CHICAGO -- The 2025 White Sox Opening Day roster won¡¯t be officially announced until before Thursday¡¯s contest with the Angels. But it¡¯s set, with comments from general manager Chris Getz and manager Will Venable at Wednesday¡¯s workout confirming the moves. Let¡¯s take a look.
Catcher (2): Korey Lee, Matt Thaiss
Keep an eye on Kyle Teel, the No. 32 prospect in baseball (per MLB Pipeline), who homered in his first at-bat off No. 1 prospect Roki Sasaki during a live BP, and Edgar Quero, at No. 65 overall, who will both open with Triple-A Charlotte but are on the fast track to the Majors. It¡¯s a position of clear strength.
First base (1): Andrew Vaughn
Others: Miguel Vargas
Vaughn is embarking on his fifth season with the White Sox, under his sixth manager in six big league Spring Trainings, having slashed .253/.310/.415 with 72 home runs, 110 doubles and 274 RBIs over his career. The 26-year-old has another level of untapped results to be found.
Second base (1): Lenyn Sosa
Others: Brooks Baldwin
Josh Rojas, who was targeted for this Opening Day spot, has a hairline fracture in the big toe of his right foot so he will start on the injured list. He is not expected to be out for long.
Shortstop (1): Jacob Amaya
Others: Baldwin
Colson Montgomery, the White Sox No. 4 prospect and No. 39 overall, per MLB Pipeline, had a chance at the camp¡¯s outset, but missing 10 days with a back issue didn¡¯t help his cause. The White Sox are going with Amaya¡¯s strong defense at the position.
Third base (1): Miguel Vargas
Others: Baldwin, Nick Maton, Sosa
Vargas will get the bulk of his time at third, according to Venable, although he can move to first to give Vaughn at-bats as designated hitter. Vargas will try to bounce back from a miserable 2024 debut with the White Sox when he hit .104 over 42 games following a trade from the Dodgers.
Outfield (3): Luis Robert Jr., Austin Slater, Michael A. Taylor
Others: Andrew Benintendi, Travis Jankowski
When asked at Wednesday¡¯s workout if he expected to be part of the White Sox lineup on this ¡¯25 Opening Day, following offseason months filled with trade rumors, Robert said, ¡°Honestly, no.¡± But he¡¯s glad to be with the White Sox coming off a solid Spring Training. Mike Tauchman will start on the IL with a right hamstring strain.
Designated hitter (1): Benintendi
Others: Vaughn, Vargas, Slater, Jankowski
There doesn¡¯t appear to be a full-time candidate, as Venable has the option to rotate players and give time off the field for everyday position players. Benintendi seems more likely to start at designated hitter, although he defensively tested the healing of a non-displaced fracture below his right pinky knuckle and came away satisfied.
Bench/Utility (3): Jankowski, Baldwin, Maton
Maton had a strong showing in Arizona and will need a 40-man spot as a non-roster invite to Spring Training. Baldwin literally can play all over the field.
¡°All three of those players offer a fair amount of versatility,¡± Getz said. ¡°I feel like it could certainly help us win ballgames based on their skillset.¡±
Starting pitchers (5): Jonathan Cannon, Martín Pérez (L), Davis Martin, Sean Burke, Shane Smith
Others: Bryse Wilson
The Opening Day starting nod goes to Burke, while Smith, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft, was confirmed as a starter Wednesday. Cannon and Martin follow Burke in the Angels series.
Bullpen (8): Mike Clevinger, Cam Booser (L), Penn Murfee, Fraser Ellard (L), Wilson, Jordan Leasure, Brandon Eisert (L), Mike Vasil
Clevinger, a non-roster invite, hit all the Spring Training marks in pushing toward his first career opportunity as a closer, although Venable doesn¡¯t seem inclined to name a set candidate for that role.
¡°The level of experience that he has is going to service us well in the bullpen,¡± said Getz of Clevinger. ¡°He's fearless on the mound, and he's on the attack.¡±
Nobody was more impressive than right-hander Grant Taylor, the White Sox No. 7 prospect, who was reassigned to Minor League camp. Taylor will join Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith, the top two left-handed pitching prospects in the game, per MLB Pipeline, as part of Double-A Birmingham¡¯s opening rotation.