White Sox Acquire Max Stassi From Braves
The Chicago White Sox have made a trade with the Atlanta Braves to acquire catcher Max Stassi.
Veteran Catcher Max Stassi Joins White Sox
The White Sox have acquired Max Stassi and cash considerations from the Braves in exchange for a player to be named later. Both teams have announced the deal. Stassi, 33 in March, spent just one day in the Braves organization after being acquired from the Angels yesterday in a multi-played deal with the Angels alongside infielder David Fletcher. Now, the veteran catcher is off to his third organization in two days, where he figures to have the opportunity to step into a regular role on the south side of Chicago.
The White Sox lost Yasmani Grandal to free agency earlier this offseason and were in need of a veteran backstop to pair with youngster Korey Lee behind the plate in 2024. It’s a need Stassi is more than capable of fulfilling.
While the veteran missed the entire 2023 season, only the first half of his absence was due to the left hip strain that prevented him from being on the Opening Day roster in Anaheim last season.
Stassi's Experience and Performance
Stassi is expected to return to the field in 2024 and has shown himself to be a quality big league catcher over the past few seasons. Initially drafted by the A’s in the fourth round of the 2009 draft, Stassi made his big league debut back in 2013 with the Astros but did not find a regular role in the majors until the 2018 season.
While Stassi struggled through 51 games in 2019, prompting the Astros to trade him to the Angels at that year’s trade deadline, Stassi was given a more prominent role upon his arrival in Anaheim. In 118 games between the shortened 2020 campaign and his first full season as an Angel in 2021, Stassi combined above-average offense at the plate (113 wRC+) with strong defense behind it to be the ninth most valuable catcher in the league according to fWAR.
That strong performance led the Angels to sign Stassi to an extension, though that decision would prove ill-fated. As effective as Stassi was during those two seasons, he took a step back in 2022, slashing a meager .180/.267/.363 (63 wRC+) at the plate while posting framing numbers that were closer to average than the elite figures he had posted earlier in his career.
Impact on the White Sox and Braves
While the struggles Stassi faced in 2022 and his time away from the game in 2023 make it an understandable decision for the Angels and Braves to go in another direction behind the plate in 2024, it’s easy to see why the addition of Stassi would be intriguing for the White Sox. The addition of a veteran catcher such as Stassi should help with the transition, while also creating a substantial bit of upside for Chicago.
For the Braves, the deal clears a portion of Stassi’s salary from their books while clearing an unnecessary piece from their roster. In conjunction with other recent trades, the Braves have shaved roughly $5MM off their payroll while adding a bench piece in Fletcher who better fits the club’s roster.
Overall, the trade benefits both teams as the White Sox gain a capable veteran catcher and the Braves clear salary and roster space.
