Chicago White Sox: Three players on the hot seat in spring training
The Chicago White Sox have to whittle down their roster to 26 players. They got the train rolling when they reassigned pitchers Danny Dopico, Kade McClure, Emilio Vargerez, Jacob Lindgren, Bennett Sousa, and Matt Tomshaw. They also reassigned catcher Carlos Pérez to the club’s minicamp. The White Sox now has 54 players remaining in camp.
The Chicago White Sox has some jobs available heading into the 2021 season.
While most of the lineup is set in stone, there are still some jobs up for grabs. There are currently five catchers battling for the backup catcher spot. There is also a competition for the final spot in the rotation. For some players such as Jimmy Lambert or Zeby Zavala, losing a competition is not the end of the world because they were not expected to be with the big league club anyway. They will still have an opportunity to compete down the road.
For some guys on the roster, it is time to put up or shut up. A couple of members from the 2020 squad will need a good showing in spring training if they want to keep their job. If not they could be moved to the bullpen, cast away to the bench, or sent down to Triple-A Charlotte. With that in mind let’s take a look at three players on the White Sox that are on the hot seat.
SP . Chicago White Sox. Carlos Rodon. 55. player. 128.
Carlos Rodon would still look good in the Chicago White Sox rotation.
The White Sox have yet to tap into Rodon’s full potential as a pitcher. Every time they come close, Rodon seems to come down with an injury. The southpaw was drafted as the best pitcher out of college baseball in 2014. He had a short timetable to the majors and was pitching for the White Sox the following year. He got off to a fast start until injuries began to derail his upward trajectory.
He has had a rough road that has included a sprained wrist in 2016, bicep bursitis in 2017, shoulder inflammation when he returned in 2017 that rolled over into the 2018 season, and then a Tommy John surgery that knocked him out of the 2019 season after just seven starts. As the medical bills have piled up the White Sox patience has dwindled.
Carlos Rodon was non-tendered by the White Sox early in the offseason. The breakup did not last long as the White Sox brought him back on a one-year deal. He will be making $3 million dollars in guaranteed money this year which gives him the inside track position on the final spot in the rotation that is up for grabs.
Even if he does not win the job there is a good chance he will be put in the bullpen because of the money the White Sox invested in him. However, with Michael Kopech and Garrett Crochet ticketed for the bullpen there are not many roles in there available. Rodon’s performance coming out of the bullpen last season does not help his cause. Rodon never looked comfortable there and views himself as a starting pitcher.
If he wants to be a starter this year he will need to beat out Reynaldo Lopez. Despite the competition, Rodon says he is still rooting for his teammate.
“I’m always pulling for him, and I know he’s always pulling for me,” Rodon said. “So that thing will take care of itself and it is what it is.”
He has impressed so far in his limited Cactus League action. He threw two scoreless innings in his season debut on Thursday. He has cited the benefits of working with new pitching coach Ethan Katz.
Reynaldo Lopez. 44. player. 128. . SP. Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox would love to see Reynaldo Lopez pan out.
Reynaldo Lopez has gone from a young prospect with an optimistic future to fighting for his job. That’s life in the MLB in a nutshell. To be fair to Lopez he is still only 27 years old. He owns an immense amount of talent. What has held Lopez back throughout his career is consistency.
The White Sox acquired him as a part of the Adam Eaton trade in a package that included Lucas Giolito. In his first pro season, he impressed to the tune of a 3.91 ERA in 32 starts. Instead of making a jump the following season, he frustrated fans with an inconsistent season that saw his ERA balloon up to 5.38. After another down year in 2020, the pressure is on Lopez to perform.
Lopez made his second Spring Training start on Thursday but struggled giving up five runs in three innings. While there is still plenty of time left in Spring Training there is only one spot remaining in the rotation so every pitch carries extra weight.
Lopez believes that he has a problem tipping his pitches and that is something he is working on with Ethan Katz. Katz is also helping Lopez reintroduce the curveball to his repertoire. The curveball was his best pitch while he was with the Nationals but when he came to Chicago, Don Cooper wanted him to use a slider because he believed it was a more reliable strike-throwing pitch.
With the curveball back in the equation, Lopez has a nice compliment to his fastball, particularly when he throws it up in the zone. Katz has also shortened his arm path, something he thinks will help Lopez. It is still yet to be seen if these adjustments will pay off but if they don’t Lopez may be honing his craft in Triple-A Charlotte.
Danny Mendick. 20. player. 128. . INF. Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox love having Danny Mendick in their back pocket.
Danny Mendick came out of nowhere in 2019 and became a contributor in the big leagues. Being the odd man out is of no fault of his own. Mendick is an excellent defender who was a Gold Glove candidate in 2020. He also provides some versatility in the infield. He showed some pop offensively as well hitting .308 in 16 games in 2019 in the MLB and launching 17 home runs in Triple-A Charlotte.
Unfortunately for Mendick, there is a traffic jam of infielders. He has no shot of beating out Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson, or Nick Madrigal. He could be a utility player but Luery Garica stands as a roadblock. Garcia can play six different positions between the infield and outfield. Garcia is also the longest-tenured player in the organization so the chances of him losing his job are slim.
The other position player off the bench is Adam Engel. Engel’s defensive prowess will be too much for Mendick to overcome. With Eloy Jimenez in left field, Engel serves as a valuable defensive replacement as well as the occasional starter.
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It is possible that the White Sox choose to go with three utility men off the bench but that would take a player out of the bullpen so it is unlikely Tony La Russa will opt to do so. If Mendick wants to remain on the Major League roster he will have to prove his worth this spring.