White Sox add OF Taylor (source); Bush to have TJ surgery

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The White Sox agreed with outfielder Michael A. Taylor on a one-year, $1.95 million contract Tuesday, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. According to Feinsand, the deal also includes performance bonuses. The club has not confirmed the move.

Taylor, who turns 34 on March 26, slashed .193/.253/.290 over 113 games with the Pirates last season, before being released on Sept. 25. He hit a career-high 21 home runs for the Twins in ‘23, with 120 stolen bases amassed over his 11 Major League seasons.

But defense in center is the strong suit for the right-handed-hitting Taylor, who won a Gold Glove with the Royals in 2021 and has a 10.4 career defensive bWAR. Taylor has played 921 of his 1,001 outfield games in center, where Luis Robert Jr. currently resides for the White Sox. Chicago also has Andrew Benintendi, Mike Tauchman and Austin Slater as veteran outfielders on the 40-man roster, along with younger players in Oscar Colás and Dominic Fletcher.

Bush to have surgery
Left-hander Ky Bush will undergo Tommy John surgery Wednesday, according to White Sox general manager Chris Getz, who met with the media Tuesday at the team’s Camelback Ranch facility.

Bush, 25, was acquired from the Angels on July 26, 2023, along with catcher Edgar Quero, in exchange for pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López. Bush finished 0-3 with a 5.60 ERA over four starts with the White Sox during the 2024 season, striking out 11 and walking 16 in 17 2/3 innings. Getz said the issue leading to the surgery arose for Bush during the offseason.

Meanwhile, third baseman Bryan Ramos is cleared to hit, but he’s got some elbow soreness, according to Getz, so they are going to be mindful of his workload. They plan on Ramos being a full participant this season, although his added pregame work in the outfield taken on at the end of the 2024 campaign will be slowed down a bit by the soreness.

“You can get at-bats for him,” Getz said. “Beyond Ramos, versatility is going to be a part of a lot of the players who are in camp here.

“We’ll have guys that play all over the infield and move around in the outfield as well. As a young player, it just provides more opportunity for you to get at-bats and gives you a smoother runway to develop as a Major League player.”

Encouraging Thorpe news
Drew Thorpe is “feeling really good,” per Getz, after suffering some soreness setbacks this offseason following season-ending surgery last Sept. 7 to shave down a bone spur in his right elbow. The 24-year-old right-hander had a cortisone shot on Jan. 24, which marked the first day of SoxFest Live, and the soreness slowed down some of his offseason throwing program.

“He's playing catch right now,” Getz said. “He'll be on a mound here shortly. We do expect him to be a little behind some of these other starters, but with that being said, we feel like he's going to be active throughout Spring Training.”

Robert at the center
As of the start of White Sox camp, the expectation is for Robert to be the team’s Opening Day center fielder.

“He’s had a really productive offseason, and we have to find ways to keep him on the field. We know what he’s capable of doing when he’s healthy,” Getz said. “And we look forward to handling him in a way that he can be on the Opening Day roster and he can be the productive player we’re accustomed to seeing.”

Teams had outside interest in acquiring the five-tool talent running right up near Spring Training, putting him in a similar situation to right-hander Dylan Cease entering Spring Training ‘24 for the White Sox. The team eventually traded Cease to the Padres on March 13 for a four-player return, including Thorpe.

“The market kind of takes care of itself,” said Getz of potential Spring Training deals as a whole. “There are certain needs that pop up for organizations, so you have to have your ducks in a row, having conversations throughout Spring Training and early in the season and until the Trade Deadline.

“I can’t say there is a better opportunity than others, because the market dictates itself. With that said, we are focused on the group that we have and getting these guys on the field and in position to have success.”

The more the merrier
Reliever Steven Wilson cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte. The right-hander is a non-roster invite to Spring Training, bringing the total to 69 players in camp. Wilson was designated for assignment on Friday to make room on the 40-man roster for Brandon Eisert.