CLEVELAND — Who is Alen Hanson and why did the White Sox claim him off waivers and make room for him on their 25-man roster? Seems like a fair question for a 24-year-old utility man with a career .205/.239/.261 batting line in 64 games.
For one, Tyler Saladino’s sciatica has robbed the Sox roster of a true reserve infielder for an indefinite period of time. While Rick Renteria said Leury Garcia won’t truly be shedding his super utility status for everyday centerfielder life anytime soon–which means a pairing with Adam Engel could have worked save for the part where Engel doesn’t play everyday–Hanson will give the Sox an above-average runner to plug in off the bench and put, well, anywhere.