The White Sox knowledgeable reporters (together with Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Solar-Occasions) that they’ve inked infielder Andre Lipcius to a minor league contract. He’ll get a non-roster invitation to MLB Spring Coaching.
Lipcius returns to the AL Central, the place he’s spent nearly all of his profession. The Tigers chosen him within the third spherical of the 2019 draft. The Tennessee product reached the majors with Detroit on the finish of the ’23 marketing campaign. He hit .286/.342/.400 in a 13-game pattern. The Tigers squeezed him off the 40-man roster final winter. They traded him to the Dodgers, who outrighted him simply earlier than Opening Day.
The righty-hitting Lipcius spent the complete season with the Dodgers’ high affiliate in Oklahoma Metropolis. He had a strong season, hitting 25 homers with a .271/.351/.458 slash whereas showing in 140 video games. He drew walks at a robust 10.7% clip whereas placing out at a league common 22.8% charge. The Dodgers by no means known as him up, so he elected minor league free company on the finish of the season.
Whereas Lipcius has restricted MLB expertise, he’s a smart depth goal for the White Sox. He carries a .276/.360/.444 slash line in additional than 1200 Triple-A plate appearances. Lipcius doesn’t make a ton of onerous contact — this 12 months’s residence run tally was definitely aided by taking part in within the Pacific Coast League — however he has good strike zone self-discipline. A 3rd baseman in faculty and for many of his time within the Detroit system, he performed largely first base with OKC. He has some expertise at second base as nicely.
The Sox tendered Andrew Vaughn an arbitration contract, which means he’s more likely to stay the beginning first baseman. Miguel Vargas is the projected third baseman, although he didn’t hit in any respect after coming over from the Dodgers within the Michael Kopech/Erick Fedde deadline deal. Glove-first utilityman Lenyn Sosa may get first have a look at the keystone. There’s a transparent alternative for Lipcius to hit his means into the combination throughout Spring Coaching.
