Randal Grichuk is back on a major league roster, and manager Will Venable now has another veteran right-handed bat to work into Chicago’s bench mix.
That’s the real takeaway from Monday’s move. The White Sox signed Grichuk to a major league deal only days after he elected free agency following his exit from the Yankees.
This is not a splash move. It is a depth move, and the roster timing makes that obvious.
Chicago also placed Austin Hays on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain, retroactive to May 2, which opened a cleaner path for Grichuk to step in right away. Tanner Murray was transferred to the 60-day injured list for the 40-man spot.
That gives Venable an experienced corner-outfield option at a time when the White Sox have been juggling pieces around right field. Everson Pereira is already on the injured list, and Jarred Kelenic had just started getting looks.
Grichuk’s recent stat line with the Yankees does not jump off the page. He hit .194 with no home runs over 33 plate appearances and worked only 1 walk in that scattered role.
But the White Sox are not signing him because of 1 rough stretch in May. They are betting on the longer track record against left-handed pitching that has kept Grichuk employed for years.
Chicago is betting on a familiar profile
From 2022 through 2024, Grichuk hit .317/.367/.573 against left-handers. That is the kind of split a club can still use, especially when the bench needs a clear platoon bat instead of another all-purpose placeholder.
That profile should sound familiar to Blue Jays fans. Grichuk spent parts of 5 seasons in Toronto and gave the club real power production when he was locked in, finishing with 91 home runs in a Blue Jays uniform.
He was never the type of hitter built around on a lineup card every day. But when Toronto needed pull-side pop, protection against lefties, or a veteran outfielder who could slide into a short-term role, Grichuk had value.
That is the lane here, too. Chicago does not need him to rescue the lineup. It needs him to give Venable a usable right-handed bench bat while the outfield picture stays unsettled.
The other piece to watch is how fast Grichuk plays. Because this is a major league deal, the White Sox did not bring him in to sit in waiting mode for long.
For Grichuk, that matters as much as the contract itself. The Yankees gave him a narrow role, then cut him loose. The White Sox are giving him another shot to turn a bench job into something steadier.
And for Blue Jays fans, it is another reminder that Grichuk still hangs around the league the same way he always did: with power, platoon value, and just enough experience to make a team take the call.
Did the White Sox make the right call by signing Randal Grichuk to a major league deal?
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