Projecting the Chicago White Sox Opening Day roster after the Winter Meetings

Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz feels like he left the Winter Meetings have accelerated the team's rebuild.

Despite the infusion of talent to the team's farm system, the 2025 season looks like the White Sox will lose 100 games for the third straight season. The hope is the loss total does not threaten to break a record the 2024 club just set.

Plus, with Garrett Crochet now with the Boston Red Sox, there is really no star power on this team at all. Maybe Luis Robert Jr. can regain the superstar form we saw in 2023. However, he may not be with the club as he could still get traded before Opening Day.

Do not put it past a contender to roll the dice on Robert Jr. because if it comes up sevens on the figurative craps table, a team will have a talented outfielder at $40 million through the 2027 season. That is cheap these days.

Also, do not put it past the White Sox front office to try to get something for him even if this is not the offseason to trade him. There is a good chance the gamble of him returning to 2023 form and then dealing him at the 2025 trade deadline will go bust based on his injury history. If he has another injury-riddled season, it would make more sense to pay his $2 million buyout and move on.

Then you are losing him for nothing like Yoan Moncada or a career minor-leaguer like Eloy Jimenez. That is why the front office is likely motivated to deal him for even half of his ideal value now.

That is why this projection is not going to include Luis Robert Jr.

There is a good chance a team like the Reds or whoever is without a talented bat when the free agent outfield market thins out will circle back, especially since the Sox are rumored to want just something significant rather than the Crochet haul.

So what will the 26-man Opening Day roster look like?

For now, let's go with the assumption the Sox sign a veteran starting pitcher and trade Luis Robert Jr. Otherwise, the only free-agent moves the White Sox could make is adding some bullpen help and more players on minor-league deals with an invite to camp.

Starting Rotation

Jonathan Cannon, Drew Thorpe, Davis Martin, Sean Burke, Veteran Free-Agent TBD

Cannon is likely your Opening Day starter with how well he pitched after he debuted. He did pitch in the victories that ended two of three White Sox double-digit losing streaks, including the AL record-tying 21-game victory drought.

He has already reached his floor of being a reliable No. 3 or No. 4 pitcher in a rotation. The hope is maybe he can reach his ceiling, and that is being a good No. 2.

Martin could also be in the mix to start Opening Day. He, too, showed he is an effective No. 4 starter in a rotation.

Do not rule out the veteran-free agent they sign, depending on who it is to get the Opening Day start. If it is, say, a reunion with Jose Quintana, then it makes sense he gets the Opening Day honors based on his veteran status and his resume.

Hopefully, Drew Thorpe's bone spurs in his elbow were the cause of his two terrible starts before he was shut down to have surgery to remove them. If that is the case, the Sox might get back the potential ace pitcher everyone saw during a dominant stretch before the injury became a problem.

Sean Burke had a nice four-game window at the end of the season that provides hope he can be a dominant pitcher.

The White Sox do not technically have to go out and get a veteran starter with all the pitching depth they have in their farm system. Prospects Nick Nastrini and Ky Bush got some starts last season with mixed results. Mason Adams had a great minor-league season, and it is still worth trying to figure out if Jairo Iriate can be a starter.

Plus, there is a chance top pitching prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith can make an appearance at some point in 2025.

It still cannot hurt to have a veteran help these young arms how things are done in the big leagues, especially with free-agent options like Colin Rea and Jakob Junis on the market. If they do not work out as starters, they still have bullpen value.

Bullpen

Justin Anderson, Jared Shuster, Shane Smith, Gus Varland, Prelander Berroa, Fraser Ellard, Penn Murfee, Steven Wilson

This was a group that blew a lot of leads and saves. Hopefully, the minor signings made and some bounce-back seasons can help this group improve. If the bullpen can protect just a few more leads, this club will not flirt with another 120-loss season.

Anderson might be the team's closer this season. Shuster was inconsistent, but he is someone the Sox could use as an opener or left-handed long reliever.

The Sox have to carry Smith on the roster since he was the first pick in the Rule 5 Draft. He will be given a shot to compete for a starting rotation spot and if he throws well, maybe he actually he gets the final rotation spot over Burke.

If that is the case, Burke then should start the season in Triple-A to keep his arm stretched out. Iriate and Jake Eder could also make a case to start the season in the bullpen depending on how they throw in spring training.

Iriate's best fit might be in the bullpen since his floor is an effective high-leverage reliever. However, the Sox might want to see if he can still be a starter and keep him stretched out in Charlotte.

Varland and Berroa showed some promise in a late-season 2024 audition. Murfee missed all of 2024 after needing Tommy John. If he is recovered in time for the start of the season, he is an excellent candidate to be a bounce-back reliever who can be flipped at the deadline.

Wilson could be moved during spring training to a contender looking for a low-cost, bounce-back reliever as well. Otherwise, you sort of have to keep him on the roster to audition him to the rest of the league.

Jordan Leasure and Ron Marinaccio could also make cases to make the big-league roster on Opening Day if they pitch well in spring training.

Catcher

Edgar Quero, Korey Lee

You could also put Kyle Teel here and move Quero to DH. You could also put a veteran catcher still not on the roster as the club could prefer to give Teel and Quero both more time at Triple-A.

You just do not want that veteran catcher to be Chuckie Robinson, who is still on the 40-man roster. He showed he is an organizational depth catcher and nothing more.

Getz said Quero is going to get a shot to make the Opening Day roster, and the only reason he might get the nod over Teel is just Quero has some more familiarity with the pitching staff.

It is not much because he was only with the big-league club for a week at the end of the season, and that was as an observer.

Plus Teel could make the roster in other spots as Getz has discussed Kyle's versatility allows him to play other spots in the field.

One of those two are likely to start the season in Triple-A and the other as the backup catcher/rotational designated hitter.

Korey Lee is eventually going to be the backup catcher for the rest of the decade. Right now, he will likely be the starter just because of the work he has done with all the pitchers projected to make the club, and he just has more at-bats.

Infield

Andrew Vaughn, Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Lenyn Sosa, Miguel Vargas, Brooks Baldwin

Having Teel in the fold almost makes giving Vaughn a contract look worse. A replacement-level player the last four seasons with a trade market of a player to be named later is taking away a position that Bryan Ramos or Teel could get a look at.

Instead, it is another year where the club hopes Vaughn can finally be unlocked. If he can, he is an ideal player to be flipped at the trade deadline considering his club control days are limited.

Meidroth is an on-base machine. While his defensive range might be limited, he has the chance to be more productive at the plate than Nicky Lopez was at second in 2024.

Colson Montgomery might be better served with another month or two at Triple-A to show his strong September and Arizona Fall League was not just a hot two months. He was awful in his first Triple-A season, but he might have had an injury getting in the way.

Getz said he will be given a chance to win the job out of spring training, so if he hits like he did in September and October, he likely will get a shot. If he hits in the dry Arizona air like he did in the fall, it is not crazy to see him start the season with the Sox.

Lenyn Sosa finished the season strong, and he can rotate at third and second. Miguel Vargas was a disaster after coming to the Southside in the Erick Fedde/Michael Kopech deal. It sounds like the club still wants to use him. If it is a backup third and first baseman, then at least he comes cheap.

Baldwin should be tabbed as the utility infielder based on his ability to hit and fielding capabilities at short and second. If Montgomery is not ready for Opening Day, you could slot in Baldwin as the starting shortstop and use Jacob Amaya off the bench.

Outfield

Andrew Benintendi, Mike Tauchman, Austin Slater, Zach DeLoach

Benintendi's salary mandates he is the starting left fielder.

The Sox just signed Tauchman and Slater to likely platoon in right. However, if LRJ is traded, Tauchman can player center.

If Luis Robert Jr. is not traded, then DeLoach does not make the Opening Day roster.

Picking DeLoach over Dominic Fletcher and Oscar Colas is because of two reasons. The first is the front office seems to prefer players who can get on base. That is one of the strengths of DeLoach's game with his career .377 on-base percentage in the minors.

The other reason is Getz did not speak too highly of Fletcher and Colas.

That is not to say Fletcher should be ruled out as the fourth outfielder considering he provides an elite glove. It will be interesting to see what they decide to do there.

Also, Cal Mitchell, who was signed off the scrap-heap, could have a shot. Corey Julks might also make a case.

Teel has played some right field, so if Quero and him rake in spring training, making him the fourth outfielder and rotating the four outfielders around is not out of the question.

Still, it would make more sense to have Teel and Quero battle it out for catcher, and whoever losses go to Triple-A to get everyday at-bats.

Designated Hitter/Plays All Over

Bryan Ramos

He should get a runway to prove he can be a major league contributor. Ramos also has the talent to be an impactful hitter. The problem is where to play him. It is not because he is a terrible fielder.

He has played third base throughout his minor league journey and during his brief time up with the Sox. The front office seems intent on giving Vargas another shot at third base. Also, the jury is still out on whether Montgomery can be an everyday shortstop, so he might have to move to third.

Ramos showed he might be the better defensive option there, but Vargas has been terrible in the outfield and at second. The thinking is that it might be better to see what Ramos can do in the outfield as he started to take fly balls at the end of the season.

It would not be a surprise to see him get some action in the outfield. It cannot hurt to see if he can man first base if Vaughn needs a day off.

He is still a blank canvas defensively, so it makes sense to see where else he can contribute. At the very least, his bat must be in the lineup every day. With Gavin Sheets gone, it opens up the DH spot to get him in the batting order.

Plus, if he can play some outfield and get some third base reps, it will allow Quero's bat to get in the lineup on the day he is not catching.