This is not the Winter Meetings to trade Kyle Teel or Edgar Quero

The Chicago White Sox have grabbed a lot of attention over the past couple of Winter Meetings. They likely will not be getting much notice at this year’s gathering in Orlando.

After all, the club does not have the elite pitchers to deal like it had in 2023 with Dylan Cease or in 2024 with Garrett Crochet.

There is speculation that All-Star centerfielder Luis Robert Jr. could be traded. His star has faded with his struggles at the plate. I doubt any team is going to meet Getz’s high asking price to acquire an oft-injured, inconsistent center fielder.

The Winter Meetings are for blockbuster trades and major free-agent signings — two things Getz has indicated the club likely will not be making.

Getz has maintained if the club is going to improve in 2026, it will likely be through the internal improvement of a young core that emerged last season.

That does not mean Getz is not going to be making roster additions. He will have some money to spend this offseason. It will not be a lot, given the financial restraints that ownership likely has him under. He will have just enough in the budget for minor moves like signing pitcher Anthony Kay.

However, Getz does have a collection of young catchers that he could dangle on the trade market to make a potential blockbuster deal. And trading Kyle Teel or Edgar Quero would make the Winter Meetings headlines.

MLB.com’s White Sox beat writer Scott Merkin suggested Getz could bundle one of his young catchers along with Robert Jr. to net a nice return.

Catching is a strength with [Kyle] Teel, Edgar Quero and Korey Lee on the 40-man roster, and Getz considers catching talent to be gold. But the White Sox could repurpose this talent by moving one catcher from the group, possibly pairing him in a deal with another player, such as Robert. Getz isn’t shopping anyone, but is always looking to make the roster better as a whole.

Teel was one of the prospects the White Sox got at last year’s Winter Meetings in the Crochet trade with Boston. The former Top 100 prospect impressed in 78 big-league games with a .273/.375/.411 slash line, eight home runs and a wRC+ of 125.

Quero showed he had solid bat-to-ball skills at the plate with a .268 average in 111 games last season. His power numbers must improve, as he hit just five dingers and produced a .356 slugging percentage. Both backstops must also refine their defensive skills behind the plate.

The club still has Korey Lee around, who just turned 27 and has proven capable. The depth is there to use toward addressing the rotation, the bullpen, a young outfield piece, or at first base.

But it would be organizational negligence to trade any of them right now.

I get the logic of multiplying one young asset into many. However, the return for Teel or Quero would have to be multiple Top 100 prospects, as that was their pedigree.

It would have to be at least a couple of Top 100 prospects who are capable of being the best players on the White Sox (remember, not every Top 100 player becomes a superstar). Teel showed he could star in this league and the be a face of this franchise. Quero could also be an All-Star backstop providing he can tap into his power. Both have already proven they can be everyday big-league players.

I also understand that clearing a position logjam is another reason to trade away Teel or Quero.

However, given the physical toll catching takes on the body, teams are coming around toward splitting up catching duties more evenly.

I hope the White Sox continue the movement, which will stop the madness of having the No. 1 catcher behind the plate for more than 120 games. It is not every day that teams have two catchers who can hit well. Teel and Quero have shown the potential to hit at a high level, so one of them can fill the DH spot on the day the other is catching.

Manager Will Venable resisted having both young bats in the lineup until Lee was recalled. It might be worth having Lee in the organization for another season if it will keep the manager comfortable. Although I would like to see Lee do more than pinch-run and catch the ninth inning if Quero or Teel at DH is removed for a pinch-hitter; try Lee out in left field because he can run, or have him play some first.

The beautiful thing about catchers is that they can also become viable first basemen or left fielders. Although I am not willing to go so far as to say Lee is untouchable, like Teel or Quero should be.

The biggest reason Teel or Quero should not be dealt is that they should be foundational pieces of the next competitive team.

Their talent screams core piece! Neither should be used as a trade chip, at least not this offseason.

You could argue that their trade value may never be as high, so use that high value to acquire more pieces toward the rebuild. You could also argue that not having both in the lineup will delay the club from climbing out of this pit of despair.