The White Sox are not expected to be good in 2025, so the season should be focused on player development, as they have a ton of young guys on the roster that could get significant playing time. This could be huge in the player’s development, as sometimes it can take a few seasons for players to get accustomed to the major leagues, but it could potentially be accelerated by consistent playing time.
There will be a lot of roster decisions to be made, especially in Spring Training, but much like last year, expect the roster to be consistently evolving to allow the younger players to get a shot at more playing time.
One of the spots on the team that has a ton of potential options is the infield, as there are multiple combinations the team could open the season with.
First off, there are plenty of incumbents on the roster. As of right now, the White Sox have Jacob Amaya, Brooks Baldwin, Bryan Ramos, Lenyn Sosa, Miguel Vargas, and Andrew Vaughn. All of these players got a decent amount of playing time last year and potentially have the leg up to make the team.
Then there are the prospects. The White Sox have Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, Braden Shewmake (his rookie status is still intact), and Tim Elko. Montongmery is one of the White Sox top prospects and Chase Meidroth was acquired by Chris Getz in the Garett Crochet trade, so there are some decent expectations for both.
Lastly, there are the guys that the White Sox signed to minor league deals with an invite to Spring Training. This includes Nick Maton, Andre Lipcius, and anyone else they sign to a deal between now and March.
As it stands right now, there are 12 guys likely competing for six to seven spots, depending if they take one of the DH spots. This makes for some tough decisions for Will Venable, and Spring Training will be a big factor in these decisions.
As previously stated, ensuring that the young players get consistent playing time is the one of the most important things the White Sox can do next year. So, if a player isn’t going to be starting, they should be getting consistent at-bats in AAA until the opportunity opens up in the majors.
If someone such as Brooks Baldwin doesn’t win the starting job out of Spring Training, he should go to AAA to play everyday until someone gets hurt, or if they need him to take over due to poor play.
With that being said, it should be the young guys that get the everyday at-bats and one of the veteran signings coming in to be the utility player that rotates in when needed. An infield of Ramos, Montgomery, Meidroth, Vaughn, and Vargas at DH would give the most amount to at-bats to young guys.
Meidroth will likely be in competition with Baldwin and Sosa, but since he was a Getz acquisition, he may get the first crack. Sosa could still make the team since he is having a breakout in the winter league, as he can be a utility man.
Additionally, Nick Maton making the team as the veteran utilty-man makes sense, as he has played multiple positions at the major league level. He also has a connection with hitting coordinator Ryan Fuller, who overlapped with him in Baltimore.
The White Sox will have some decisions to make during Spring Training, and some young players will have to go to AAA to ensure they get to play everyday. On the bright side, the infield is significantly deeper than it has been in years past, with a solid mix of veteran and young players competing for playing time.
