White Sox Prospects That Can Make the Opening Day Roster
Some White Sox prospects are looking to join the team out of spring training. Which player has the best shot of being on the team by Opening Day?
White Sox fans, it’s time. The 2018 season is officially beginning with a very exciting spring training campaign. Like every spring, the White Sox are looking to see how each player has progressed over the offseason. and also which players will be ready for the show come late March.
Last season, waiting for prospects was inevitable and more than an afterthought. Sox general manager Rick Hahn was extremely adamant about player development and did not make any call-ups until well into the season. This year might be a little different, however. As most know, the team is entering the developmental stage of the rebuild and there are more players ready now than there was last year.
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Down at Camelback Ranch, some players are waiting for their opportunity for a chance to play on Opening Day or at least be a part of the roster. And it’s not entirely out of the question that a player can play well enough to make the Opening Day roster.
Last season, Jacob May won the starting center fielder job because of an injury to the projected starter, but also because of his performance throughout the spring. The Sox might still be years away from winning much of anything so not only are positions available but giving players the opportunity for those spots might uncover a great hidden talent. Here are a few of those prospects who can grab an Opening Day roster spot.
Rondon was acquired from the Padres over the offseason and there was not as much buzz surrounding his arrival as there was for other players. He played his baseball in a variety of different of levels in 2017. Rondon spent some time playing in Double-A and Triple-A and lastly in the Arizona Fall League. In 2017, he hit .293 with seven home runs, 49 RBIs in 78 total games. In Triple-A with the El Paso Chihuahuas, he hit .282 and had an OPS of .741 with 24 hits and 14 RBIs in 22 games. So he was solid and quite productive despite his reputation being unknown prior to his arrival in Chicago.
Rondon is only 23 and he has already played seven seasons of professional, competitive baseball, including three independent seasons in the Venezuelan Winter League. His case for being on the Opening Day roster is that he has shown to be productive in Triple-A and plays third base and shortstop.
Shortstop is Tim Anderson’s but third base is currently vacant, with no one having a firm grip on the position aside from maybe Yolmer Sanchez. Rondon might be an afterthought or solid depth later down the line. But because of his experience and his current level of performance, he might have a chance. In four spring games, he’s 2-for-9 with a triple and three RBIs.
Tilson was projected to be the starting center fielder for the Sox last year but lost his spot to May before the season even began. He was recovering from a season-ending injury that he sustained in July of 2016 before he sustained another injury that eventually kept him out of the entire 2017 season. Tilson, now healthy, recovering and progressing daily, is ready to make another run for center field.
Again, the Sox are not expected to win many games this season but when they do, Luis Robert is expected to take that center field position. But as of right now, center field is open for the taking. Adam Engel who ended last season as the starting center fielder got the start in center field for the first game of spring training. If Tilson can outplay Engel this spring, he definitely deserves at least a spot on the roster if not a starter role. He was talented to get chances over the last two years and he didn’t even get the opportunity to prove his abilities on the field.
Tilson is older now and he’s going to be playing with a chip on his shoulder while playing for his career in center field. The Sox should at least give him a chance to get back into shape, progress and play for a chance to get the starting gig in center field.
Gillaspie was an interesting acquisition for the White Sox last season. He was traded from the Rays for Dan Jennings as a player that was “MLB-ready.” Gillaspie has played the last two seasons in Triple-A ball and has been fairly successful. He slashed .223 /.297/.373 in 2017 and .307/.389/.520 in 47 games in 2016.
Similar to the aforementioned Rondon, Gillaspie’s next step in his career will be playing in the majors. He’s listed as a first baseman and will probably not get a chance to take Abreu’s spot on the team but maybe Matt Davidson’s spot as a fill-in for Abreu. Gillaspie can take on that designated hitter/first base role if Abreu and/or Davidson are not ready for the regular season or even as added depth. The main thing going for Gillaspie is that he has more experience than many of the minor league prospects and the White Sox are open to developing young talent.
Cordell has the best chance of these players to make the Opening Day roster. He got the starting nod for the first spring training game. Left field was the position that saw the most players last season and Cordell would be a great candidate to take over that position. Cordell’s season was shortened by injury last year. In his five-year Minor League and winter ball career, he’s hit .273 and has 277 RBIs, 500 hits, 183 extra-base hits, and 82 stolen bases in 482 games.
He’s been successful at every level and he finally has a shot to stake a claim for a starting job at least for the foreseeable future. If the season started today, Cordell has a very good case to start in left field– with Nicky Delmonico as the DH. It seems like Cordell has the favor of the coaching staff early and if he can really show up and play well, the left field spot at Guaranteed Rate Field will have his name on it. In three spring training games, he’s 2-for-6, with two runs scored and an RBI. He’s been popping up on many people’s radars over the past week.
These four aforementioned players all have the experience and have shown their abilities to this point. Fortunately for most of them, the stars have begun to align and their positions are either open or there’s competition for those spots. But as easily as each player can play themselves onto the Opening Day roster, they can also play themselves out of a roster spot. 46 players played at least one game with the Sox last spring training. If any of these players stand out this year, they have probably earned the chance to play with the Chicago across their chest come late March.