White Sox announce the 16 members of their Schaumburg taxi squad

Garrett Crochet

The White Sox on Tuesday announced the 16 players who will round out their 60-man pool. Well, actually, I guess it's a 59-man pool with Michael Kopech opting out of the season.

Forty-one players are working out at Guaranteed Rate Field, with two players quarantining after positive tests for COVID-19. Here are the other 16 guys, who will report to Schaumburg Boomers Stadium on Wednesday:

Right-handed pitchers: Zack Burdi, Ryan Burr, Matt Foster, Brady Lail, Alex McRae, Bryan Mitchell, Jonathan Stiever

Left-handed pitchers: Garrett Crochet, Bernardo Flores, Jacob Lindgren, Adalberto Mejia, Bennett Sousa

Catcher: Seby Zavala

Outfielders: Luis Gonzalez, Micker Adolfo, Blake Rutherford

So, who among these people might be able to help in Chicago during the 60-game sprint to the finish? I'd focus on that list of left-handed pitchers. Aaron Bummer is a fixture in the Sox bullpen, but let's just say I'm not confident that Jace Fry is going to stick around too much longer as the second lefty in relief.

Crochet, the team's first-round draft pick, jumps out as the most interesting name on the list. His 100 mph fastball would play in the big leagues, but how quickly will the Sox want to move with his development? Mejia is not on the 40-man roster, but he has previous experience with three MLB teams, most notably the Minnesota Twins. He could get a look if the Sox have an injury or an ineffectiveness in their bullpen.

Zavala can't hit worth a lick, but he's the third-best receiver in the organization -- once you get past big leaguers Yasmani Grandal and James McCann. That alone makes it worth having him around. Catching depth can erode quickly -- just look at the Kansas City Royals, who are without all three catchers on their 40-man roster. Two tested positive for COVID-19, and a third is injured. The Sox have four catchers in big-league camp, and it's wise to add a fifth guy just in case.

Among the right-handed pitchers, Burr has previous experience with the Sox and is coming back from Tommy John surgery. Burdi, the former first round pick, is trying to revitalize his career after a series of injuries. Stiever is an intriguing prospect who had a big year in 2019, but he was hurt in spring training. I'm guessing 2020 is not his time, but it is good to see him healthy and returning to action in some form.

Those outfielders ... meh ... all three of them are prospects who have lost their shine. A lot of bad things would have to happen to the Sox before we'd see any of them in Chicago.