On Friday, the Chicago White Sox acquired pitcher Aaron Civale from the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade that sent first baseman Andrew Vaughn the other way.
Vaughn, once the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft behind Adley Rutschman and Bobby Witt Jr., has struggled this season, recording a -1.6 bWAR while hitting just .189 with a .218 OBP and a 49 OPS+.
Even before the deal, the White Sox were thin at first base, and they added depth by acquiring Ryan Noda from the Boston Red Sox that same day.
Noda, originally a Rule 5 selection by the Oakland Athletics, debuted in 2023 and played the full season in the majors. He hit 16 home runs and posted a strong .364 OBP across 128 games, finishing with a 122 wRC+. Among first basemen with at least 450 plate appearances (he had 495), he ranked in the top 10. His excellent plate discipline stood out — he walked 15.6% of the time, offsetting a .229 average and 34.3% strikeout rate.
However, his 2024 season saw a downturn. He spent most of it with the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators and was designated for assignment after the season, eventually landing with the Angels. Despite a meager .148 batting average in their system, his OBP remained a robust .364 due to a 20.1% walk rate, although strikeouts remained high at 34.4%.
Roughly three weeks ago, the Angels traded him to the Red Sox for cash after Triston Casas went down with a season-ending injury. In Triple-A Worcester, Noda hit .378 with a .519 OBP in 13 games, matching his walk and strikeout rates at 22.2%. Still, a .440 BABIP (up from .224 previously) suggests some of that production may have been luck-driven.
The White Sox have now brought in Noda as a depth piece and assigned him to Triple-A Charlotte. Vaughn was already in the minors, and Tim Elko has been starting at first in his place. Elko, 26, is hitting .155 with a .222 OBP and a 38.1% strikeout rate, though he’s homered four times in 18 games.
So far this season, White Sox first basemen — primarily Vaughn, Elko, and Bobby Dalbec — have combined for a league-worst 51 wRC+. While it’s unlikely Noda will match his impressive 2023 numbers, he represents a potential upgrade over the underwhelming production the Sox have received at the position so far.
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