If you’ve followed the White Sox for any length of time, you’re likely familiar with the infamous Fernando Tatis Jr. for James Shields trade that still haunts former GM Rick Hahn to this day. Of course, nobody knew at the time that 19-year-old Tatis would go from a Rookie League lottery ticket to an MLB superstar, but it happened. The White Sox hoped that they could make up for the loss by adding another Tatis relative to the organization, but a roster move this weekend threw cold water on the idea.
The White Sox have released OF Wilfred Veras.
— Ian Eskridge (@dailywhitesox) June 14, 2026
Wilfred Veras, signed by the White Sox from the Dominican Republic in 2019 was, at one time, an intriguing offensive prospect. Veras posted a .780 OPS with 20 home runs between two levels in 2022 and followed it up with a .790 OPS and 17 home runs the following year, reaching the Double-A level. In a full season in Birmingham in 2024, Veras hit 16 home runs and posted a .743 OPS, but struck out 140 times in 128 games. Instead of earning a promotion, he repeated the level in 2025 at age 22 and his offensive production dipped. Veras hit just .215 with nine home runs in 111 games, and struck out 139 times.
Veras' struggling offense and defensive limitations led to his release
The White Sox hoped the 2025 season was just a fluke for Veras and that he’d rebound nicely this season, but it’s been more of the same. Prior to his release this weekend, Veras was slashing just .219/.281/.350 with six home runs in 45 games. He’s been unable to improve his plate discipline or strikeout rate over the past three seasons, and the White Sox simply ran out of patience with the struggling prospect. In addition to his struggling offense, Veras was always defensively limited. He spent time at first base over the past few seasons and did his best to shift to the outfield this year. Unfortunately, the White Sox simply couldn’t find a role for him in their future plans.
Veras, whose mother is the sister of Fernando Tatis Sr, making him a first cousin of the Padres star, will now be a free agent and have an opportunity to join another organization. He’s still 23 and has plenty of experience at the Double-A level. He’s proven that there are power and offensive upside in his bat, and perhaps another team can develop his approach and provide an opportunity the White Sox can’t provide.
Veras’ struggles and release can serve as a reminder that prospects aren’t guaranteed to pan out and minor league numbers aren’t everything. Veras had multiple solid seasons in the minor leagues but was unable to consistently produce against upper level pitching.
Even with the White Sox player development staff overhaul, they can’t be expected to turn 100% of their prospects into big league contributors. The hope is that the hits become more frequent than the misses. With the immediate contributions of several White Sox prospects, the team seems to be on the right track.
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