Korey Lee a bright spot in dark season for White Sox

ARLINGTON, Texas — Korey Lee didn’t expect to be traded before the deadline last summer. Then the Astros dealt him for reliever Kendall Graveman, giving the catching-starved White Sox a much-needed piece for their future.

As multiple players in the Sox’ clubhouse are expecting or hoping to be traded in the next seven days, Lee probably shouldn’t be. The Sox have seen enough from him this season to believe they have a capable backstop for years to come. And in Lee and up-and-coming switch-hitter Edgar Quero at Triple-A Charlotte, they have a tandem with possibilities at arguably the most important position besides pitcher.

Lee bounced back from an awful offensive showing in 2023 to hit .273/.307/.421 in the first two months this season. In June and July, however, he’s batting .158/.193/.307.

“It’s time for him and I to understand what pitchers are trying to do with him,” hitting coach Marcus Thames said. “You have to make an adjustment, not try to do too much.

“He’s a very aggressive hitter, and teams know that now, so they’re not throwing him a strike early. The swing is OK. We just have to keep him in the zone.”

Meanwhile, Lee’s defense has been a constant, and if you ask catchers coach Drew Butera, it’s still improving.

“He has the ability to be a staple in the organization, like a J.T. Realmuto-type player,” Butera told the Sun-Times.

This is known as high praise and lofty standards. Realmuto, currently with the Phillies, is a three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove catcher.

“He has all the physical attributes,” Butera said of Lee. “He’s hungry, he works hard, he wants that spotlight. As with any young player, there will be lessons learned, but he has a very bright future.”

Butera, only two years removed from his playing days and having served as the Angels’ catching coordinator last season, started to build a relationship with Lee as soon as new Sox general manager Chris Getz hired him in November. Lee, as a result, says he has “come a long way since February.”

“Drew and I talked a lot in the offseason about what to do to be ready,” he said. “I came into spring training ready to play. It’s been gradually improving. I think game-calling is No. 1, and the physicality part comes second.”

Lee wants teammates to see him as a hard worker and to push him.

Butera looks at Lee and sees an improving catcher in all areas of the job.

“I see growth in every category, and his numbers show it,” Butera said. “Each month, he’s gotten better receiving, his blocking has improved, and his throwing is more consistent. There’s no statistic that proves this, but his game-calling has improved tremendously. One reason our starting pitching has been so good is our catchers collectively have done a great job building relationships, learning their stuff and helping them get through six, seven innings.”

Butera knows player development has its complexities in a season like the Sox are having; they were 27-74 entering their game against the defending World Series champion Rangers on Monday night. But until severely struggling Martin Maldonado was released after the All-Star break, Lee handled sharing time with Maldonado like a pro. He took advantage of Maldonado’s knowledge while champing at the bit to play more. With Maldonado gone, he figures to get more reps. Lee said he feels “fantastic” despite playing the toughest physical job on the field.

“I like his physicality — he wants to play every day,” Butera said. “And he’s like a sponge, man. He wants to learn everything, and that goes a long way.”

Said Lee: “I’ll catch as many [games] as they need. I want to play every day. Obviously, as a catcher, you can’t play 162, but I would love to. I’ll be ready whenever I’m on the bench.”