The Chicago White Sox finally realized the error of their ways and designated Mike Clevinger for assignment.
May he never be heard from again, or at least in a White Sox uniform.
However, do not put it past this organization to outright him to Triple-A Charlotte once he clears waivers, and no team wants him again for the fourth time being available on the open market.
I’ll give it 50/50 they outright him to Charlotte when (not if) he clears waivers. https://t.co/TRBdUk2aLZ
— BZ (@BezBeyondThePen) April 16, 2025
However, maybe the White Sox have finally seen what 29 other teams have seen three times. That is a pitcher who can no longer throw strikes, cannot stay healthy, and has been a clubhouse problem during his days in Cleveland.
The White Sox will likely need to designate other players for assignment once more of their promising prospects are ready to contribute at the big-league level.
They already designated catcher Omar Narvaez for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for stud catching prospect Edgar Quero.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 17, 2025
Narvaez getting DFA'd should not come as a shock, as he was always going to be a break glass in case of emergency option in the organization. He was being counted on to tutor the White Sox's top pitching prospects at Double-A Birmingham since he graciously accepted going all the way down to that level after not making the Opening Day 26-man roster out of spring training.
His emergency use was needed when Korey Lee went on the 10-day IL with an ankle injury. With the White Sox offense in a funk and needing a right-handed hitting option behind the plate, the team went with the hot-hitting top 100 prospect in Quero. Plus, Quero can provided a left-handed hitting option since he is a switch hitter.
Other prospects like Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery will eventually make their way toward Chicago and that means more veteran players will have to be removed from the 26-man roster.
Three players are prime candidates to get designated for assignment soon.
Right off the bat you can say more deserve to be designated for assignment, but for the sake of time let's leave it to three.
Also, pitchers Penn Murfee and Jordan Leasure are struggling. They still have minor league options, so that is why they are not on this list.
Jacob Amaya
His fielding ability is the only thing keeping him on this roster because he just cannot hit at the big-league level. He is wRC+ is in the negative.
It would make sense to cut him once Montgomery is ready to take over the shortstop role full-time.
Nick Maton
He is hitting well below .200 and has cooled off from a solid spring training that earned him a roster spot.
A left-handed bat off the bench is the only reason he is still on the roster. Even then, he is not doing a great job in that role.
Since he is out of options, he will have to be designated for assignment to make room for, say, a returning Josh Rojas, Mike Tauchman, or Austin Slater in the next month or two.
Joshua Palacios
He is 29 and provides organizational depth.
The only reason he is on the 26-man roster is that the White Sox have a rash of injuries in the outfield, and the team's promising outfield prospects are at Low-A ball
Once Rojas, Slater, or Tauchman are ready to return from the 10-day IL, Palacios is likely gone.