White Sox News: Coaching change on farm, free agency, Braden Montgomery returns

As the World Series gets set to begin, the offseason is now just a matter of days away. Roster changes continue as new hires shape the farm system. This week’s news updates reflect some shuffling across the organization with player departures and staff changes. Also, we've got some prospect updates from another week in the Arizona Fall League that feature the return of top prospect Braden Montgomery.

White Sox Players Elect Free Agency

A handful of White Sox players have elected free agency as the organization reshapes its depth chart. Outfielders Dominic Fletcher and Corey Julks both chose to test the market after spending time between Triple-A Charlotte and the big league roster in 2025. Both provided serviceable depth, but will look for fresh opportunities elsewhere.

Veteran right-hander Mike Clevinger also entered free agency following an inconsistent year marred by injury and limited innings. Two more pitchers were also dismissed, with right-handers Elvis Peguero and Owen White also electing free agency.

Shortstop Jacob Amaya and outfielder Joshua Palacios rounded out the group of recent departures, while outfielder Will Robertson was claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Overall, this signals the start of a broader offseason evaluation of the fringe roster talent.

White Sox Add JC Sanner to Player Development Staff

The organization’s focus on pitching development continued this week with the hiring of JC Sanner to a coaching position within the organization. Sanner spent the last two seasons as the pitching coach at the College of Central Florida, and was previously the director of player development at Davidson in 2023. 

Before that, he held player development roles with both the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies organizations. The Mississippi native also earned recognition as the Assistant Coach of the Year in the Valley Baseball League in 2023. During his playing career, Sanner helped Oak Grove High School win two state titles and went on to pitch at Pearl River Community College and Northwestern State before finishing his career and degree at William Carey University.

Sanner will likely work in a player development capacity under Brian Bannister’s pitching infrastructure, most likely at the Arizona complex. The hire adds to the continued rebuild of the White Sox minor league coaching staff. With Kannapolis losing its pitching coach this offseason, internal promotions remain possible, leaving Sanner in a position to take on a key developmental role in the lower levels.

Arizona Fall League Recap for White Sox Prospects

Another week of Arizona Fall League play brought steady progress from several White Sox prospects suiting up for the Glendale Desert Dogs. 

Outfielder Caden Connor continued to lead the Glendale lineup with an impressive showing, hitting .375 with a .939 OPS through 10 games while driving in seven runs. He has walked 12 times against only three strikeouts, stolen five bases, and added a three-hit performance on Oct. 17 to cap a productive week.

Not far behind Connor, second baseman Sam Antonacci is putting together a strong overall performance while showing sneaky power as of late. He has homered twice with a .909 OPS, driving in eight runs and drawing eight walks so far in the AFL. 

First baseman Ryan Galanie has been off to a rocky start at the plate, but will look to settle in as the season continues, maintaining a .333 on-base percentage while staying steady defensively at first base.

On the pitching side, left-hander Hagen Smith has yet to allow a run through six innings, striking out nine while posting a 1.33 WHIP and continuing to show improved command of both his fastball and slider. 

Tyler Davis came out strong for Glendale, striking out the side in the ninth on Oct. 15 and finishing two innings with five strikeouts while allowing just one extra-base hit. Carson Jacobs punched out two across his latest outing, giving up one run in two-thirds of an inning.

Connor McCullough took over after Hagen Smith’s start and had a rough fifth inning, but showed efficiency in his other two frames of work. Jarold Rosado bounced back from a rough debut, posting two straight scoreless appearances, including a one-strikeout frame on Oct. 15 that helped seal a 6–3 win.

After recovering from a right foot fracture, Braden Montgomery made his long-awaited AFL debut on Oct. 21. His first at-bat went for a double off the wall at 110.2 mph, driving in Sam Antonacci.

Montgomery finished 1-for-1 with three walks in his return. He did not appear in the second game of the doubleheader on the 21st, but looks ready to finish the fall on a strong note.