3 big questions (and 2 bonus Q's) for the White Sox this spring

This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin¡¯s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Spring Training action for the White Sox begins on Wednesday at Camelback Ranch, though general manager Chris Getz met with the media Tuesday.

So to get you in an even greater baseball frame of mind, here are three questions -- plus two bonus questions -- for the White Sox to address in the next six weeks.

Is it Colson Montgomery¡¯s time at shortstop?
Montgomery was once the No. 1 White Sox prospect after the highly touted young player was the team¡¯s top pick in the 2021 Draft. Then, Montgomery arrived at Triple-A Charlotte for the 2024 season and struggled -- to the point of a .214 average with an uncharacteristic 164 strikeouts. Outside doubts crept toward the forefront of those Montgomery projections, but that doubt never made it near Montgomery himself.

In fact, the 22-year-old shortstop and No. 39 prospect overall, per MLB Pipeline, might benefit from the 2024 campaign, when he started to figure things out physically and mentally, posting a slash line of .263/.357/.465 over his final 99 at-bats -- beginning with a 3-for-4 showing on Aug. 24. He will get plenty of opportunities to earn that Opening Day nod at shortstop, although it isn¡¯t to the point of being his spot to lose, nor does he believe such a thing.

There was one specific comment from Montgomery at SoxFest Live, which focused on this young team but represents his situation very well.

¡°We all see what everybody says about us online, the hype and everything like that,¡± Montgomery said. ¡°We all know we have to go out there and execute.

¡°A lot of it is we are not going to try to be somebody we are not. We are here for a reason and it¡¯s just about being ourselves. That¡¯s really exciting.¡±

Will Luis Robert Jr. make it through Spring Training?
Let¡¯s define the phrase ¡°make it¡± as not being traded before the White Sox travel back to Chicago for the season opener on March 27. Injury concerns also could be thrown into the mix, with Robert out of commission from April 6-June 4 last season due to a right hip flexor strain. When Robert is healthy and on his game, as he was for most of his 2023 All-Star campaign, he¡¯s a five-tool talent who can drive a team.

That talent explains serious offseason interest in Robert, even though he slashed .224/.278/.379 in 2024 -- albeit with little lineup protection. Robert will earn $15 million in ¡¯25, with $20 million club options for ¡¯26 and ¡¯27 and a $2 million buyout. The White Sox held on to right-hander Dylan Cease during a stellar ¡¯24 Spring Training performance, before deciding to trade him to San Diego on March 13. The team could follow a similar pattern with Robert, not wanting to risk anything by taking him into season or let him build up greater value knowing there is a strong chance he¡¯ll bounce back.

Can this team improve from last year¡¯s historic losing?
The initial answer is ¡°Yes.¡± The more honest answer is ¡°It better.¡±

Yes, the White Sox are unlikely to contend, and development of their top prospects under first-year manager Will Venable is more important during this latest version of their rebuild. But even with those facts in mind, even with the plethora of tough losses they suffered in 2024, a record close to 41-121 simply can¡¯t happen again. Getz has added solid veterans on the field and in the clubhouse, and the ¡¯25 White Sox should get an energy boost from a group of young players really jelling together. That point was evident just watching the group interact at the recent SoxFest Live.

Bonus: How close are the future stars?
Montgomery will likely get the Opening Day nod. Prime interest falls upon Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith, the top two left-handed pitching prospects in the game, according to MLB Pipeline, and the No. 16 and No. 34 prospects overall, respectively. If they do reach the Majors in 2025, it will likely be close to September. Catchers Kyle Teel (No. 32 overall) and Edgar Quero (No. 66) are much closer, and don¡¯t overlook various young arms who could help from the bullpen.

Bonus bonus: Who will get the Opening Day start?
There are strong candidates in Jonathan Cannon, Mart¨ªn P¨¦rez and Davis Martin. The guess here is that it will be Cannon.