It is well established that the Chicago White Sox will be sellers at the 2025 MLB trade deadline. Furthermore, most of the candidates to be dealt have been revealed. However, the San Diego Padres are looking at the White Sox’s organization as they look to fill their hole at catcher.
Chicago has a pair of former top prospects in the major leagues in Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel. Manager Will Venable and company have been comfortable allowing them to find themselves at the MLB level. But in turn, that has meant fellow backstop Korey Lee has been limited to just 14 games in 2025.
Still, the Padres see the value in Lee. With San Diego expected to be aggressive during the deadline, the catcher is reportedly one of their many targets, via Dennis Lin of The Athletic.
“Coincidentally, a league source said, Lee has drawn trade interest from the Padres in 2025,” Lin wrote. “The 26-year-old continues to be a glove-first catcher, but he has shown some utility with his bat, hitting 12 big-league home runs last season and recording a .780 on-base plus slugging percentage this season in Triple A.”
Chicago White Sox-San Diego Padres Korey Lee trade
Sep 25, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox catcher Korey Lee (26) hits a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Lee is only turning 27-years-old on July 25 and isn’t arbitration eligible until 2027. But with Teel and Quero established on the major league roster, and with the White Sox in the middle of a rebuild, they’ll at least hear out what the Padres have to offer for the catcher.
The backstop originally came to the South Side in the trade that sent Kendall Graveman to the Houston Astros. After playing 23 games in his Chicago debut, Lee earned a major opportunity in 2024 by appearing in 125 games. He hit just .210, but it came with 12 home runs, 37 RBI and six stolen bases. Lee has been able to bump up his batting average to .250 in 2025, but it comes with just one RBI.
He has looked much stronger in the minors, hitting .262 with six home runs, 18 RBI and three stolen bases over 34 Triple-A games in 2025. Perhaps the Padres believe that in their system, the former prospect will find his stride. It’s clear San Diego’s catching combination of Martin Maldonado and Elias Diaz simply isn’t working. The Friars are casting a wide net as they look to find a solution.
Lee could be that option if the White Sox like what the Padres have to offer. The catcher offers plenty of potential, but he may be better suited in a place with a more direct path to playing time. And if San Diego is feeling aggressive on the trade front, Chicago can take advantage.
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