Mike Tauchman will forever be part of City Series lore after hitting a walk-off home run for the Chicago Cubs in the ninth inning against the White Sox on June 5 at Wrigley Field.
“I don’t think I’ve had a walk-off at any level so in that way it was special,” Tauchman said during a video conference call on Tuesday. “It would have been special no matter the opponent.
“The last two years playing in those games (with the Cubs), they always seem competitive and they always seem to come down to one or two things at the end of the game. It’s two very passionate fan bases. They’re fun games to play in.”
The outfielder will experience the matchup from the other clubhouse after finalizing a one-year, $1.95 million deal with the Sox last week.
“The White Sox reached out pretty early on and were pretty aggressive,” Tauchman said. “And kind of as the process unfolded we felt like it was a good opportunity and would be a good fit. The opportunity to stay at home played a factor, too. They showed initial interest and it moved from there.”
The Palatine native — who said the first MLB game he attended came when the St. Louis Cardinals visited the Sox during Mark McGwire’s 70-home run season in 1998 — was thrilled with the chance to remain in the area.
“It’s great,” he said. “We have a two-month-old (daughter) at home, our first kid. The grandparents and aunts and uncles are here. Everybody is local. You don’t understand the phrase ‘it takes a village’ until you have a kid of your own and our village is great.
“To have that continue and have that support system in our house ended up being a really big factor for my wife and we made the decision.”
The 34-year-old has a .241/.344/.374 slash line with 60 doubles, 32 home runs and 155 RBIs in 474 career games during seven major-league seasons with the Colorado Rockies (2017-18), New York Yankees (2019-21), San Francisco Giants (2021) and Cubs (2023-24). He spent 2022 in the Korea Baseball Organization.
Tauchman ranks sixth in the majors since the start of the 2023 season with an average of one walk every 7.29 plate appearances (minimum of 750 plate appearances).
He slashed .248/.357/.366 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs in 109 games in 2024 for the Cubs, who nontendered him in November.
“I’ve felt extremely fortunate to have the career I’ve had,” Tauchman said. “I never thought I’d play for the Cubs. I never thought I’d play for the Sox. I, realistically, probably didn’t think I’d play this long, especially a couple years ago going overseas. So just to have the opportunity, it’s awesome.
“There’s a handful of guys that have (played for) both, and I guess it’s kind of exciting to be on that list now.”
Reports of Tauchman’s signing first surfaced on Dec. 9. The deal was announced during a busy Dec. 11 for the Sox. That afternoon also included the team trading starter Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox for four minor-league prospects in catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth and right-handed pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez.
The White Sox also selected Shane Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers that day during the Rule 5 draft.
“Extremely grateful for the White Sox to (use) their pick on me,” Smith said during a video conference call on Friday. “I think there’s definitely a lot of space and opportunity for me to make the most of whatever they have me doing, whether it’s starting, relieving, long relief.
“Kind of be a (Swiss army) knife in any way possible, and I think the White Sox are a perfect place to do that.”
Smith, 24, is 13-7 with a 2.69 ERA and 203 strikeouts over three minor-league seasons. The right-hander went a combined 6-3 with a 3.05 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 32 outings (16 starts) for Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville in 2024.
“I think the workload is definitely a big difference between starting and relieving,” Smith said. “I prefer starting. I just kind of like getting into games and getting a rhythm. You might not have every pitch in the first inning, but as you get through three, four, five, six, you kind of get that feel back.
“But I don’t think, in terms of mentality or what you’re trying to do, it’s too much different, starting or relieving. Whatever opportunity I get I plan to make the most of.”
Tauchman anticipates having the opportunity to play “quite a bit.”
“But I’ve been doing this a long time and roles change and evolve and it’s a long season,” Tauchman said. “Any number of things can happen, teams are always evaluating and re-evaluating things. I’m just going to be ready for my opportunity and make the most of it.”
