To little surprise, this video started to make its rounds across the internet. While misstating Acuña’s role on one occasion might be easy to forgive, Getz consistently referring to the 23-year-old as a two-way hitter raised a red flag for many. Why didn’t he know more about a seemingly key piece in the Luis Robert Jr. trade? How truly familiar is he with Acuna’s game?
Well, Getz does not sound all that concerned about the outside noise. The front office leader commented on the viral clips Thursday morning, laughing off his mistake:
“So I probably have been getting carried away describing his versatility,” Getz said in a statement shared with multiple media members. “He can play every position on the field. Why does it have to stop here? I called Luisangel and told him that even though he’s just right-handed, we still love him.”
With much bigger fish to fry as the White Sox head toward a highly anticipated Spring Training, this might very well be the right approach for Getz to take. But that doesn’t mean it will shut off possible alarm bells for fans across the Chicagoland area. This isn’t an organization that earned the benefit of the doubt over the years, which only makes a story like this gain that much more traction.
Nevertheless, Acuña is likely still in line for a legitimate role on the South Side this season. Arguably the team’s top utility player and best bag stealer, the White Sox are a young roster that could see plenty of shuffling across the lineup this season. While he will surely need a strong spring training to earn a day-to-day job, the opportunity is there for the taking.
For what it’s worth, Acuña did appear in 95 games with the New York Mets last season but struggled to find consistency at the plate, slashing .234/.293/.274. He did go on to post a considerably better showing in the Venezuelan winter league, but whether or not that carries over is anyone’s guess. I suppose the good news is that if the inefficiencies do re-emerge, the White Sox can always try him on the other side of the plate!