White Sox clear 40-man roster space in first major offseason shuffle

As most eliminated teams are wont to do during the playoffs, the Chicago White Sox have begun maneuvering their roster in order to prepare for the offseason.

The team outrighted four players off the 40-man roster and sent them to Triple-A Charlotte (Dominic Fletcher, Corey Julks, Elvis Peguero, and Owen White). In addition, they released outfielder Will Robertson, who was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

That has the 40-man roster down to 35 players, with more decisions yet to be made on players eligible for arbitration and/or on the fringes of the roster.

While this could be a sign that the team is gearing up for a busy winter, it's also true that, like every team, the White Sox need that roster space for other post-season transactions.

White Sox clear out 40-man roster space, though not all of it will be used for offseason acquisitions

A lot, if not all, of the cleared 40-man roster spaces will be assigned to Rule 5 eligible prospects. Players like Tanner McDougal, Aldrin Batista, and Arizona Fall League participant Connor McCullough could be lost for good if Chicago doesn't protect them by adding them to the 40-man roster this offseason.

Of course, that doesn't mean the White Sox aren't planning for a busy hot stove season. The payroll has been shredded in recent years, with only Andrew Benintendi and Luis Robert Jr. (option pending) soaking up more than $10 million annually in salary.

That should position the team to make at least one high-profile signing, and more likely than not, they'll hand out a handful of short-term, high-AAV contracts to veterans that they can either flip at the deadline (if they play poorly to start next season) or keep through 2026 (if they fancy a chance at a postseason run).

Before we get to that point, though, one thing looms above all. Not to rain on anyone's parade, but it should be noted that fears of a 2027 MLB lockout when the current CBA expires are very real, and will dictate the actions of many teams this offseason. That doesn't mean the White Sox can't make a flurry of moves to right their roster, but it will make them (and everyone else) more hesitant to hand out long-term deals worth big money.

That being said, it's clear that the payroll and roster space will be there for the Pale Hose to make some noise on the hot stove this winter. Hopefully, the front office will take full advantage.