The story of the 2025 Chicago White Sox so far has been the growth of young talent and future stars emerging. A youth movement has brought a more enjoyable brand of baseball to the South Side as the organization looks for core pieces to build around in the future.
With eight (8) Sox rookies having made their Major League debut already in 2025, White Sox fans are getting a glimpse into the future every single night.
However, even with an influx of young talent, there are still a few roster spots currently occupied by veteran placeholders that will (and should) be off the team sooner rather than later. Here are three players who will not be on the White Sox roster come July 1st.
INF Vinny Capra
Vinny Capra is one of those guys that you might forget is even on the 26-man roster from time to time. When the White Sox claimed Capra off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers, it was puzzling move. There didn’t seem to be a path to get him playing time with the roster construction.
Turns out, the White Sox don't seem to care about playing time. Capra has been taking up a roster spot and cashing a check while almost never seeing the field.
Capra was first activated by the White Sox on May 16th, and despite being on the roster for almost a month, he has played in only 12 games and taken just 22 at bats.
Capra has four hits as a member of the White Sox, and he hasn’t looked like a big league hitter most of the time that he has been at the plate. Going into Thursday's game, Capra had a season OPS of .294.
Lenyn Sosa’s imminent return from the IL should spell the end of Capra’s White Sox tenure. Even if the White Sox elect to keep Capra due to his ability to play shortstop, Brooks Baldwin’s dominance of Triple-A pitching likely means the White Sox will find a spot for him soon. It would be a big surprise if the calendar turns to July and Vinny Capra is still on the Major League roster.
RHP Owen White
A former 2nd round pick and Top 100 prospect, Owen White has bounced around between a few teams over the past few months.
DFA’d by the Texas Rangers in December, White was traded to the Cincinnati Reds before being placed on waivers and claimed by the New York Yankees just a month later. The Yankees then placed White on waivers at the start of Spring Training, where he was claimed by the White Sox and assigned to AAA-Charlotte.
After two months in the Charlotte rotation, White was called up to the Major Leagues on June 5th, but has only made one appearance in a White Sox uniform.
Jonathan Cannon’s injury seemed to open an opportunity for innings, but the White Sox have elected to give more innings to Mike Vasil and Tyler Alexander instead. White’s only appearance came during a short outing from Sean Burke, with Vasil and Alexander having pitched just a couple days before.
With Cannon and lefty Tyler Gilbert both expected to return from the IL soon, it seems likely that the 25-year-old White will head back to Charlotte where he can continue to make regular starts and serve as rotational depth.
OF Joshua Palacios
This one, I’ll admit, is a bit more bold. Despite Palacios struggling both offensively and defensively, Will Venable seems to prioritize getting him in the lineup multiple days a week. It might be a stretch to assume he’ll go from starting 3-4 days a week to being off the roster completely. But looking at the numbers, Palacios sticking around too much longer just doesn’t make a ton of sense.
With an OPS just over .600 and peripherals that don’t suggest a big improvement is imminent, there isn’t a clear reason why Venable prioritizes getting Palacios playing time. Defensively, Palacios sits at -4 OAA, putting him in the 8th percentile among outfielders. In other words, he’s not good at hitting or fielding.
At 29 years old, there doesn’t seem to be a bunch of untapped potential with Palacios, so there’s not really a reason to keep him on the roster long-term. Mike Tauchman and Andrew Benintendi are both superior left-handed outfield options, and if Venable wants a third option, Dominic Fletcher is younger, crushing the ball in Charlotte, and far more reliable defensively than Palacios.
I’ll call my shot and say the White Sox elect to make that move by the end of the month.
As the 2025 season progresses and more young talent joins the White Sox roster, this team will inch closer to resembling a contending ball club. In the meantime though, there are a few players remaining whose days are numbered. With returns from injury and minor leaguers producing, it won’t be long before their time with the White Sox comes to an end.