White Sox' Luisangel Acuna will learn on the job in center field

MESA, Ariz. — Luisangel Acuna might be pegged as the White Sox center fielder, or at the least one of them, but he’s far from a finished product at a spot that was manned marvelously – when he was available – by Luis Robert the last six seasons.

Acuna was swapped for by general manager Chris Getz in the payroll-trimming trade with the Mets in exchange for Robert on Jan. 20, and despite having three innings over two major league games of experience in center (and none at the corner outfield spots), is getting looked at there as the primary replacement.

Before being sidelined with a cut sustained making a head-first slide stealing second base Wednesday against the Reds, Acuna was busy getting work in during first weeks of spring training in center. Four stitches above his left eye kept him out of the lineup but not from fully participating on the back fields.

“I think he [ just needs] reps,” manager Will Venable said. “We talked about a lot of different things with him. Certainly the pre-pitch is something guys going from infield to outfield, there’s a little bit of a different timing component he’s picking up. He does great in space and is flying around the field. Throwing is something that’s a little different too. It’s a little bit of a different arm stroke.”

Acuna’s athleticism is exceptional, so the tools are there. But he’s going to need time, and the development will carry over into the season. Miguel Cairo, the Mets’ minor league field coordinator in 2023, endorsed Acuna’s work habits to the Sox’ front office.

His throwing is being addressed.

“It’s a different mindset with throwing,” Venable said of the outfield. “We are working on the footwork and being able to hit the cutoff man. So he’s out there, throwing to bases and he understands the responsibilities of an outfielder and putting in all the work to be better.”

Acuna as a work in progress defensively is the center piece of an outfield that might not save many runs for the Sox pitching staff. A skeptic might say they have a designated hitter (Andrew Benintendi) in left, an infielder (Acuna) in center and a left fielder (Austin Hays, who has played a significant majority of his career there) in right. Benintendi was a minus-0.9 bWar player in left, compromised by a sore Achilles and a below average arm.

Limited by health issues the last two seasons in Cincinnati and Baltimore, Hays is regarded as an above average defender, but he’ll be asked to play the more demanding corner in right. He can also play center and “in the spirit of versatility” Venable is pushing, will be asked to move around.

Outfielder/infielder Brooks Baldwin, who misplayed a ball in the sun in center Sunday, is also in the mix.

Perhaps Acuna, who played center in winter ball, can make the right moves to establish himself in center. He says he likes it there.

“I’m happy, I’m very happy,” Acuna said of his adjustment to a new position, team and surroundings. “I feel good here. There’s a good vibe here and I feel like I belong.”

Robert no longer belongs, in large part because he couldn’t stay on the field enough, beset by injuries in all but one season.

“The most frustrating thing in baseball is a guy with off-the-charts talent whose body doesn’t allow him to show it on a daily basis,” broadcaster Steve Stone said. “I hope he can stay healthy consistently in New York. When he was healthy he was devastating.”

And so the Sox moved on to the next experiment in center. The Sox can only hope Acuna is one day mentioned in the same sentence as “devastating.”

Stay tuned to see how it develops.

“I feel very comfortable in center field,” he said. “I’m very happy and excited about having this opportunity to play there.”