Former SF Giants Willie Mac Award winner lands minor league deal with White Sox

While the SF Giants are reportedly getting rebuffed in their efforts to add players who would improve the lineup, arguably the most interesting thing Giants fans can follow is where old friends wind up.

So it goes during a quiet offseason. 

The latest Good Giant to find a new team is former Willie Mac Award winner LaMonte Wade Jr. who signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox. 

Well-liked former SF Giants 1B LaMonte Wade Jr. signs with White Sox

It is easy to forget that Wade was actually with the Giants last season. He began the year as the team’s primary first baseman, but he ended up having the worst year of his big league career. 

Wade slashed a dismal .167/.275/.271 with one homer and 15 runs batted in across 50 games with the Giants.

It was brutal to see Wade struggle like that when fans knew how good he could be when he was on his game. At his best, Wade could be one of the most patient hitters in the game who drew walks at a high rate and got on base a ton.

Unfortunately, that just did not materialize last season which forced the Giants to DFA him and try to find another solution at first base. That led them to sign Dominic Smith who wound up being an amazing addition thanks to his contributions with the glove and as a hitter.

The Giants also found a long-term solution at first base by trading for Rafael Devers so they have to feel much better about their situation at first base, especially since top prospect Bryce Eldridge also plays there, than they did last season.

Wade was scooped up by the Los Angeles Angels last season and his struggles continued. In 30 games he slashed .169/.260/.215 and LA was forced to move on from him as well.

It was a brutal year for Wade, who was once a godsend for the Giants during the miraculous 2021 season as he delivered clutch hit after clutch hit to help the team pull off the impossible.

Now, he at least has a chance to get his career back on track with the White Sox. With Chicago still being a team in rebuild mode, that could give Wade a chance to earn a roster spot in spring training.

Wade was nothing but a good dude during his time in San Francisco so let’s hope he can get things back on track in 2026.