White Sox claim Palka off waivers from Twins

As the Chicago White Sox wait for top prospects like Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Blake Rutherford and Micker Adolfo to finish their minor-league development and hopefully make an impact at the major-league level, they need bodies on the roster.

Last off-season, the Sox claimed Rymer Liriano off waivers from Milwaukee and they claimed Willy Garcia off waivers from Pittsburgh.

The fringe outfielders accepted their roles as placeholders and combined to play in 65 games for the White Sox.

This off-season, Daniel Palka fits that profile.

The Sox claimed the 26-year-old outfielder off waivers from Minnesota on Saturday, and Palka was added to the 40-man roster.

Based on his power, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Palka was ranked as the Twins' No. 9 prospect by Baseball America heading into the 2017 season.

In five minor-league seasons with Arizona and Minnesota, the left-handed hitting Palka batted .269 with 117 doubles, 106 home runs and 354 RBI in 538 games.

This year, Palka batted .274 with 13 doubles, 12 home runs and 44 RBI in 90 combined games between the Gulf Coast League Twins and Class AAA Rochester.

Palka was on the disabled list from May 29-July 23, which included a rehab assignment with the GCL Twins, with a fractured left index finger.

While he's flashed impressive power since being drafted on the third round by the Diamondbacks in 2013, Palka has struck out 621 times in 2,343 minor-league plate appearances.