The White Sox GM seems utterly confused about a key player's basic hitting ability, and it's raising some eyebrows!
After what felt like an eternity of whispers and speculation, the Chicago White Sox finally made a significant move last month, trading away their star center fielder, Luis Robert Jr. The deal sent Robert to the Mets in exchange for utility player Luisangel Acuña and pitcher Truman Pauley. Now, considering Robert's impressive 38 home runs and a 4.9 WAR in 2023, this return might seem a little light. However, it's worth remembering that Robert's past couple of seasons were unfortunately marred by injuries and a dip in performance.
Let's talk about Acuña for a moment. He's the younger brother of the well-known Ronald Acuña Jr., and he's a versatile player who truly shines on the basepaths and in the outfield. Last season, Acuña posted a .567 OPS with the Mets, but he also demonstrated his speed by successfully stealing 16 bases out of 17 attempts. Plus, he showed his adaptability by playing four different positions: second base, shortstop, third base, and center field. The White Sox are planning to have Acuña as their primary center fielder this season.
White Sox General Manager Chris Getz has been vocal in his praise for Acuña since the trade, which is pretty standard GM behavior. But here's where it gets a bit peculiar: Getz has repeatedly referred to Acuña as a switch-hitter, which, to put it mildly, he is not. Acuña is a right-handed hitter. To be precise, Getz has made this incorrect assertion four times in public statements.
Now, if this happened just once, you might brush it off as a simple slip of the tongue. People misspeak all the time! But four times? That's starting to raise some serious questions. It suggests that perhaps Getz isn't as familiar with his own player as he should be, and, alarmingly, his staff hasn't stepped in to correct him. This lack of basic awareness reached a point where Getz felt compelled to issue a statement on Thursday to clarify Acuña's hitting handedness.
"So I probably have been getting carried away describing his versatility," Getz told Sox Machine. "Why does it have to stop there? I called Luisangel and told him that even though he's just right-handed, we still love him."
On one hand, this whole situation is so comically absurd that it's hard not to chuckle. On the other hand, the fact that the GM had to personally call a player to smooth things over because he didn't know which side of the plate the player hits from isn't exactly a glowing endorsement. It's not the end of the world, and most people will likely forget about it within a week. However, a fundamental detail like a player's handedness really shouldn't be slipping through the cracks for a General Manager.
It's worth noting that Getz's White Sox finished last season with a 60-102 record. While this was a 19-win improvement from their historically bad 2025 season (where they lost 121 games), it still highlights a team in need of significant rebuilding. After trading Robert, the team used some of the financial flexibility to sign players like Seranthony Domínguez, Erick Fedde, and Austin Hays.
What do you think? Is this a minor gaffe that will quickly fade, or does it reveal a deeper issue with how player information is being managed within the White Sox organization? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
