Spring Training is upon us! Time to get familiar with the names we’ll see on the field in Arizona. Non-roster invitees in spring training are players who are invited to participate in the major league camp, but are not on the team’s 40-man roster. The Sox will have a mix of prospects, veterans and minor league signees.
White Sox Non-Roster Invitees
| Name | Pos | Age | Service Time | Roster Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Pillar | OF | 35.1 | 9.072 | Platoon vs L |
| Danny Mendick | INF/OF | 30.4 | 3.058 | Bench |
| Jesse Chavez | RP | 40.5 | 13.038 | Setup Man |
| Colson Montgomery | SS | 22.0 | Lineup Candidate | |
| Mike Moustakas | 3B/1B | 35.4 | 12.111 | Lineup/Bench Candidate |
| Zach Remillard | INF/OF | 30.0 | 0.109 | Bench Candidate |
| Chuckie Robinson | C | 29.2 | 0.045 | Bench Candidate |
| Brett Phillips | OF | 29.7 | 4.060 | Lineup/Bench Candidate |
| Edgar Quero | C | 20.9 | Lineup Candidate | |
| Adam Hackenberg | C | 24.4 | Bench Candidate | |
| Tim Elko | 1B | 25.1 | Bench Candidate | |
| Carlos Pérez | C | 27.4 | 0.090 | Bench Candidate |
| Rafael Ortega | OF | 32.8 | 3.035 | Bench Candidate |
| Mark Payton | OF | 32.2 | 0.086 | Bench Candidate |
| Nick Nastrini | SP | 24.0 | Rotation Candidate | |
| Jordan Leasure | RP | 25.5 | Bullpen Candidate | |
| Corey Knebel | RP | 32.2 | 7.151 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Bryan Shaw | RP | 36.3 | 11.069 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Dominic Leone | RP | 32.3 | 7.133 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Chad Kuhl | SP/RP | 31.4 | 6.168 | Rotation/Bullpen Candidate |
| Jake Cousins | RP | 29.6 | 1.160 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Joe Barlow | RP | 28.4 | 1.155 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Jake Woodford | SP/RP | 27.3 | 3.048 | Rotation/Bullpen Candidate |
| Fraser Ellard | RP | 26.3 | Bullpen Candidate | |
| Jonathan Cannon | SP | 23.6 | Rotation/Bullpen Candidate | |
| Edgar Navarro | RP | 26.0 | 0.050 | Injured List |
| Nicholas Padilla | RP | 27.2 | 0.040 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Justin Anderson | RP | 31.4 | 2.161 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Lane Ramsey | RP | 27.6 | 0.058 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Ky Bush | SP | 24.3 | Rotation/Bullpen Candidate |
Pitchers
Jesse Chavez, a journeyman reliever, may very well find his way in the Sox bullpen. This will be Chavez’s 17th season in the Majors. The 40-year-old former 42 round pick has made a great career for himself despite a low-90’s fastball. He knows how to pitch.
Nick Nastrini is the White Sox 5th best prospect via Fangraphs. At his best he’s flashed a 94-97 fastball with two plus breaking balls. He was acquired in the Lance Lynn/Joe Kelly trade from the Dodgers. I have written about him before here.
Jordan Leasure is currently the White Sox 12th ranked prospect on Fangraphs. Another guy acquired in the Lance Lynn/Joe Kelly trade from the Dodgers. Leasure’s fastball jumped to 96-98 mph in 2023 and is described as having movement to it. He’s still working on control and repeatability. He struggled in Triple-A Charlotte last year after the trade with a 6.08 ERA and 5.4 BB/9. He may not have been ready to move up yet.
38-year-old Corey Knebel is a veteran who pitched eight seasons in the majors and also dealt with some injury issues. Previously the closer for the Brewers, Knebel had a 39-save season in 2017 but bounced around after missing all of 2019 due to Tommy John surgery. Near the end of 2022, Knebel suffered a capsule tear in his shoulder which forced him to miss all of 2023. Now he’s looking to come back again after signing a minor-league deal with the White Sox.
Bryan Shaw is back, having been a workhorse in the Sox bullpen last season. The 36-year-old is not someone who will rack up strikeouts but he’s a dependable grinder on the mound who will be good to take the ball back-to-back days if you need him.
Dominic Leone is another experienced reliever. With 10 years of experience, Leone is another arm that can slot into the bullpen today. He saw a jump is the number of home runs he allowed last year so that’s something to watch and potentially fix going into this season. Leone spent time with the Mets, Angels and Mariners last season.
Chad Kuhl has been in the League seven years and made 116 starts. With a career 4.98 ERA, there’s a reason he’s a Non-Roster Invitee. Kuhl struggled mightily in Washington last year, going 0-4 with an 8.45 ERA and a career high 1.88 HR/9. Kuhl looks to bounce back and provide rotational depth.
Jake Cousins is a great story as a guy who is from St. Charles, IL, was drafted by the Nationals in the 20th round in 2017. Was released following an injury in March of 2019. He then signed with the Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League and dominated with a 0.47 ERA in 15 relief appearances before having his contract purchased by the Milwaukee Brewers. He’s spent time in the majors with the Brewers in each of the last three seasons.
Joe Barlow signed a minor-league deal with the White Sox after his ERA has increased in each of the past two seasons (1.55 -> 3.86 -> 4.66). He did only pitch in 13 major league games last year, but his Triple-A numbers weren’t any better.
Jake Woodford has pitched the last four seasons for the Cardinals as both a starter and reliever. After a really solid 2021 and 2022, Woodford saw his ERA go from 2.23 to 6.23 in 2023. Looks to get back on track with a new team now.
Fraser Ellard, selected in the 8th round of the 2021 draft by the White Sox, showed potential with 27 strikeouts in 19.1 innings at Double-A Birmingham last season.
Jonathan Cannon is another guy yet to pitch above Double-A. Cannon was a 3rd-round pick in the 2022 draft and is listed as the Sox 8th best prospect on Fangraphs. He started 25 games between High-A and Double-A last year. Cannon pounds the zone with a lot of strikes. He probably won’t be a high strikeout guy but using his sinking stuff to get weaker contact.
Nicholas Padilla and Lane Ramsey all saw time in the White Sox bullpen in 2023.
Edgar Navarro is on the list but will miss all of 2024 with Tommy John surgery.
Justin Anderson pitched in the MLB in 2018 and 2019 for the Angels. He’s basically been on the IL for multiple teams since then.
Ky Bush ranks as the Sox 15th best prospect on Fangraphs. Acquired in the Lucas Giolito trade from the Angels. Bush is a 6’6 lefty but there’s questions about his arm strength after his velocity dipped to the lower 90’s.
Hitters
White Sox top prospect Colson Montgomery will be the focus of a lot of the attention. Montgomery is a great athlete at SS. He’s been impressed coaches with his plate discipline in his time as a pro too. As a 6’3 left-handed hitting shortstop with projected plus power and hitting he’s naturally drawn some comparisons to Corey Seager.
Mike Moustakas provides a depth 1st base/DH option with proven power. Now 35-years old, he’s played 13 major league season and hit 215 home runs. Moustakas spent time with both the Rockies and Angels last season.
A couple utility guys White Sox fans should remember in Zach Remillard and Danny Mendick.
Mark Payton, Brett Phillips and Rafael Ortega represent veteran outfield depth options.
Tim Elko is corner outfield/corner infield minor leaguer who spent time in three different levels last year (A, A+, AA). The 2022 10 round selection has shown power with 28 home runs and 106 RBI between those three stops. Make no mistake, he’s here for his bat.
Catchers
Carlos Perez played in 27 games for the White Sox last season. He hit just .204 in 53 plate appearance with a home run and 3 RBI. We haven’t seen enough of him at the plate yet. He hit 21 home runs in Triple-A Charlotte in 2022. We need to see his ability with the bat. His receiving is fine, but the area of concern is his arm behind the plate. He’ll need to improve his ability to control the run game to be an MLB catcher.
Chuckie Robinson had brief cup of coffee with the Reds in 2022 but spent all of 2023 in Triple-A Louisville. He hit .290 with 13 homers and 74 RBI in Louisville last year. The thought on him has been that he’s been a decent hitter but not good enough defensively to be an MLB quality catcher.
Adam Hackenberg is a 2021 18th-round pick by the White Sox. He’s a solid catching depth option although doesn’t blow you away with any of his tools.
Edgar Quero is just 20-years old but listed as the White Sox 4th best prospect in 2024 at Fangraphs. He was a acquired in the Lucas Giolito trade from the Angels. He’s a switch-hitter known for his bat and superior maturity at the plate, rarely expanding his zone.
These position players, alongside the previously mentioned pitchers, make up the White Sox’s non-roster invitees as they approach spring training. It’s a balanced mix of youth and experience, laying the groundwork for a competitive and fascinating camp for the White Sox.
White Sox Full Spring Training Roster
| Name | Pos | Age | Roster Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luis Robert Jr. | CF | 26.5 | Lineup Regular |
| Andrew Vaughn | 1B | 25.9 | Lineup Regular |
| Yoán Moncada | 3B | 28.7 | Lineup Regular |
| Eloy Jiménez | DH | 27.2 | Lineup Regular |
| Andrew Benintendi | LF | 29.6 | Lineup Regular |
| Nicky Lopez | 2B | 28.9 | Lineup Regular |
| Paul DeJong | SS | 30.6 | Lineup Regular |
| Martín Maldonado | C | 37.5 | Lineup Regular |
| Dominic Fletcher | RF | 26.5 | Platoon vs R |
| Kevin Pillar | OF | 35.1 | Platoon vs L |
| Dylan Cease | SP | 28.1 | Starting Rotation |
| Erick Fedde | SP | 31.0 | Starting Rotation |
| Michael Kopech | SP | 27.8 | Starting Rotation |
| Michael Soroka | SP | 26.5 | Starting Rotation |
| Chris Flexen | SP | 29.6 | Starting Rotation |
| Max Stassi | C | 32.9 | Bench |
| Gavin Sheets | 1B/OF | 27.8 | Bench |
| Danny Mendick | INF/OF | 30.4 | Bench |
| John Brebbia | RP | 33.7 | Closer |
| Jimmy Lambert | RP | 29.3 | Setup Man |
| Jesse Chavez | RP | 40.5 | Setup Man |
| Touki Toussaint | RP | 27.7 | Middle Reliever |
| Deivi García | RP | 24.8 | Middle Reliever |
| Tim Hill | RP | 34.0 | Middle Reliever |
| Shane Drohan | RP | 25.1 | Middle Reliever |
| Garrett Crochet | RP | 24.7 | Long Reliever |
| Matt Foster | RP | 29.1 | Projected Injured List |
| Davis Martin | SP | 27.1 | Projected Injured List |
| Colson Montgomery | SS | 22.0 | Lineup Candidate |
| Lenyn Sosa | INF | 24.1 | Lineup/Bench Candidate |
| Braden Shewmake | INF | 26.3 | Lineup/Bench Candidate |
| Korey Lee | C | 25.6 | Lineup/Bench Candidate |
| José Rodríguez | INF | 22.8 | Lineup/Bench Candidate |
| Mike Moustakas | 3B/1B | 35.4 | Lineup/Bench Candidate |
| Zach DeLoach | OF | 25.5 | Lineup/Bench Candidate |
| Zach Remillard | INF/OF | 30.0 | Bench Candidate |
| Bryan Ramos | 3B | 21.9 | Lineup Candidate |
| Chuckie Robinson | C | 29.2 | Bench Candidate |
| Tim Elko | 1B | 25.1 | Bench Candidate |
| Mark Payton | OF | 32.2 | Bench Candidate |
| Carlos Pérez | C | 27.4 | Bench Candidate |
| Brett Phillips | OF | 29.7 | Lineup/Bench Candidate |
| Rafael Ortega | OF | 32.8 | Bench Candidate |
| Edgar Quero | C | 20.9 | Lineup Candidate |
| Adam Hackenberg | C | 24.5 | Bench Candidate |
| Tanner Banks | RP | 32.3 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Nick Nastrini | SP | 24.0 | Rotation Candidate |
| Prelander Berroa | RP | 23.8 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Jared Shuster | SP | 25.5 | Rotation/Bullpen Candidate |
| Jordan Leasure | RP | 25.5 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Corey Knebel | RP | 32.2 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Bryan Shaw | RP | 36.3 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Alex Speas | RP | 26.0 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Jesse Scholtens | SP/RP | 29.9 | Rotation/Bullpen Candidate |
| Dominic Leone | RP | 32.3 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Chad Kuhl | SP/RP | 31.4 | Rotation/Bullpen Candidate |
| Jake Eder | SP | 25.5 | Rotation Candidate |
| Jake Cousins | RP | 29.6 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Joe Barlow | RP | 28.4 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Jake Woodford | SP/RP | 27.3 | Rotation/Bullpen Candidate |
| Josimar Cousin | SP/RP | 26.0 | Rotation/Bullpen Candidate |
| Nicholas Padilla | RP | 27.2 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Lane Ramsey | RP | 27.6 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Fraser Ellard | RP | 26.3 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Ky Bush | SP | 24.3 | Rotation/Bullpen Candidate |
| Jonathan Cannon | SP | 23.6 | Rotation/Bullpen Candidate |
| Justin Anderson | RP | 31.4 | Bullpen Candidate |
| Sammy Peralta | RP | 25.8 | |
| Oscar Colás | RF/CF/LF | 25.4 | |
| Edgar Navarro | RP | 26.0 | Projected Injured List (MiLB) |