Non-roster invitees: Don't buy into them

Gavin Sheets created a bit of a stir on social media Tuesday when he had a two-homer game against the White Sox in Cactus League play.

Sheets, who accumulated -2.7 WAR over four seasons with the Sox, is in camp with the San Diego Padres on a minor league contract that included an invite to spring training. In other words, he's a non-roster invitee, and he's having a decent spring for himself as he tries to make the San Diego roster -- he's 9 for 34 with five homers.

Don't believe the hype.

The walk-off homer Sheets hit Tuesday? It came off a pitcher named Bryce Collins, who has never pitched above A-ball in the Sox system. Chances are, Collins won't be appearing on a National League West mound anytime soon. That's the thing about spring training stats -- they are accumulated against all kinds of different players, including many who have never reached the big leagues and never will.

Remember, we're just two years removed from watching Hanser Alberto tear apart the Cactus League and make the Sox roster, only to be designated for assignment by June. Alberto played his last game in the majors with the Sox on May 31, 2023. His white-hot performance in Arizona that spring ceased to matter. 

So for those worried about a Sheets breakout now that he's no longer wearing a Sox uniform, stop worrying. A bum having a good spring is still a bum, and that March push to make a roster usually doesn't carry over into the season.

That being said, if your non-roster invitees aren't hitting in spring, they are easy to cut. Looking at the 2025 White Sox spring camp, here's how some notable non-roster invitees are hitting:

• Brandon Drury: 9 for 30, 5 doubles, 1 homer, 6 Ks, 1 BB 
• Corey Julks: 3 for 21, 1 double, 1 homer, 9 Ks, 2 BBs
• Jacob Amaya: 2 for 16, 1 double, 8 Ks, 2 BBs
• Bobby Dalbec: 2 for 15, 7 Ks, 2 BBs
• Zach DeLoach, 2 for 15, 6 Ks, 4 BBs
• Joey Gallo: 2 for 20, 11 Ks, 1 BB
• Omar Narvaez: 3 for 15, 6 Ks, 5 BBs 

Is it any wonder the Sox are 5-12-1 in spring ball? A lot of the guys they are looking at in spring have done absolutely nothing. These are all guys who have MLB service time. Some of them have even had past successes in the majors. But Drury is the only one who has a chance of breaking camp with the team.

And even if he does, don't expect much. Let the excitement surrounding Alberto two years ago be your cautionary tale. 

Romy Gonzalez(!) has homered in 3 consecutive games for White Sox

The hottest hitter on the White Sox is ... Romy Gonzalez? 

Yes, Gonzalez has homered in three consecutive games. He went 2 for 4 on Tuesday night, helping the Sox to a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Gonzalez delivered an RBI double as part of a five-run fourth inning. He then stole third and scored easily when the throw by Angels catcher Chad Wallach squirted down the left-field line. Gonzalez added a solo home run in the sixth inning that capped the scoring in this game.

Over his past 10 games, Gonzalez is 10 for 28, with seven of the hits going for extra bases. He has three homers, three doubles and a triple -- plus 10 of his 12 RBIs for the season.

Before this hot streak, his slash line was .132/.128/.184. Now, after Wednesday's game, he stands at .224/.232/.463. That's still not good, but it makes Gonzalez more likely to retain his roster spot.

That matters right now with regular second baseman Elvis Andrus (hip strain) on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte. When Andrus returns, likely at the end of this week, the Sox will need to clear a roster spot.

Among Gonzalez, Hanser Alberto and Clint Frazier, Gonzalez is the only player with options remaining. But given his recent production, Gonzalez should continue to get starts at second base until he cools off -- even when Andrus rejoins the roster.

That means the veteran Alberto could be designated for assignment. However, Alberto is a favorite of manager Pedro Grifol, so we might see Alberto go on the injured list with some sort of minor ailment -- my money is on a "shoulder strain."  

The Sox are 23-34 with Tuesday's win.

White Sox take two of three at Cincinnati; Eloy Jimenez back to the IL

Coming into the weekend, we stated that the White Sox needed to win at least two out of three games on the road against the Cincinnati Reds.

That's exactly what they did. The South Siders scored 11 runs in the top of the second inning Sunday and went on to beat the Reds, 17-4, in the rubber match of the series.

Hanser Alberto's two-run homer and Gavin Sheets' 3-run homer on a 3-0 pitch highlighted the rally, which was the biggest inning the Sox have had since they hung 11 runs on the Kansas City Royals on Sept. 17, 2007.

The 17 runs are the most the Sox have scored in a game since they put up 17 against the Cubs on Aug. 27, 2021. (As a cautionary tale, the Sox got shut out in their following game, so you can't be assured that the momentum will carry over into Monday.)

In any case, the Sox lost Saturday's ballgame, 5-3, because they were only 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position. That's been a severe problem as of late. Since April 22, the Sox rank last in the league with a .176 batting average in those situations.

But on Sunday, they went 8 for 13 with runners in scoring position, including 5 for 6 in the second inning alone.

Alberto had his best game as a member of the Sox. He went 4 for 4 with a homer, two doubles, a single and a walk, plus four RBIs. Luis Robert Jr. reached base in all four of his plate appearances -- two doubles and two walks -- and he came around to score all four times. With the score out of hand, Robert was subbed out in the late innings. Andrew Vaughn finished a home run short of the cycle. He was 3 for 5 with four RBIs.

Michael Kopech (1-3) picked up his first win of the season. He wasn't sharp, but he didn't need to be. He lasted six innings, giving up four runs -- all on solo homers. He struck out only two, which shows his stuff wasn't his best. We know from the past that Kopech misses bats when he's on, but he generated only six whiffs on 99 pitches Sunday. 

The good news is Kopech walked only one. He was staked to an 11-1 advantage by the time he hit the mound in the second inning, and it's never a bad idea to throw strikes with a double-digit lead.

In the big picture, the Sox's record is still an ugly 12-23, but if you're looking for silver linings, they are 5-2 in their past seven games.

But, of course, all good news must be balanced out with some catastrophe. This weekend, Eloy Jimenez was hospitalized with severe stomach pain. He had surgery for acute appendicitis, and he is expected to be out for four to six weeks.

The Sox placed Jimenez on the injured list Sunday and recalled catcher Carlos Perez from Triple-A Charlotte.

I'm a little surprised we aren't seeing Oscar Colas, but it looks as though the Sox have decided to carry an extra catcher and give Yasmani Grandal more at-bats as the DH.

Grandal was the DH on Sunday, and he went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. For the season, he's batting .275/.357/.441. That's much, much better than anything we saw from Grandal during the 2022 season. He has recently left a couple of games early because of back spasms, so maybe catching less and DH'ing more will keep him healthy. The Sox need him to continue producing while Jimenez is out.

Lucas Giolito's outing wasted by pathetic White Sox offense

Lucas Giolito

Here's the good news for the White Sox: Lucas Giolito is pitching much better than he did last season.

The 28-year-old right-hander tossed seven innings of one-run ball against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field. For Giolito, it was his fourth quality start in his past five games, and his fifth consecutive start of six innings or more.

Too bad the Sox wasted it.

The Twins scored five runs in the top of the 12th inning to snap a 2-2 tie, and finished off a 7-3 victory. With the win, Minnesota (18-14) salvages the final game of the three-game series and snaps a three-game winning streak for the Sox (10-22).

This was a missed opportunity for the Sox, on multiple levels. Sox batters went a pathetic 1 for 16 with runners in scoring position in this game. The only hit came in the bottom of the 12th, while they were trailing 7-2. It was a meaningless RBI single by Eloy Jimenez that scored ghost runner Billy Hamilton.

Hamilton, who entered the game as a pinch runner for Andrew Vaughn in the eighth inning, twice made it to third base with zero outs -- in the eighth inning and in the 10th. Had he scored in the eighth, the Sox probably win. Had he scored in the 10th, the Sox definitely win.

Alas, nobody could muster so much as a sacrifice fly with the game on the line.

In the eighth inning, Hamilton stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. However, both Jimenez and Tim Anderson hit grounders to the left side of the infield that Hamilton could not score on. Luis Robert Jr. was intentionally walked, and Hanser Alberto grounded out.

Hamilton started the 10th inning on second base as the ghost runner. Jimenez was intentionally walked to start the inning, and both men advanced on a wild pitch.

Anderson was at the plate with second and third and no outs, but he swung through a 3-2 slider that looked hittable for strike three. Robert Jr. was intentionally walked again to load the bases for Alberto, who swung and missed at a 1-2 pitch that hit him in the arm. Strike three. If he had just not swung, that's a game-winning HBP. Then Elvis Andrus struck out to end the threat.

Anderson, Alberto and Andrus all were guilty of swinging through or fouling off hanging sliders in that inning. It was ludicrous that nobody put a ball in play.

The Twins finally broke through for five runs in the 12th off the combination of Alex Colome and Sammy Peralta. The ghost runner scored from second when Anderson booted a grounder to shortstop, capping a terrible day for the Sox's best all-around player.

Pity Giolito, who left after seven innings with a 2-1 lead. The Sox bullpen couldn't hold it, as Reynaldo Lopez game up a game-tying home run to Byron Buxton in the eighth. Lopez has now allowed six homers in only 13.1 innings pitched this season. It's time to reconsider his role. He cannot be allowed to pitch in high leverage against the other team's best hitters (such as Buxton) until he figures out how to keep the ball in the park.

The Sox started this series nine games back of the Twins. They cut that lead to seven after winning the first two games, and there's no question they should have won Thursday to pull within six games. Instead, they kicked this game away, and they are eight back. 

Of course, team management is saying they can get back in the race. There's enough time left to do that in the season, sure, but missed opportunities like Thursday do not inspire confidence.

Burger to IL

Third baseman Jake Burger has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique. Lenyn Sosa was recalled to take his place on the roster. 

Sosa started at second base Thursday and shifted to third late in the game. He went 0 for 4 with two Ks, to drop his season average to .140. You may recall that Sosa was just sent to Triple-A on Tuesday. There was a good reason for that -- he's not ready to play in the big leagues.

Instead, injuries and a lack of depth have forced him into a role that he's not prepared to fill. General manager Rick Hahn has once again built a one-ply roster. The 10-22 record is not an accident.

White Sox make 11 roster moves, beat Twins in 10 innings

Tim Anderson

Andrew Benintendi's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the White Sox to a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.

It took 30 games, but the Sox (9-21) have finally won two in a row for the first time in the 2023 season. But the biggest news of the day came during the afternoon, when the club announced a series of 11 roster moves.

In the 40-plus years I've been following this team, I don't think I've seen anything quite like it. I guess you might say it's indicative of the fact that things have not been going well. 

Let's take a look at the comings and goings.

Who's here?

• Tim Anderson (sprained knee) was activated off the 10-day injured list. He played shortstop and batted leadoff Tuesday night for the first time since suffering the injury April 10. The Sox went 3-15 during his 18-game absence.
• Hanser Alberto (groin strain) was activated off the 10-day injured list. He appeared in Tuesday's game as a late-inning defensive replacement and scored the winning run as the ghost runner in the 10th inning.
• Veteran right-hander Alex Colome had his contract selected from Triple-A Charlotte. Colome served as the Sox closer in 2019-20. He pitched two-thirds of an inning Tuesday night and gave up a game-tying solo home run to Minnesota's Nick Gordon.
• Outfielder Billy Hamilton had his contract selected from Triple-A Charlotte. This is also his second stint with the Sox. He was a member of the 2021 AL Central championship team. He appeared in Tuesday's game as a pinch runner in the ninth inning. He stole a base, but was stranded at third.
• Pitcher Sammy Peralta had his contract selected from Triple-A Charlotte. The 24-year-old has never pitched in the majors. He figures to be deployed as the second lefty out of the bullpen -- or maybe the first lefty, given how bad Aaron Bummer has pitched this season.

Who's gone?

• Veteran relief pitcher Joe Kelly was placed on the paternity list. This move was expected Tuesday.
• Right fielder Oscar Colas was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. The decision to give the 24-year-old rookie a starting job proved premature, as Colas batted .211/.265/.276 with only one home run in 25 games. He'll need to work on his plate discipline before he can return to the majors. Once again, right field looks like a sore spot for the Sox.
• Second baseman Lenyn Sosa was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. The 23-year-old is not ready for the big leagues at this time. He batted .151/.167/.245 in 16 games with one homer. With Anderson's return, Elvis Andrus moves from shortstop back to second base.
• Utility player Romy Gonzalez was placed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. A fake injury? You decide. Gonzalez is batting .139/.139/.194, and he's struggled at every position he's played defensively. Had he been optioned to Charlotte, no one would have batted an eye.
• Veteran reliever Jake Diekman was designated for assignment. The lefty was the only acquisition made by the Sox at last season's trade deadline, and he was a disaster. He had a 6.52 ERA in 26 games with the Sox in 2022. This year, he was 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA in 13 games. The evidence suggests the 36-year-old's career might be over.
• Minor league pitcher Franklin German was designated for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster for some of the additions noted above.

How much impact will these moves make? My thinking is that Anderson is the only one that moves the needle, but it's clear that Sox brass is shaking it up to try to save this sagging season. 

What else is there to do right now?

Tim Anderson hits the IL; White Sox lose two straight at Minnesota

The 2023 White Sox are starting to look like the bad sequel to the box office bust known as the 2022 White Sox.

Tim Anderson, who was limited to 78 games last season by injury, once again hit the injured list Tuesday. He's out 2-4 weeks with a sprained knee after a collision with Minnesota's Matt Wallner during a botched rundown during Monday's game.

Anderson joins Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) on the sidelines, along with erstwhile reliever Joe Kelly (groin), who was hurt running in from the bullpen during a bench-clearing incident Sunday in Pittsburgh.

Third baseman Yoan Moncada did not play in any of the three games against the Twins. He's listed as day-to-day with back soreness.

That leaves Luis Robert Jr. as the only man standing among "the core 4" of Sox position players. All of that feels eerily familiar.

Also eerily familiar is bad defense. The Sox lost, 4-3, in 10 innings Tuesday night when Hanser Alberto's throwing error allowed the Twins to score the winning run.

Remember when Rick Hahn said the Sox were going to stop putting first basemen in the outfield? Well, there was Gavin Sheets in right field on Wednesday, and he fell down on a routine fly ball that was scored a "triple," leading to the first Minnesota run in an eventual 3-1 Sox loss.

The Sox have played four series so far this season. They've lost three and split one. Two weeks into the season, they have yet to win consecutive games. Their record is 5-8.

During the three seasons of intentional losing (2017-19), we were assured that a prolonged "contention window" was coming. Whatever window there was seemed to close after a quick playoff exit in 2021.

Sox fans, are we having fun yet?

White Sox bullpen locks up 4-3 win in Minnesota

Dylan Cease

There is no such thing as a "big game" in April, but it felt as though the White Sox needed a win Monday against the Minnesota Twins.

They were coming off a lackluster series in Pittsburgh, during which they lost two of three games. Ace Dylan Cease was Monday's starting pitcher, and he was facing a short-handed Twins lineup. Byron Buxton took a scheduled day off, while Carlos Correa and Joey Gallo were out of the lineup with minor ailments.

Well, it wasn't pretty, but the Sox won, 4-3, behind four scoreless innings from a combination of four relief pitchers.

Cease (2-0) earned the win, but his outing was limited to five innings because poor infield defense cost him three runs and about 15 to 20 extra pitches. Hanser Alberto made two miscues -- one an error and one not (because you can't assume a double play) -- that cost the Sox a run in each of the third and fourth innings.

Elvis Andrus and Gavin Sheets both made errors in the bottom of the fifth that cost Cease a third run. 

Cease's final line: 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 6 Ks, 2 BBs.

But for all his shortcomings on defense, Alberto delivered the decision blow of the game -- a 3-run homer off Minnesota starter Kenta Maeda (0-2) that capped a four-run fourth inning. Andrew Benintendi and Sheets singled. Yasmani Grandal singled, scoring Benintendi, and setting up Alberto's blast on a hanging slider.

Cease exited the game after 99 pitches. Jimmy Lambert worked a scoreless sixth, and Kendall Graveman worked around a single to deliver a scoreless seventh.

Aaron Bummer got two outs in the eighth, and left with the tying run on third base. Reynaldo Lopez struck out Michael A. Taylor to end that threat, then worked a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts for his second save of the season.

The Sox are 5-6.

White Sox designate pitcher Jose Ruiz for assignment

The White Sox on Friday designated relief pitcher Jose Ruiz for assignment and selected the contract of right-hander Jesse Scholtens from Triple-A Charlotte.

Ruiz, who has made 177 relief appearances with the Sox from 2018 to present, was off to a terrible start this season. He's been in four games, allowing nine runs, eight hits, four walks, two HBPs and three home runs over 3.2 innings pitched.

The season ERA for Ruiz? 22.09, which is higher than the 21.60 ERA posted by utility infielder Hanser Alberto in his two pitching appearances.

That will get you designated for assignment.

Scholtens, who just turned 29 on Thursday, has never pitched in the majors before. He was a ninth-round draft pick of the San Diego Padres in 2016. Up until this year, he had been in the Padres organization.

He made one start with Charlotte this week, giving up four earned runs in four innings. He's stretched out as a starter, so that means he can work in long relief for the Sox. That's a role that is needed right now.

Through seven games, the Sox have received only one quality start -- Dylan Cease on opening night. With starters failing to go any deeper than five innings in games, the Sox bullpen has been taxed early. They need a guy who can give them multiple innings in relief.

Scholtens is getting the opportunity. We'll see what he does with it.

Hanser Alberto pitches again as White Sox makes fools of themselves

Utility infielder Hanser Alberto has made two appearances as a relief pitcher in the first three White Sox home games of the season.

That's not a good sign. The San Francisco Giants pounded the Sox, 16-6, on Thursday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field to take two of three in the series.

The Giants totaled 20 hits, including five home runs, and capitalized on a terrible start by right-hander Lance Lynn (0-1).

The veteran was lucky to last until the fifth inning, and he probably shouldn't have been allowed to pitch that long. In 4.1 innings, he allowed eight runs on nine hits -- three home runs -- while striking out five and walking three.

Things didn't get much better with Jose Ruiz (2 ER), Gregory Santos (2 ER) or Alberto (4 ER) on the mound.

As you might recall, the Sox lost Monday's game, 12-3, so a San Francisco team that is expected to be middle-of-the-pack in the National League had no trouble padding its numbers.

For the three-game series, the Giants totaled 31 runs on 38 hits. They drew 22 walks, and out-homered the Sox, 13-1.

The 13 home runs marked the most the Sox have EVER given up in a three-game series at home. They've been playing ball on the South Side of Chicago since 1901, so that's saying something. What we saw this week is nothing short of historical ineptness.

Through seven games this season, the Sox have issued a league-high 40 walks. They've also surrendered a league-high 15 home runs. Given that, they are fortunate to be 3-4. This is not a recipe for success of any sort, short term or long term.

Are we enjoying this alleged "championship window" yet, Sox fans? From what you've seen so far, do you feel as though this team has any chance to win in 2023? It's early, but it's been a brutal first week.

The Sox now go on the road for six games, three in Pittsburgh over the weekend and three at Minnesota from Monday to Wednesday next week. 

We know the Pirates are not contenders, so if they bomb the Sox pitchers too, we know we've got bigger problems than we thought.

White Sox embarrass themselves in home opener

Once upon a time, the day the White Sox began their home schedule was one of my favorite days of the year. Today, however, was just another Monday. Nothing more, nothing less. I never considered attending today's game.

I wasn't interested in going. I'm sick of the organization. I'm sick of all the big talk and no results. I don't like the owner. I don't like the front office. I don't like the players. I'm not excited about the season. I'm completely ready to move on from this era of Sox baseball. 

There was no reason for me to take a day off work to watch more slop, especially because the home opener is about a $200 investment. 

Sitting this one out was a good decision, as the San Francisco Giants pounded seven home runs and embarrassed the Sox, 12-3, at Guaranteed Rate Field.

I'm really happy I chose not to light $200 on fire by going to this game.

Michael Kopech pitched a terrible game for the Sox. He went 4.2 innings and allowed seven earned runs on eight hits, including five homers. He gave up four home runs in the top of the fifth inning alone. He exited the game trailing 7-0.

The Sox got two runs back in the seventh, highlighted by Andrew Vaughn's RBI double. They made it 7-3 in the eighth on Luis Robert Jr.'s second home run of the season.

However, the Giants put it away by blasting reliever Jose Ruiz for two more homers and five runs in the ninth. We've heard a lot of talk this spring about Ruiz pitching well for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, and how he's "ready" for more high-leverage work.

Well, right now, Ruiz is so bad that he's a candidate for release. He's given up seven earned runs in two innings across three appearances so far this season. The guy is 28 years old, and he's been with the Sox since 2018. Let's be honest about who he is: He's the 12th or 13th guy on a pitching staff on a mediocre team. Don't expect him to suddenly morph into a trusted relief option.

The ninth inning got so bad, in fact, that utility infielder Hanser Alberto had to come off the bench to pitch and record the last two outs.

That's right: The Sox had a position player pitching because they got their asses totally kicked in their home opener.

The game did not sell out, and you can't blame fans for not showing up.

The Sox are 2-3 so far this season.

White Sox spring roster battle: Utility infielder

Leury Garcia

Who will be the utility infielder for the White Sox in 2023? This is one roster battle I'm keeping an eye on during Cactus League play this year.

There are three players under consideration for that spot: Leury Garcia, Romy Gonzalez and Hanser Alberto. 

With Pedro Grifol being a first-year manager, we can't be sure what he values in terms of his bench. Might he keep two of these three utility players? Possibly, but I would assume that only one of them comes north. If you keep two, they are redundant on the roster. 

Garcia would seem to be the favorite, because he's got two years and $11 million remaining on his contract. If he doesn't make the club, Jerry Reinsdorf would have to pay him to go away. That doesn't seem likely, right?

Alberto is at a disadvantage. He's a non-roster invitee. Gonzalez can still be optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, but at least he has the security of being on the 40-man roster.

I was thinking about this roster battle because all three players started Thursday in the Sox's 6-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Alberto started at third base and had a big game. He went 3 for 3 with a triple, a double and two runs scored. He's now 6 for 8 on the spring.

Garcia started at shortstop and went 1 for 3 with a two-run homer. Garcia is currently 3 for 10 this spring.

Gonzalez batted leadoff and played right field, going 0 for 3. He is now 1 for 9 in the Cactus League.

The regulars on the left side of the Sox infield, shortstop Tim Anderson and third baseman Yoan Moncada, are off to play in the World Baseball Classic. That means, all these guys will receive plenty of playing time to sort this out.

With Thursday's win, the Sox are 3-3 in spring ball.