The Chicago White Sox find themselves in a unique position this offseason β carrying four catchers on their 40-man roster. With promising rookies Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero showing flashes in 2025, veteran Korey Lee out of options, and newly-claimed Drew Romo joining the mix, the South Side has a catching conundrum that will need resolution before Opening Day.
This depth at baseball's most demanding position is both a blessing and a complication. Let's break down each catcher's 2025 performance, career trajectory, and what the future might hold.
Kyle Teel: The Offensive Surprise
2025 Rookie Campaign
When Kyle Teel was called up on June 6, 2025, the White Sox weren't sure what to expect from their newly-acquired catching prospect. What they got was one of the most pleasant surprises of their dismal season.
In 297 plate appearances across 85 games, Teel slashed an impressive .273/.375/.411 with a 125 wRC+, showcasing advanced plate discipline with a 12.5% walk rate. His offensive production significantly outpaced fellow rookie Edgar Quero, establishing himself as a legitimate everyday catcher option.
"I just wanted to have a plan and stick to it," Teel told MLB.com. "I knew what the pitchers were trying to do and just tried to put a good swing on pitches in the zone."
The Trade That Changed Everything
Teel's path to Chicago came through a three-team blockbuster on January 14, 2025. The White Sox sent Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox while acquiring Teel, Chase Meidroth, Wikelman GonzΓ‘lez, and David Sandlin. Boston's No. 3 prospect at the time, Teel was ranked as the No. 26 overall prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline.
The 23-year-old arrived with an impressive pedigree. Selected 14th overall by Boston in the 2023 draft out of the University of Virginia, he had demonstrated advanced bat-to-ball skills and plus plate discipline throughout the minor leagues.
Career Path
Teel's 2024 minor league season showcased why he was so highly regarded. He slashed .288/.386/.454 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, consistently drawing walks (11.5% BB rate) while maintaining solid contact.
At Virginia, he was named ACC Player of the Year in 2023, batting .407/.535/.662 with 21 home runs β the second-most in the nation. He also set a Division I record with 36 consecutive games reaching base.
Defensive Development
While Teel's bat has exceeded expectations, his defense remains a work in progress. White Sox catching coach Drew Butera has focused on refining his receiving and blocking techniques.
"Kyle's athleticism gives him a high ceiling defensively," Butera told Sox Machine. "He's putting in the work every day to improve his game-calling and his rapport with our pitchers."
THE BAT X projects Teel for 2.6 WAR and a 104 wRC+ in 2026, with 13 projected home runs over 484 plate appearances β significantly outpacing his catching counterparts.
Edgar Quero: The Cuban Phenom's Steady Development
2025 MLB Debut Season
Edgar Quero's first taste of the big leagues was a study in adjustment. Called up on April 17, 2025, at just 21 years old, the Cuban-born switch-hitter appeared in 93 games, slashing .268/.351/.395 with 5 home runs, 36 RBIs, and 98 hits over 333 plate appearances.
The overall numbers tell only part of the story. After struggling early with mechanical issues in his left-handed swing, Quero made crucial adjustments that transformed his second half. His ground ball rate dropped from 52.3% to 43.8%, and his slash line improved to .302/.341/.452 after the All-Star break.
Defensive Excellence
Where Quero truly shined was behind the plate. He led the White Sox with an 84.1% caught-stealing rate and demonstrated advanced game-management skills that belied his age.
Drew Butera was effusive in his praise: "Edgar brings a unique ability that can't be quantified by statistics. He's advanced for his age, and the amount of games that he's played with the fact that he calls a great game. He's situationally aware of what [opposing hitters] are trying to do, what the pitcher has that day. He's able to combine those two and create β I don't want to say an easy path for pitcher β but definitely a more dedicated pathway."
However, Quero struggled with pitch framing, rating 12 catcher framing runs below average β the worst mark in the majors. The White Sox coaching staff worked extensively with him on mechanics: starting the glove close to his body, keeping his target square to the pitcher, and being cognizant of his angle when reaching for the ball.
Background and Acquisition
Born April 6, 2003, in Cienfuegos, Cuba, Quero signed with the Los Angeles Angels on February 26, 2021, for $200,000 β a relative bargain compared to Denzer GuzmΓ‘n, who led that international signing class with a seven-figure bonus.
The White Sox acquired him as part of a five-player trade deadline deal on July 29, 2023, sending Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo LΓ³pez to the Angels. At the time, he was the Angels' No. 3 prospect.
Minor League Excellence
Quero's 2024 season at Double-A Birmingham showcased his offensive potential. He hit .275 with 12 home runs, finishing third in the Southern League in batting average, fourth in home runs and slugging (.463), and fifth in OPS (.823) and RBIs (53).
As a switch-hitter, he showed pronounced splits: .346/.422/.603 with 11 homers from the right side versus .261/.349/.423 with 5 homers from the left.
Behind the plate, he caught 634.2 innings and helped Birmingham's staff post a 3.15 ERA, the second-lowest in Double-A. He worked with future MLB pitchers Drew Thorpe, Jairo Iriarte, Ky Bush, and Jake Eder.
Trade Interest and Future
Despite his rookie success, Quero's name has circulated in trade rumors. At the GM meetings, Chris Getz said: "There could be a time for reallocation or repurpose to make the roster a little bit more functional. Is that time now? I don't think so, I don't. But down the road, you never know."
According to South Side Showdown, multiple teams have expressed interest, with the Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, and Pittsburgh Pirates identified as potential trade partners seeking young catching depth.
However, THE BAT X's 2026 projections (0.6 WAR, 94 wRC+) suggest he may need more development time. The scouting report notes: "It's the slugging ability for Teel that gives him an edge offensively over Quero, but THE BAT X is not hopeful about a defensive bounce back."
Korey Lee: The Swiss Army Knife's Uncertain Future
A Breakout 2024, Then Setbacks
Korey Lee entered the 2025 season riding high from his career year. In 2024, the 27-year-old appeared in 125 games (93 starts at catcher), hitting 12 home runs with 37 RBIs β impressive improvements from his career totals of one home run and seven RBIs entering that season.
His defensive metrics ranked second among all MLB catchers in both pop time to second base (1.85 seconds) and arm strength (84.7 mph), with an 18.7% caught-stealing rate.
However, 2025 proved challenging. After making the Opening Day roster, Lee was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte when Kyle Teel was called up on June 6. He spent most of the season in the minors, slashing .255/.313/.405 with 8 home runs and 28 RBIs over 240 plate appearances.
The Pitching Experiment
Lee etched his name into White Sox lore on August 27, 2025, becoming just the third player in franchise history to both catch and pitch in the same game β the first since Frank Isbell and Sam Mertes accomplished the feat on September 28, 1902.
In a 12-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals, Lee pitched two innings (eighth and ninth), throwing 31 pitches (17 strikes) and allowing one run on four hits and two walks.
"Unfortunately when I'm pitching, bad things are happening. I don't want that to happen," Lee told Heavy.com. "Just trying to help the team, save the bullpen and so be it. We get to go on to the next day."
He added: "I grew up as a kid just playing baseball. That's what it felt like. At the end of the day, it's still really, really hard. Kudos to all the pitchers. Like I said, it's just unfortunate I had to go in there because of the situation."
The Versatility Factor
Lee's willingness to contribute wherever needed has become his calling card. Manager Will Venable discussed using him in emergency roles: "One of the things we talked to Korey about was just being ready to be a little bit of a Swiss Army Knife more in an emergency role. If we made a late move, to have him in the outfield or the infield, what that might look like, but 100 percent, keeping the focus really on catching."
Lee embraced the mentality: "I kind of think of myself as a Swiss Army knife. I can run, I can hit, I can catch, maybe go in the outfield, I don't know. I come prepared every single day to win, and that's my job right now."
Career Background
The White Sox acquired Lee from the Houston Astros for reliever Kendall Graveman ahead of the 2023 summer trade deadline. Drafted 32nd overall by Houston in 2019 out of the University of California, Berkeley, Lee was a First-Team All-Pac 12 selection and Buster Posey Award semifinalist as a junior, hitting .338/.419/.619 with 15 home runs and 57 RBIs.
His older brother, Kellen, played catcher at UC-San Diego and currently serves as the mental skills coach for the Seattle Mariners, playing an instrumental role in keeping Lee mentally sharp during challenging stretches.
The Options Problem
Lee's most significant challenge heading into 2026 is contractual: he's out of minor league options. According to MLB Trade Rumors, "Twenty-seven-year-old Korey Lee, who's out of minor league options, will also have to break camp with the team (if he's not traded first) or else be designated for assignment."
Drew Romo's acquisition adds another layer of complexity. As Sports Mockery noted: "Lee is three years older than Romo, and although his offensive numbers have improved over the past two seasons, he offers less upside at the plate. A career .193 hitter, Lee has averaged nearly 30 strikeouts per season."
Drew Romo: The Waiver Wire Wildcard
The Whirlwind Winter
Drew Romo's offseason odyssey reads like a baseball version of musical chairs. The 24-year-old catcher was designated for assignment by the Colorado Rockies, claimed by the Baltimore Orioles on December 5, designated for assignment again five days later, claimed by the New York Mets on December 17, and finally claimed by the White Sox on January 8, 2026.
As Newsweek described it: "Catcher Drew Romo has become the most recent victim of a vicious cycle, in which players are waived to create 40-man roster space, claimed and waived again. Teams are just hoping that eventually, the player will go unclaimed when they return to waivers, and they'll be able to outright them to Triple-A."
2024: Promise and Struggle
Romo earned his MLB debut on August 17, 2024, at 22 years and 354 days old β making him the third-youngest catcher to debut in Rockies history and the second-youngest catcher to appear in the majors that season.
His Triple-A performance warranted the promotion: .297/.339/.499 with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs in 85 games at Albuquerque, with an impressive 17.8% strikeout rate and solid plate discipline.
However, his MLB debut was rough. In 16 games with Colorado, Romo slashed just .176/.208/.235 with zero home runs, six RBIs, and a strikeout rate that nearly doubled to 34%.
2025: Injuries and Decline
Romo's 2025 season started with a setback. In late March, during a minor league game, he dove headfirst into third base and broke his right pinkie.
"It was a really bad slide. My shoulder rolled up underneath me. I'm lucky I didn't hurt anything worse, but I broke my [right] pinkie pretty badly," Romo told MLB.com. "I didn't know it was broken. So I played through it for a week. It didn't get better, and we got it checked out."
He didn't join Triple-A Albuquerque until late May. In 60 games, his numbers declined to .264/.329/.409 with 7 home runs and 24 RBIs. He appeared in just three MLB games with only three at-bats.
Draft Pedigree and Tools
Selected 35th overall by Colorado in the 2020 draft out of The Woodlands High School in Texas (the same school that produced Paul Goldschmidt and Jameson Taillon), Romo signed for $2,095,800. He was ranked as high as No. 84 in MLB Pipeline's top 100 prospects in 2023.
He represented Team USA during the 2019 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup and the 2018 COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championships, earning All-Tournament team honors in 2018 after batting .458 with 10 RBIs.
His defensive tools remain his calling card. He threw out 29% of runners attempting to steal in Triple-A, and his blocking, framing, and pop time all graded as at least slightly above average per Baseball Savant during his brief MLB stint.
White Sox Opportunity
With two minor league option years remaining, Romo provides the White Sox with flexible depth. Roundtable.io analyzed his fit: "This White Sox offseason has been defined by swinging on upside. Adding Romo fits that pattern. He's still just 24 years old, has plenty of time to develop offensively, and already brings great defensive value behind the plate."
The same outlet noted: "He's a stronger defensive catcher than Lee, which could be the only thing that matters for the bench role."
What's the Plan Going Forward?
The Three-Catcher Solution
The White Sox operated with three catchers for much of late 2025, a rarity in modern baseball. According to Sports Illustrated, "The St. Louis Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks are the only other teams that list three catchers on their active 26-man roster on MLB.com."
Manager Will Venable explained the rationale: "Excited about Korey being here...Adding Korey, it kind of frees us up and gives us some flexibility to do some of the things we want to do as far as getting both Edgar and Kyle in the lineup. Give us some more options to navigate the end of these games and hopefully find the path to some wins."
The White Sox increasingly used Teel and Quero together in the same lineup, with both starting in nine of the final 20 games. This flexibility allowed them to keep both young catchers' bats in the lineup while maximizing playing time.
The Trade Scenarios
With four catchers on the 40-man roster and only 26 active roster spots available, something has to give. Several scenarios are in play:
Scenario 1: Trade Quero
Despite rookie success, Quero's name has generated the most trade buzz. South Side Showdown identified three potential trade partners:
Philadelphia Phillies: With JT Realmuto now 35, the Phillies may look to get younger at catcher. Potential White Sox targets include OF Justin Crawford, RHP Gage Wood, or INF AΓ‘ron Escobar.
Tampa Bay Rays: Nick Fortes' .625 career OPS profiles him as a backup. Quero on a rookie contract fits Tampa Bay's model. Potential targets include RHP Shane Baz, LHP Ian Seymour, RHP Brody Hopkins, or 1B Xavier Isaac.
Pittsburgh Pirates: With Henry Davis struggling and Joey Bart's OPS dropping 100 points from 2024 to 2025, Pittsburgh needs offensive help. LHP Hunter Barco (3.04 career MiLB ERA) could be a target.
Scenario 2: Trade or DFA Korey Lee
Out of options, Lee faces an uncertain future. MLB Trade Rumors analyst Aaron Sapoznik suggested: "Lee's trade value might still be somewhat limited but he could make a fine addition in a bigger trade, perhaps one involving CF Luis Robert Jr. to a contender who also needs a backup catcher."
His defensive skills remain valuable: "He's a fine defender and his hitting has improved since the team acquired him from the Astros for RP Kendall Graveman ahead of the 2023 summer trade deadline. Lee always possessed decent power. His BA/OBP has improved during his 3 years with the White Sox."
Scenario 3: Send Romo to Triple-A
The simplest solution. With two option years remaining, Romo can start the season at Triple-A Charlotte as depth. This preserves roster flexibility while allowing him to continue developing.
Teel's Ascension
One thing seems clear: Kyle Teel has established himself as the White Sox's catcher of the present and future. His offensive production, combined with steady defensive improvement, makes him the obvious choice to receive the bulk of playing time in 2026.
THE BAT X projects him for 2.6 WAR β significantly higher than Quero's 0.6 WAR projection and miles ahead of what Lee or Romo might contribute. At just 23 years old, he represents exactly the type of controllable, productive player a rebuilding team should build around.
The question isn't whether Teel will start. It's who backs him up, and whether the White Sox extract value from their surplus before spring training ends.
Final Thoughts
The White Sox's four-catcher situation is both a luxury and a burden. Having multiple young options at baseball's most demanding position is enviable. But with Korey Lee out of options, Drew Romo needing at-bats, and Edgar Quero's trade value potentially at its peak, general manager Chris Getz faces decisions that will shape the franchise's immediate future.
Kyle Teel's emergence as a legitimate everyday catcher provides clarity at the top. The rest of the depth chart, however, remains decidedly unclear.
One thing is certain: by Opening Day, this four-catcher roster will look very different. Whether through trades, designations, or creative roster management, the White Sox will need to solve their catching conundrum β and soon.