White Sox catcher Korey Lee to join Triple-A Charlotte

Lee, who is currently on the injured list with an oblique strain, came to the White Sox as the return for reliever Kendall Graveman. The catching prospect is an intriguing one as was drafted ahead of projections in the first round in 2019 by the Astros. Since then, he appeared in 25 games for Houston in 2022 before getting sent down after struggling. This year, he boasts a .734 OPS with five homers and 12 stolen bases. MLB Pipeline rates Lee’s power at the plate and arm strength as his plus characteristics. Lee and previously ranked as the Astros’ 29th-best prospect in their system.

Baseball America does give a nice report of the 25-year-old behind the plate:

“Behind the plate, Lee is far more of a sure thing, with a variety of average-to-plus skills. He is a an average framer based on the team’s internal metrics, an above-average blocker and a true 80-grade thrower. Lee’s arm is a real weapon against the running game. He is able to nab basestealers at a high rate with powerful and accurate throws, consistently clocking elite pop times on throws to second base.”

– Baseball America

For a reliever that hasn’t been as good as advertised, a high-upside player like Lee is certainly a nice addition to the White Sox. This likely means Yasmani Grandal could be among the next to go, though more importantly, gives the White Sox another option to look at behind the plate in the near term until Edgar Quero is ready to contribute at the major league level.