Yermin Mercedes again ... and Andrew Vaughn's first home run

For the first time this spring, White Sox baseball was on the radio Friday. It was nice to hear a ballgame on the ride home from work, even if it was just the last three innings of a meaningless exhibition game against the Cleveland Indians.

Looking at the box score, Nomar Mazara may have been the only player in the starting lineup who will actually be with the Sox when the season starts -- unless Nick Madrigal makes the club out of camp.

The Sox won the game, 8-3, and the story once again was ... Yermin Mercedes. I joined the broadcast in the top of the seventh inning, and I apparently just missed Mercedes hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth that turned a 3-0 Sox deficit into a 4-3 lead.

Mercedes is now 4 for 9 with two homers this spring in his quest to earn the job as the 26th man on the Sox's roster.

In other news from the game, Andrew Vaughn, the Sox's top pick in the 2019 draft, made two plate appearances. He walked his first time up, then added a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Vaughn is probably going to start the season at Double-A Birmingham, and he'll be one of the guys in the system to keep a close eye on throughout the year. Most likely, he'll be in the minors for all of 2020, but it wouldn't be a surprise if he were knocking on the door of coming to Chicago by the time September gets here.

Edwin Encarnacion, the incumbent DH, is on a one-year contract with an option year. The guess here is Encarnacion will be a member of the Sox until Vaughn is ready to take his spot. Will that be in 2021 or 2022? We'll find out.

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.

American League news: Yankees dealing with early injuries

Luis Severino

The New York Yankees are among the favorites in the American League this season, but they have had some bad news on the injury front during the first couple weeks of spring training.

The Yankees on Tuesday announced that starting pitcher Luis Severino has a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The two-time All-Star needs Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2020 season.

New York already is without left-hander James Paxton, who will be out through at least April after having something called microscopic lumbar surgery. Right-hander Domingo German will not be eligible to return to the roster until June 5, as he must serve 63 more games of an 81-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy.

Don't cry for the Yankees too much, as they have the game's best pitcher, Gerrit Cole, at the front of their rotation. They also have veterans Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ to help hold things down until Paxton and German return.

But in the meantime, New York has two gaps in its rotation. Candidates to fill those roles include left-hander Jordan Montgomery and right-handers Jonathan Loaisiga and Luis Cessa.

In news that broke Wednesday, Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton's ability to start the season is in question because of a Grade 1 strain in his right calf. Manager Aaron Boone says Stanton will miss "a couple of weeks," which could make it difficult for him to be ready by March 26. Injuries limited Stanton to only 18 games in 2019.

Even with these injuries, New York is still the favorite in the AL East. That said, the Yankees could be vulnerable early in the season, and it would behoove the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox to get off to quick starts.

Could Nicky Delmonico or Yermin Mercedes be the 26th man?

Nicky Delmonico

It's hard to say much about early preseason games. The White Sox have played four of them, and they've gone 2-1-1. None of the games have been on the radio, and the only televised game was a 2-2 tie Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Interestingly, the stars of that televised game were two guys on the fringes of the roster -- outfielder Nicky Delmonico and catcher Yermin Mercedes.

Delmonico went 3 for 3 with a pair of doubles, and Mercedes went 2 for 2 with a long solo home run. Neither man has much defensive utility, but if the Sox want a bench bat when the season starts, these two players would be among the candidates for the 26th and final spot on the roster.

Mercedes would be a more popular choice among fans, because he's never had a chance in the majors before. Therefore, he has never failed. (Delmonico has.)

Reports indicate that Mercedes doesn't have much mobility as a catcher, even though he's a decent receiver. If he's going to stick in pro ball, he has to hit, and last season, he hit. He posted a .317/.388/.581 slash line with 23 home runs and 80 RBIs in 95 games across two levels -- 53 at Triple-A Charlotte and 42 at Double-A Birmingham.

Typically, Sox hitting prospects are judged by how well they do in the pitcher-friendly ballpark at Birmingham. Mercedes hit .327 at that level, so it was a test he passed. We'll keep an eye on him as camp progresses.

Ditto Delmonico, who the Sox released last season and brought back on a minor-league deal this offseason. The 27-year-old appeared in only 21 games in 2019, batting .206/.265/.286, before a shoulder injury ended his season. Because he was hurt, the Sox couldn't outright him off the roster, so they had to let him go.

Delmonico is a popular player in the organization, and the team probably didn't want his career to end like that, so he's getting another kick at the can this spring. He was decent for the Sox in 2017, when he batted .262/.373/.482 with nine home runs and 23 RBIs in 43 games.

If he can somehow regain that form, he has a chance at a roster spot. His left-handedness is a bonus, and while he's not a good fielder, you can have him stand in left field or at first base.

Most fans probably don't want to see him again because of his failings in 2018 and 2019, but the good news is, if he earns a spot on the club, he won't be overexposed as a regular player this time. Regardless, he's a long shot. Mercedes probably has a better chance.

White Sox agree on new contracts with Aaron Bummer, Leury Garcia

The White Sox on Saturday signed left-handed relief pitcher Aaron Bummer to a five-year, $16 million contract.

It's the largest contract ever given to a non-closer who has yet to qualify for salary arbitration in Major League Baseball history.

Bummer, 26, is coming off a breakout season in 2019, during which he was the best pitcher in the Sox's bullpen. He made 58 appearances without a decision, posting a 2.13 ERA, 27 holds, one save, 60 strikeouts and a 0.99 WHIP over 67.2 innings pitched.

The Sox apparently believe Bummer's sinker-heavy approach will play well over the long haul at Guaranteed Rate Field. His 71.4% ground-ball rate ranked second in baseball last season, and opponents hit only .184/.268/.252 against him even though they pretty much knew what pitch was coming. (Bummer throws his sinker about 75% of the time.)

Here's one reason to like this move: Bummer isn't the sort of left-handed reliever who falls apart the minute a right-handed batter steps into the box. In fact, he was effective against both lefties and righties last season:

vs. LHB: .178/.213/.233
vs. RHB: .188/.299/.264

The new three-batter minimum rule shouldn't be a deterrent to bringing Bummer into a game, and given that he had more innings pitched than appearances last season, we know he's capable of getting anywhere from three to six outs when called upon.

It's a little unorthodox to lock up a reliever who is not a closer long term, but given Bummer's results last season, this does make some sense.

Bummer will earn $1 million in 2020, $2 million in 2021, $2.5 million in 2022, $3.75 million in 2023 and $5.5 million in 2024. The White Sox hold options for $7.25 million in 2025 and $7.5 million in 2026, with $1.25 million buyouts for either season.

The Sox also announced that utility player Leury Garcia agreed on a one-year, $3.5 million contract that also includes a club option for 2021. Garcia, 28, previously avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.25 million contract. He gets a slight bump in pay here, along with the addition of the $3.5 million option, which includes a $250,000 buyout.

The move allows the Sox to control the terms of Garcia's salary for next season, should they want him back, and they don't have to worry about the arbitration process.

Garcia could start the season as the starting second baseman, but he figures to slide into a bench role once Nick Madrigal is called up to the majors.

García hit .279 with 27 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 40 RBIs and 93 runs scored over 140 games last season. He also led the league with 14 outfield assists.

Lindy's Sports picks White Sox to win AL Central (!)

It's baseball preview season, and the first magazine I received in the mail was from Lindy's Sports (pictured).

Would you believe it if I told you they picked the White Sox to win the AL Central? Seriously, they did. They picked the Minnesota Twins second, the Cleveland Indians third, the Kansas City Royals fourth and the Detroit Tigers last.

They've also got Rick Renteria winning AL Manager of the Year, and center fielder Luis Robert winning AL Rookie of the Year. I guess when you think about it, if the Sox are going to win their division, those two things become that much more likely, right?

Not surprisingly, Lindy's has the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros as the other two AL division winners. The AL wild cards are the Twins and the Tampa Bay Rays, with the Yankees predicted as the AL champion.

That's certainly fair. I'm guessing the Yankees will be the most popular pick to win the AL this season.

But I'm somewhat surprised that a national outlet is believing the hype on the Sox, an unproven team that very much is relying on internal improvement from young players. I can see a scenario where the Sox contend, sure, but I wouldn't predict it. My expectations are for the team to pull its record up to .500 or slightly better.

I'm not expecting them to challenge the Twins, who were a 101-win juggernaut in 2019. I do not expect Minnesota to win 101 again, but I won't be shocked if the Twins win, say, 93 games.

Do you think the Sox have a 21-game improvement in them? Because that's what it would take for the South Siders to reach 93 wins. I'd say that's a stretch.

But Lindy's lauds the Sox's "young players with high ceilings," and notes that Minnesota's "rotation is not good enough to cover for subpar infield defense."

I sure hope that assessment is correct. I just wouldn't go to Vegas with that one.

No paper tickets at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay

Tropicana Field

I'll be on vacation in Florida when the baseball season opens March 26, so I will not be attending Opening Day festivities at Guaranteed Rate Field this year.

However, that does not mean I won't attend a baseball game on that first day of the season. The Tampa Bay Rays are hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 26, and I've never been to Tropicana Field before. So, I figure, what the hell? Why not go?

I looked into tickets last week, and much to my surprise, the Rays have not put single-game tickets on sale yet. Earlier today, I saw this article in the Tampa Bay Times that gave me some answers.

Turns out, all the Rays' ticketing this season will be done through the MLB Ballpark app on a mobile device. No more paper tickets.

Tampa isn't putting single-game seats on sale until 10 o'clock Friday morning, presumably because the club was working to implement this new policy. Tropicana Field is already a cash-free facility, so it's a different world than what we have here in Chicago.

I'm familiar with the Ballpark App -- as a White Sox season-ticket holder, I access my tickets using that app all the time. The Sox prefer to scan your phone when you enter Guaranteed Rate Field.

I have no idea what the demand is like for Opening Day tickets in Tampa Bay, but I'm going to try to buy some. If I'm successful, it will be interesting to see how these no-paper-tickets and cash-free policies work.

It's likely the wave of the future, and only a matter of time before we see this everywhere.