The Chicago White Sox seem set at outfield, first base, and the first three starters of their starting rotation.
Andrew Vaughn is entrenched as the starting first baseman despite being nothing more than a replacement-level player over the past four seasons. Andrew Benintendi's contract demands he play in left. If Luis Robert Jr. is not traded before Opening Day, he is the starting centerfielder.
Then the Sox plan on platooning free agent additions Mike Tauchman and Austin Slater in right field. The recently added Michael A. Taylor is going to be the utility outfielder.
Otherwise, the rest of the positions are up for grabs as the White Sox start spring training.
There are six position battles to pay attention to as the roster had major turnover coming off a historic 121-loss season in 2024.
Fourth and fifth starting pitcher
Martin Perez, Jonathan Cannon, and Davis Martin are the only three arms that you can for sure pencil in as being part of the Opening Day roster. Also, one of those three will likely be the Opening Day starter with Perez probably getting the honor based on his veteran status.
Drew Thorpe likely would have been the fourth pitcher to join the rotation setting up a battle between Bryse Wilson and Sean Burke for the fifth starter--even though the Sox will not need one until a couple of weeks into the 2025 season.
It sounds like there is a good chance Thorpe starts the season with a short stint on the injured list after a setback during the offseason after having late-season elbow surgery in 2024 to shave down a bone spur.
Thorpe: "Realistically I would rather miss a week, a couple of weeks on the front end and be healthy and not deal with it all season, then try and push it and have to deal with it all year and missing time in the middle or end of the season."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) February 13, 2025
That either kills a starting rotation battle if Wilson and Burke are effective in spring training as they would likely slide into spots four and five in the rotation.
However, do not count out some of the White Sox's top 10 prospects who are in camp to make things interesting. Although you can rule out top pitching prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith from getting consideration.
They are in big-league camp just to get some experience but are destined to go back to the minor leagues to build up handling a full season pitching workload.
Jairo Iriate got some big league innings out of the bullpen last season. His floor is an effective bullpen arm, but he is still going to be used as a starter this season. If he pitches well, maybe he makes a case to pitch in the majors rather than Triple-A.
Make of this what you will, if anything at all, but one wall of lockers has Martin Perez, Jairo Iriarte, Davis Martin, Drew Thorpe and Jonathan Cannon next to each other. Iriarte told me this morning he'll be working as a starter during Spring Training.
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) February 12, 2025
Also, Mason Adams had a great 2024 season in the minors, and he was one of the few young arms on that dominant Double-A rotation who did not get big-league innings. He spins the ball pretty well so he should not be ruled out.
Maybe Nick Nastrini can make another case for the rotation despite having major command issues when he was brought up twice last season.
You can rule out Ky Bush as he has been lost for the season after needing Tommy John surgery.