The Chicago White Sox were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention over the weekend.
It has been a foregone conclusion since April that the White Sox would not be in the playoffs, but Sox fans still might be seeing some familiar faces in the postseason this year. Many of the teams vying to win the 2025 World Series have former White Sox players on their active roster.
Here’s a look at the former White Sox players who could be suiting up and playing in some big games this October. I counted 23 in total that a.) played in a Major league game for the White Sox in the past, and b.) are currently on the active roster for a contending team.
NOTE - Marcus Semien (TEX), Frankie Montas (NYM), and Bennett Sousa (HOU) are not included because they are on the Injured List.
New York Yankees - Carlos Rodón, Austin Slater, Tim Hill
Three former White Sox players are currently with the Yankees, and two of them have had career years in 2025.
Carlos Rodón, now 32 years old, is 16-7 with a 3.12 ERA and 180 strikeouts on the year. He leads all of baseball in wins and was selected to his third All-Star Game earlier this season.
Tim Hill was in the White Sox bullpen for half a season in 2024, but he's been playing the best baseball of his career since leaving the South Side. With the Yankees in 2025, Hill has appeared in 63 games and has a solid ERA of 2.93.
Austin Slater, who the White Sox sent to the Yankees at this year's trade deadline, is 0-for-7 at the plate in three games played in pinstripes.
Boston Red Sox - Garrett Crochet, Lucas Giolito, Romy González
The Garrett Crochet trade looks like a win for both sides. The White Sox got four promising prospects in Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth, Wikelman González, and Braden Montgomery (No.1. prospect in the organization), but the Red Sox got a legitimate Cy Young contender.
Crochet won't win the AL Cy Young Award this season, but he should definitely be a finalist. He's 14-5 with a 2.67 ERA and a career-high 218 strikeouts for Boston.
Lucas Giolito is also having a great year for the Red Sox. He has turned back the clock a bit and valiantly stepped up for a scuffling rotation. Giolito is 10-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 23 starts.
Romy González is a guy the White Sox probably regret letting go of. Chicago didn't think he was good enough to roster, and González has responded by becoming a middle-of-the-order bat for Boston.
González is batting .307 with 30 extra-base hits and an .834 OPS this season.
Detroit Tigers - Tommy Kahnle
Tommy Kahnle pitched in 66 games for the White Sox over two seasons from 2016-2017. He's made a nice career for himself since being traded away.
Now, at 36 years old, Kahnle is looking for that elusive World Series ring with the Detroit Tigers. He has pitched in 57 games this season with an ERA at 4.80.
Houston Astros - Enyel De Los Santos, Craig Kimbrel
Enyel De Los Santos made 13 brief appearances out of the White Sox bullpen down the home stretch of the 2024 season. He showed signs of potential late in the year, but elected free agency and got a minor league deal from the Atlanta Braves.
De Los Santos has now found a home in Houston. He has allowed one run in 13 innings since joining the Astros and could have a role in the team's bullpen come playoff time.
The same thing goes for 37-year-old Craig Kimbrel. Kimbrel went from the Braves to the Astros this season, but has now made seven scoreless appearances for Houston while maintaining playoff eligibility.
Kimbrel last pitched in the MLB playoffs for the Phillies in 2023 and the White Sox in 2021.
Texas Rangers - Jake Burger
The Rangers may not end up making the playoffs. They're currently 4.0 games out of the AL West and 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. If they do get in, however, Jake Burger will be a big reason why.
Burger has battled injuries this season. He has 14 home runs and a .709 OPS, but in the 14 games he has played since the start of August, he three (3) home runs and an OPS of 1.057. With all the injuries to the Rangers' big hitters, Burger's bat will be consequential.
The former White Sox fan-favorite hit 34 home runs with the White Sox and Marlins during the 2023 season. Sox fans have seen Burger go on a power surge in the past, and if he has one in him this September, it could be the thing that gets Texas over the hump.
Chicago Cubs - Aaron Civale, Brad Keller, Reese McGuire
Aaron Civale went from the White Sox to the Cubs when he was claimed on waivers just a week ago. He has only pitched in one game since heading to the North Side, completing three scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Brad Keller, however, has been in the Cubs bullpen all season long. Keller is having one of the better years of his career and appears to have carved out a new role for himself as a setup man.
In 60 games for the Cubs, Keller has a 2.17 ERA. He only pitched in five games for the White Sox in 2024 before they let him go.
Reese McGuire, a catcher who played 53 games with the White Sox in 2022, signed with the Cubs in the middle of the season. He has a career-high eight (8) home runs in 113 at-bats as the backup for Carson Kelly.
Milwaukee Brewers - Andrew Vaughn, Jose Quintana, Erick Fedde
Andrew Vaughn's success with the Milwaukee Brewers after a midseason trade has been well-documented. While he's had some struggles recently, Vaughn is still batting .308 with an .867 OPS in a Brewers uniform.
Vaughn will be a key factor in Milwaukee's postseason. If he returns to tormenting pitchers, he'll boost the Brewers offense to an elite level.
Jose Quintana signed a one-year deal with Milwaukee in the offseason hoping to extend his MLB career. He has been worth every penny, making 22 starts with a reliable 3.72 ERA and 11-5 record.
Erick Fedde is also in Milwaukee now. The Brewers are Fedde's third team of 2025. He may not end up on the postseason roster, though, as he has only pitched in two games since being signed on August 27.
That said, Fedde has done well in the Brewers bullpen and has playoff eligibility if Milwaukee ends up needing some innings.
Los Angeles Dodgers - Michael Kopech, Chuckie Robinson
Michael Kopech made his MLB debut for the White Sox in 2018 and had some ups and downs with the organization before being traded to the Dodgers in 2024.
Last season, Kopech was a lights out reliever for Los Angeles and had a 1.13 ERA in 24 appearances down the stretch. He was also very solid in the postseason and helped the Dodgers eventually win the World Series.
In 2025, he has been injured for most of the season. In 10 games, Kopech has a 1.08 ERA. The Dodgers are hoping 2024 Kopech will reemerge as they look to repeat as champs.
Chuckie Robinson, a 30-year-old catcher, played in 26 games for the 2024 White Sox. He had his contract selected by the Dodgers on September 6, but will not be playoff eligible.
Philadelphia Phillies - Tanner Banks, David Robertson
Tanner Banks was a late-bloomer in the White Sox organization. The left-handed relief pitcher did not make his debut until after his 30th birthday with the 2022 White Sox.
Banks proved to be a really solid piece for the White Sox from 2022–2024 before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies at last year‘s deadline . The White Sox got good value for Banks in infield prospect William Bergolla, but the Phillies also got a reliable lefty in their bullpen that had contract control.
With Philadelphia this season, Banks has appeared in 61 games and posted a 3.23 ERA . His 0.96 WHIP is also a dominant number, and he figures to be a big piece of Philadelphia's postseason run.
David Robertson is also a key member of the Phillies bullpen. Robertson pitched for three seasons as the closer with the White Sox from 2015 to 2017 after getting a big contract from the organization and free agency. Robertson recorded 84 saves and had a 3.28 ERA in Chicago.
Now pitching in his 17th MLB season, Robertson is over 40 years old and seeking his second World Series ring.
He has made 12 appearances with the Phillies since signing late in the year. Robertson has playoff eligibility and a ton of experience that he’s bringing to the table
San Diego Padres - Dylan Cease, Gavin Sheets
The White Sox traded Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres just before the 2024 MLB season got underway. Cease was in the conversation for NL Cy Young in his first year with San Diego, but has not had the same fortune in 2025.
While he leads the National League with 195 strikeouts, Cease also leads the NL and walks with 65. That lack of control can be his achilles heel, and it has resulted in a 4.71 ERA for the Padres this season.
White Sox fans know that when Dylan Cease is locked in, he’s one of the most electric pitchers in all of baseball. The Padres are hoping that version of him returns during the postseason.
Gavin Sheets is enjoying the best season of his career in 2025. Sheets originally went to San Diego on a minor league deal, but has hit a career-high 19 home runs in 126 games played this season.
Sheets always had big power, but from 2021–2024 with the White Sox, he didn’t make contact consistently enough to make the organization believe in him.
Sheets hit 46 regular season home runs during his White Sox tenure. He did, however, go 4-for-12 with a double and a home run during the 2021 ALDS. He was one of the reasons the White Sox made that series competitive.
Toronto Blue Jays - Chris Bassitt
Chris Bassitt debuted for the White Sox back in 2014 before going on to have a long, succesful Major League career.
He was an All-Star back in 2021 and has been a solid member of the Blue Jays' rotation for the last three seasons.
Toronto is a lock to make the postseason and Bassitt is a lock to get some postseason starts. He has only made three playoff starts in his career up to this point.