The White Sox were a rumored landing spot for outfielder Adam Haseley in the lead up to the 2017 MLB amateur draft but the then Virginia Cavalier was selected eighth overall by the Philadelphia Phillies before the White Sox had a chance to select. It’s 2022 now and Haseley joins the organization as a 25-year-old looking for a fresh start to his career. Stuck in a roster crunch with the Phillies without a clear path to playing time, the 6-foot-1, 190 pounder will switch uniforms for the first time as a professional.
Haseley was a top ten prospect in the 2017 draft by the majority of publications and he was listed right at No. 10 for MLB Pipeline. They called him a “late bloomer” that burst onto the scene as a junior and he’d earned comparisons to Mark Kotsay and Hunter Pence. The outfielder was solid during his draft year and posted a 148 wRC+ in Double-A during the 2018 season. In 2019, Haseley hit .267/.353/.485 with an 11% walk rate while posting a 144 wRC+ in Double-A. The former top prospect then posted a 116 wRC+ in Triple-A before earning his first promotion to the big leagues.
The defensive versatility was evident, but he was below average at the dish posting an 87 wRC+ in 67 games in his first taste of big league action. Haseley also posted an 87 wRC+ in 2020 with Philadelphia after hitting .278/.348/.342 in just 92 plate appearances over the course of 40 contests.
The outfielder really struggled in nine big league games in 2021 and eventually left the club for personal reasons as outlined by Todd Zolecki of MLB.com last week. He’s battled myriad injuries throughout his career as well. 41 games with Lehigh Valley at Triple-A in the Phillies’ system didn’t go much better and a change of scenery seemed likely prior to the start of the 2022 season.
Kyle Glaser of Baseball America cited Haseley’s “feel to hit from the left side” but also noted that he’s struggled to produce power with wood bats as a professional. He hits and throws with his left hand, can play center field and has two minor league options remaining, which likely appeals greatly to the Chicago White Sox. Haseley should immediately serve as outfield depth that will shuttle between Charlotte and Chicago in a reserve role. Haseley has some utility for the 2022 club though due to his left-handedness and defensive versatility.
To make room for Haseley on the 40-man roster, the White Sox designated outfielder Blake Rutherford for assignment. One major tenant of the White Sox’ successful rebuild was trades, but the 6-foot-3, 205 pound outfielder was involved in the one that looks like a blemish for the front office. Sent over from the New York Yankees as a centerpiece in the deal for David Robertson, Todd Frazier and Tommy Kahnle in July of 2017, the former first rounder never lived up to expectations after the trade.
As an over-slot prep outfielder from California taken 18th overall by the Yankees in the 2016 draft, Rutherford was seen as one of the very best talents available in the draft class. The White Sox bet on the upside of power potential that never materialized and athleticism that deteriorated. The 24-year-old left-handed hitting and throwing outfielder slashed .250/.286/.404 with an 80 wRC+ in 115 games with the Charlotte Knights in Triple-A last year. Rutherford’s arm likely has him relegated to left field at this point and he just hasn’t hit for enough power to accommodate his likely future in an outfield corner. Rutherford could return to the White Sox organization if he clears waivers.
Minor league righty McKinley Moore is the return in the trade for the Philadelphia Phillies and the folks at MLB Pipeline recently ranked him as the No. 27 prospect in the White Sox’ system. At FutureSox, we didn’t rank the 6-foot-6, 225 pound righty on our pre-season list, but he was included in the just missed portion. Pipeline noted that Moore possesses a 65-grade fastball that sits in the 93-96 mph range and touches 99. He held his own in the Arizona Fall League but has always struggled to finish off lefties and displays inconsistent control and command.
The White Sox drafted the big right hander out of Arkansas Little Rock in the 14th round back in 2019 and signed him for $100K. The 23-year-old posted a 4.00 ERA while averaging 12 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 18 innings with the Winston-Salem Dash in High-A in 2021. Prior to the promotion, Moore averaged nearly 14 K/9 with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in Low-A over the course of 22.2 innings with a 4.37 ERA. Some scouts have noted that Moore is more “thrower than pitcher” at this point but internal evaluators always saw the righty as a future big league reliever. The Phillies liked what they saw enough to pull the trigger on a deal involving him on Tuesday. He likely pitches in Double-A for the Phillies in 2022 and he’s Rule Five eligible this winter.
More Roster Moves
The White Sox have also made nine roster moves in Glendale, leaving the club with 42 players left in big league camp. The roster is comprised of 19 pitchers, five catchers, 10 infielders and eight outfielders with opening day nine days away.
Jimmy Lambert likely serves as big league pitching depth again while starting regularly for the Charlotte Knights in Triple-A. Southpaws Tanner Banks, Wes Benjamin, Brandon Finnegan and Andrew Pérez in addition to righties Caleb Freeman, Tyler Johnson and Yacksel Ríos likely help out in the high minors as well. Outfielder and No. 4 overall prospect in the system Yoelqui Céspedes flashed a plethora of loud tools in big league spring training and the only question that remains at this point is whether the 24-year-old Cuban starts the year in Birmingham or Charlotte.
Photo credit: Michael Guariglia/FutureSox
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