Chris Getz’s phone has been all abuzz in 2025
Chicago started off 2025 with a bang, or maybe more like a fizzle with a few beginning-of-the-year moves.
First up was a swap with the Philadelphia Phillies where the South Siders received lefty reliever Tyler Gilbert in exchange for righthander Aaron Combs.
And then, because we need all the 30+ year-olds we can get, GM Chris Getz reportedly inked infielder-outfielder Josh Rojas to a one-year contract. The Sox have yet to confirm the deal.
The Swap: Who did we get?
Tyler Gilbert, a career 0.9 WAR player, owns a combined 2-7 record with a 4.23 ERA and 1.220 WHIP over parts of four big league seasons. The Phillies selected the southpaw in Round 6 (No. 174) of the 2015 MLB Draft. He played two years (2013-14) at Santa Barbara City College and one year (2015) at the University of Southern California.
The 31-year-old has bounced around various organizations, including the Phils, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Cincinnati Reds. He has been both a starter and reliever, but all of his appearances over the last two years have been out of the pen. The lefty spent most of the 2024 season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he did well by posting a 4-0 record with a 2.25 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 40 innings over 31 relief appearances. He also saw some limited action with Philadelphia, allowing three runs in 8 1⁄3 innings across six games.
Gilbert will make $800,000 for 2025 and then, due to low service time, will be eligible for pre-arbitration in 2026. So, he does have a lot of team control, but does this franchise need an average to below-average reliever north of 30 for the rebuild? And one in which they lost not one, but two prospects?
The Swap: Who did we lose?
The 23-year-old Combs was an interesting young arm selected by the White Sox in Round 8 (No. 229) of this year’s draft. Chicago sent the hurler to the Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, where he briefly showcased some impressive relief outings. The 6´3´´ righthander excelled in all nine of his appearances, including three in the postseason. He threw 12 1⁄3 innings of scoreless ball in those nine contests with 25 strikeouts and five walks.
At the University of Tennessee, Combs was a key contributor to their 2024 National Championship, earning a team-high six saves, including the crucial Game 3 save in the College World Series Finals. He boasted a 7-1 record and a 3.24 ERA across two seasons with the Volunteers. Combs’ arsenal features a fastball, changeup, and an above-average curveball. With his collegiate experience and impressive performance, the righty had the potential to be a valuable addition to Chicago’s pitching arsenal.
Heading into 2025, Combs had been slated at No. 50 among the South Side Sox Top 100 prospects.
Why I understand the need for MLB arms, especially in the pen, the Pale Hose desperately need to stack the farm with young hitting talent. Trading away a solid, young arm for a 31-year-old with only 34 big league appearances over four seasons is a little bit of a headscratcher for me. If we’re giving away pitching talent, it should be for hitters, not old pitchers.
To make way on the 40-man for Gilbert, the Sox DFA’d Braden Shewmake (SSS’ No. 82 Prospect). The Atlanta Braves selected the 27-year-old shortstop in Round One (No. 21) of the 2019 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut with the Braves in 2023 but only saw action in two games. The Bravos traded Shewmake to Chicago as part of the six-player deal that sent the unpredictable reliever Aaron Bummer to Atlanta. Shewmake faced several injury setbacks with the South Siders, limiting his playing time to just 39 games combined between Triple-A Charlotte and the majors. When he did play, he was terrible, slashing .125/.134/.337 with the big league club.
Free-agent acquisition
Josh Rojas, 30, spent the last two seasons with the Seattle Mariners. Accumulating a combined 3.0 WAR during that time, the utility player also slashed .236/.308/.351 with a .659 OPS. Those numbers fit right into the type of White Sox offense we’re used to. To be fair, though, Rojas’ 2.1 WAR in 2024 would have been the highest of the offensive players in Chicago. In that respect, this is a true upgrade.
While the bat’s not great, Rojas is extremely versatile on defense. Throughout his career, he has successfully filled every infield position, as well as both left and right field, with second and third base being his primary positions.
This type of move seems more like the ones we should be making. The worst-case scenario is that Rojas is not good, and Bryan Ramos, Miguel Vargas, Brooks Baldwin, Lenyn Sosa, and possibly Colson Montgomery will get more playing time as a result, with one or more proving worthy. In a best-case scenario, Rjoas puts up a year like he had in 2022 with the Diamondbacks, where he hit .269/.349/.391/ with a .739 OPS and 3.1 WAR, and the Sox can flip him at the deadline.
