Travis Jankowski is back on the Chicago White Sox, just as fast as he left. The Sox DFA’ed Jankwoski on April 6 to make room for Mike Tauchman’s return from the 10-day IL. But sure enough, the Sox missed him so much in the last three days that they signed Jankowski to a minor league deal after he cleared waivers and elected free agency.

With an unstable outfield heading into the regular season, the Sox signed Jankowski one day after the Cubs released him, as Opening Day neared. The seasoned outfielder was signed to field fly balls in right field while Tauchman was recovering from a strained right hamstring. Nothing more was expected from him. Jankowski had one of his worst seasons last year with the Rangers, slashing .200/.266/.242 with a home run and 12 RBIs in 104 games. Although the 11-year veteran won the World Series in 2023 with Texas, he has had little individual success.

The Sox’s decision to bring Jankowski back is like going back for seconds at a buffet but not trying anything new. It’s a safe option, but the Sox shouldn’t expect anything different from Jankowski if he’s brought back to the active roster. Jankowski isn’t known for his offensive prowess, with a 1.2 career offensive WAR but his defensive versatility might be enough to earn him a couple of extra at-bats over Dominic Fletcher or Greg Jones Jr., who have less experience and proven skills.

General manager Chris Getz is taking the easy way out by sticking with the evil he knows instead of the evil he doesn’t.  He might not be trying to lose games, but he sure isn’t trying to win them. By not exploring other teams’ waivers, Getz continues to isolate the Sox from the rest of the league, in a silo of middling veterans and young but unproven players.