scored on a balk. He then belted a leadoff 367-foot solo homer off of left-hander John King to start the sixth inning — increasing the Cubs’ lead to 5-2. With his two-hit attack, Tauchman is now slashing .250/.346/.375 with six homers and 21 RBI on the season.

With the score tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Tauchman came up huge with a double off the bench to score Dansby Swanson and give the Cubs the come-from-behind win. That’s the 11th double of the season for Tauchman and the 20th RBI. While his ability to get on via walk is admirable, the rest of his skill set — and playing time — doesn’t really add to a fantasy recommendation.

Throwing is a problem, so Bellinger likely return to the Cubs as a designated hitter initially. If all continues to go well, the move will come this week. Mike Tauchman would lose playing time, but it’s very possible he’ll be traded prior to the deadline anyway.