Earlier today, the White Sox released their official 26-man Opening Day roster ahead of tomorrow’s opener. The vast majority of the roster is what people expected it to be, though there are a couple of surprise inclusions and one notable absence.
On the position player side, most spots were a formality. However, there are a few unexpected names. Max Stassi was slated to be the backup catcher behind Martín Maldonado but went on the injured list with hip inflammation a few days ago. As a result, catcher Korey Lee made the roster. Stassi’s injury and Lee’s great spring have given Lee the backup catcher job.
In addition, veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar made the club. The Sox released him a few days ago but subsequently brought him back. Pillar will likely have a bench role as a platoon partner for Dominic Fletcher and start in right field when the White Sox face a left-hander. Braden Shewmake also won the utility infielder job over Danny Mendick and Zach Remillard.
There are a couple of surprises on the pitching side as well. Despite having an ERA over 11 in ten spring games, veteran reliever Bryan Shaw made the team. Shaw was a favorite of Pedro Grifol’s last season, especially in the second half. He seemingly pitched in every game down the stretch. His durability is likely why he made the team. He can take the ball every day no matter what, and his rubber arm will be helpful for a young pitching staff with many question marks.
Tanner Banks also made the Opening Day roster, likely as a long reliever. He had an excellent spring, pitching to a 0.93 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and 14.9 K/9 in 9.2 innings. Touki Toussaint was likely the favorite to make the team before the spring started. However, his struggles, combined with Banks’ solid performance, tilted the scale in Banks’ favor. Non-roster invite Dominic Leone also made the Opening Day bullpen. Youngster Jordan Leasure and former top 100 prospect Deivi García made the team, too.
One notable omission to the Opening Day roster is young right-hander Nick Nastrini. While he struggled in his last spring appearance, inflating his stats, Nastrini had a fantastic spring overall. However, the White Sox do not need a fifth starter right away, which is likely why Nastrini did not make the ballclub out of spring training. The team is carrying an extra reliever for the time being instead. It is only a matter of time before we see Nastrini in Chicago. He could be promoted as soon as mid-April when the Sox need another starting pitcher.
While the team clearly lacks talent at the moment, there are still some exciting players to watch and storylines to follow. As the season progresses, some of the young players the organization has accumulated recently should be called up and replaced by the veteran placeholders who initially made the team. As such, the roster will look much different in September than now. But baseball is back. That is what counts.
