The Chicago White Sox don’t look like they have a lot of talent on their team, thanks to their consistent losing. However, this team does have some quality players at certain positions. Tommy Pham is a guy that this team has relied on to get hits and catch balls in the outfield. Paul DeJong has been a pleasant surprise for this team in terms of his home run production.
This White Sox Outfielder Is Getting Hot Lately
The Chicago White Sox Have Solid Individual Talent
Then you have one of the Sox’s newest acquisitions, Corey Julks. Julks has been batting very well for the Sox throughout his time with the team. His fielding skills are also solid. He’s made himself one of the more valuable parts of the White Sox organization.
How Did He Get To Chicago?
Julks came to the Sox in a trade with the Houston Astros mid-May of this year. The trade involving him had the Sox acquiring him for minor league right-handed pitcher Luis Rodriguez. They sent Julks down to the AAA Charlotte Knights, a right-hander himself.
He was called up to the majors almost immediately after arriving in Charlotte and has been an important part of the White Sox ever since.
His Stats And Play
So far, through the White Sox series with the Seattle Mariners, Julks has been to the plate 79 times. He has hit the ball 20 times, has three home runs, and a batting average of .253. Julks has swiped three bags in his time with the Sox this season. These stats are courtesy of Baseball Reference.
Julks is a fine hitter and has displayed prowess in the outfield this season. Due to an injury to Andrew Benintendi, Julks has had the opportunity to play left field quite a bit, solidifying his spot on the team even further. He’s been great for the team so far and should continue to be so as the season moves on.
The Immediate Future
As of the third game with the Mariners, Benintendi is back in the lineup. Does this mean that Julks could lose his starting spot in left field? Benintendi wasn’t playing as well as Julks had been when he got hurt, so he could lose his spot unless Julks did something wrong or played less-than-stellar baseball. Another issue is that Benintendi has a hefty contract, so the White Sox might want to try to get their money’s worth out of him.
Thus, Julks could be moved around to another spot.
To Trade Or Not To Trade
Julks is playing well enough that other teams might be interested in him. The White Sox might want to trade him for different pieces, depending on what they think they can get from him. He wouldn’t get the Sox much, but he would net them something. But then again, would they want to keep him for use in the future?
The White Sox are building for a clear future. Julks is believed to be a strong part of that future. However, to build more towards that future, they need to find young pieces to help them. Jules is 28, so he still has some time left and could contribute to a solid Sox team in the future.
Main Photo Credits: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
