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.

Dallas Keuchel feels 'phenomenal.' Jace Fry, not so much.

Dallas Keuchel

Dylan Cease is the only member of the White Sox's projected starting rotation to appear in a spring training game thus far.

Reynaldo Lopez had his start Feb. 22 against the Los Angeles Angels rained out. Lucas Giolito is nursing a minor chest strain, and Gio Gonzalez is being held back because of shoulder discomfort.

Free agent acquisition Dallas Keuchel? Well, he's feeling "phenomenal," according to this report from MLB.com's Scott Merkin.

Keuchel's day to pitch was Wednesday, but the Sox were scheduled to face an American League Central rival in the Kansas City Royals. Rather than allow the Royals to get a live look at Keuchel before the actual games begin, the Sox started organizational pitcher Matt Tomshaw and had Keuchel throw a live bullpen session on the back fields at Camelback Ranch.

The report says Keuchel "got up and down three times," which is a fancy way to say he threw the equivalent of three innings. Keuchel says he's throwing his breaking ball more now than he has at this same time in previous years.

Frankly, I'm wishing for some televised games, so we could get a look at some of these guys ourselves.

Fry dealing with back strain

Jace Fry, projected to be the second left-hander in the Sox's bullpen, is sidelined by back soreness. The issue is said to be minor.

If that injury ends up lingering, it could open the door for nonroster invitee Adalberto Mejia to make the roster. Mejia tossed a scoreless inning Thursday in a 6-5 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Mejia has 62 games of MLB experience, including 25 starts, all with the Minnesota Twins. Actually, Mejia may be a candidate for the eighth spot in the bullpen, even if Fry is healthy. The Sox need a guy who can work multiple innings in long relief, and well, Mejia may be able to do that job better than Carson Fulmer.

That's one of the roster battles playing out as the spring progresses.