Sox surprise: Pollock declines 2023 player option

After joining the White Sox in the trade that sent Craig Kimbrel to the Dodgers on April 1, AJ Pollock had an uninspiring season on the South Side.

The 34-year-old outfielder got off to a miserable start, batting .228/.268/.333 with 4 home runs and 26 RBI in the first half.

Pollock picked it up a bit after the all-star break, but he finished the season with a .245/.292/.389 slash line to go with 14 homers and 56 RBI.

Given his age and poor performance, Pollock was expected to pick up his $13 million player option for 2023.

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, Pollock has opted to take a $5 million buyout and head to free agency.

The Sox have to be happy with the move, and the $8 million in savings after Pollock's surprise decision could be spent on a new right fielder.

On the other hand, Oscar Colas might be the choice to replace Pollock after the top prospect put together an impressive debut season in the minor leagues.

Signed by the White Sox to a $2.7 million international contract in January, the 24-year-old Cuba native hit a combined .314/.371/.524 with 23 home runs and 79 RBI over 117 games at high Class A Winston-Salem, AA Birmingham and AAA Charlotte.

"This is a player that has a chance to be a pretty productive major-league player," said Chris Getz, the Sox's assistant GM/director of player development. "He's going to be an exciting piece of this organization moving forward."