White Sox sign ex-Nationals outfielder to minor league contract

The Chicago White Sox have agreed to a minor league contract with outfielder Joey Wiemer, according to Chicago Sports Network and MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. The 27-year-old will report to Triple-A Charlotte and add right-handed outfield depth to the organization.

Wiemer was released by the Washington Nationals on Wednesday after spending time at Triple-A Rochester since being optioned there in the middle of May. His minor league production this season was limited, as he hit .196/.277/.257 with one home run in 166 plate appearances. He also posted a 31% strikeout rate during his time in Triple-A.

Those numbers were a big drop-off from Wiemer’s hot start in the majors. He began the season by reaching base in each of his first 10 plate appearances, tying the major league record, and homering in each of his first two games. He went 10-for-17 with two home runs across his first five games before his production dipped over his next 61 plate appearances, when he hit .189/.295/.340 and struck out 41% of the time.

Wiemer finished his major league run with a .286/.398/.514 batting line and a .912 OPS across 32 games. Over parts of four MLB seasons, however, he owns a career .216/.296/.380 slash line in 582 plate appearances.

Wiemer was originally selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth round of the 2020 draft and appeared on top-100 prospect lists in 2022 and 2023. His profile has been built around power, speed and defensive ability, but strikeouts have remained an issue. He has struck out in 31% of his major league plate appearances and 26% in Triple-A, where he is a .221/.326/.351 hitter in more than 1,000 plate appearances.

Chicago recently lost outfielder Everson Pereira after the St. Louis Cardinals claimed him off waivers. With Junior Perez and Rikuu Nishida also on the 40-man roster and assigned to Charlotte, Wiemer now provides the White Sox with another experienced right-handed outfield option.

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