The Chicago White Sox were 41-121 in 2024 and might not be much better this season. In 2024, the Chicago White Sox challenged the 1962 New York Mets as the worst baseball team ever. The White Sox do have a smattering of young, hungry players.
Nevertheless, they traded away their best player, Starting Pitcher Garrett Crochet, to the Boston Red Sox. That is not a formula for success. There are a couple of good teams in the American League Central, but the Chicago White Sox are not one of them. How many games do you think the Chicago White Sox will lose this season?
Chicago White Sox Starting Rotation
Gone are the 88 starts and 427 innings the Chicago White Sox got last season from Crochet, Erik Fedde, and Chris Flexen. The White Sox were bad with those guys, so how much worse could they be without them? Youngsters Jonathan Cannon and Drew Thorpe figure to lead the Chicago starting rotation. Sean Burke figures to be the third starter for the White Sox. Jairo Iriarte, acquired last season from the San Diego Padres, could be the fourth starter. Davis Martin is the odd man out of this group.
Other names in the starting pitching mix in Spring Training for the Chicago White Sox include Bryse Wilson, Ky Bush, and Jake Eder could all wind up in the starting rotation. When a team loses 121 games, that team could have eight or nine pitchers compete to be starters the next season. That is the case for the Chicago White Sox.
Chicago White Sox Bullpen
Justin Anderson returns as a closer and has good stuff. However, he walks too many batters to be considered a trustworthy closer. Fraser Ellard and Prelander Berroa set him up. Both are quality pitchers who have some attractive pitches and may be effective as set-up guys. Steven Wilson, Gus Varland, and Jared Shuster all may end up with big bullpen roles for the Chicago White Sox. There are several jobs in the Chicago Bullpen open in 2025.
White Sox Catcher
Korey Lee is an ironman behind the plate for the White Sox. However, the White Sox were just 25-100 in games Lee started. Backup Matt Thaiss is capable. That duo is just keeping the position warn for prospects Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel, both of whom made it to AAA last season. You have to figure that if a youth movement is afoot in Chicago, the youngsters should play a bunch. If they have good Spring Training, they could.
White Sox Infield
First Baseman Andrew Vaughan was drafted high but has struggled mightily. He needs a good Spring Training and a good start to the season. Shortstop Brooks Baldwin may end up at second base because of his weak throwing arm. Second base is occupied by Lenyn Sosa currently, but maybe not for long. Third Baseman Josh Rojas is a good defender but struggles to hit with very low bat speed. Jacob Amaya provides infield depth, though he is offensively challenged.
White Sox Outfield
The news is not better in the White Sox outfield. In left field is probably the best player on this bad team. Andrew Benintendi is in the third year of a five-year contract. The center fielder was once filled with promise, but that has faded. Luis Robert Jr. and veteran Mike Tauchman have the inside track on center field and right field respectively. They may be challenged by another veteran Austin Slater.
White Sox Designated Hitter
This spot in the lineup probably belongs to Miguel Vargas. On a bad team, however, it’s anyone’s guess who will end up here. It is not like the White Sox need to spell big bat players at the designated hitter position. One thing is for sure, Vargas suffers from slow bat speed. It is not a trait a team wants its designated hitter to have.
White Sox Management
General Manager Chris Getz is working to improve things. The AA affiliate, Birmingham Barons won the Southern League championship last year, so help is on the way. Several of those players will be at AAA Nashville or in Chicago this year. Manager Will Venable is a high-energy guy who is a baseball legend. His father Max Venable played in the big leagues and Owner Jerry Reinsdorf has owned this team since 1981.
Conclusion
2025 is going to be another long season for the Chicago White Sox. It makes sense if they play prospects at key positions to see what they have. They can lose either way. It counts the same if a team loses 4-3 or 8-1. There will be plenty of losing in Chicago, so the White Sox should explore what they have.
