White Sox 'active roster' sits at 27

Let's stay optimistic that the 2020 season will start someday, even though there's a reasonable chance that it won't.

Michael Kopech recently was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, which cut the White Sox's roster down to 27, which means we have a reasonable idea what the 26-man roster would look like if the season were to begin.

Here's the way it stands right now:

Pitchers (15): Aaron Bummer, Dylan Cease, Steve Cishek, Alex Colome, Jimmy Cordero, Jace Fry, Carson Fulmer, Lucas Giolito, Gio Gonzalez, Ian Hamilton, Kelvin Herrera, Dallas Keuchel, Reynaldo Lopez, Evan Marshall and Carlos Rodon.

Catchers (2): Yasmani Grandal and James McCann

Infielders (5): Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Danny Mendick and Edwin Encarnacion

Outfielders (5): Adam Engel, Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez, Leury Garcia and Nomar Mazara

Wondering which of these 27 wouldn't make the cut? Welp, Rodon is still recovering from elbow surgery, so he'd be headed to the injured list if the season were to actually begin.

You can look at these other 26, and it's pretty close to your team. Hamilton may end up in Charlotte to get the pitching staff down to 13, and another position player (Nick Madrigal) could be added.

Start of season postponed because of coronavirus

Now what are we going to talk about?

When a 9-2 loss is actually a win ...

Michael Kopech

It was disappointing that the White Sox were rained out Wednesday. The Sox were supposed to play the Colorado Rockies in Cactus League action, and Lucas Giolito, Gio Gonzalez and Jace Fry were all scheduled to pitch.

Each of those three pitchers is coming back from an injury that sidelined them during the early part of camp, and I was eager to see how close they would look to being ready to start the season.

Alas, Mother Nature had other plans.

But, speaking of returns from injury, how about Michael Kopech on Tuesday? Sure, the Sox lost, 9-2, to the Texas Rangers, but it was actually an encouraging day for the South Siders and their fans.

That's because Kopech looked like he did before his elbow injury. He needed only 11 pitches to work a 1-2-3 first inning. His fastball consistently hit 98 mph-plus on the radar gun, and his heater topped out at 101 mph -- his final pitch striking out Greg Bird looking.

After missing the zone on each of his first two pitches, Kopech fired seven of his final nine over the plate and ended the inning quickly.

Kopech admitted that "adrenaline was a factor" with the high velocity, but hey, at least we know it's still there after surgery. It will be an exciting time when Kopech returns to the mound at Guaranteed Rate Field for the first time since 2018.

Baseball Digest also believing in the White Sox

One of the things I like about the Baseball Digest season preview is it comes out a little later than the other ones. That means it takes trades and other roster moves that happened late in the offseason into account.

For instance, this magazine has Mookie Betts as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers -- not the Boston Red Sox -- and that makes it different than some of the other ones I've read.

I try not to give away too much about these magazines' predictions -- copyright infringement and all -- but it's been quite unusual to read positive thoughts on the White Sox.

Baseball Digest has the Sox finishing second in the American League Central behind the Minnesota Twins, a forecast that is both optimistic and realistic.

The magazine notes that the Sox have the longest postseason drought of any team in their division, and the second-longest drought of any team in the American League. It also refers to "octogenarian chairman Jerry Reinsdorf," which is quite amusing, and notes that Reinsdorf and general Rick Hahn were out to end that postseason drought with significant moves this offseason.

And three of the Baseball Digest's "five rookies to watch" in the AL Central are members of the Sox: Luis Robert, Michael Kopech and Nick Madrigal.

Hey, at least the days of being picked to finish last are gone, right?

Lucas Giolito, Yasmani Grandal rejoin the active for White Sox

White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito appears to be on track to start Opening Day against the Kansas City Royals.

Giolito, who had been sidelined by a minor ribcage strain, pitched for the first time in a Cactus League game Friday, working the first inning in a 6-3 win over the Cubs. He threw 15 pitches and faced four batters. His only blemish was a HBP to Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber.

He also struck out Sox nemesis Willson Contreras looking on a 3-2 changeup. After the outing, Giolito went to the bullpen to "get his work in" in a more controlled environment, throwing another 20 pitches or so.

Friday was March 6, and if you count off the days -- and you assume that Giolito has four days' rest in between outings -- that lines him up perfectly to make the start against Kansas City on March 26.

Also of note Friday, catcher Yasmani Grandal made his first Cactus League appearance of the spring. Grandal, who has missed time with a calf injury, made three plate appearances. He struck out twice and walked once.

Grandal did not play Saturday, but he was back in the lineup Sunday against the San Diego Padres, catching right-hander Reynaldo Lopez is a split-squad game. Grandal went 1 for 3 with an RBI double and a run scored in a 6-0 Sox win.

On Monday, Grandal served as the designated hitter and had his best game of the spring, going 2 for 3 with a double, a solo home run and two runs scored in a 3-3 tie with the Cincinnati Reds.

We'll know Grandal is ready if he catches back-to-back days. That hasn't happened yet.

Obviously, it goes without saying that the Sox need Grandal healthy and ready to start the season. The "big offseason" doesn't look as good if the big free-agent acquisition opens the season on the injured list.

White Sox make first roster moves of spring training

The White Sox on Friday made their first round of roster cuts. Most notably, No. 5-ranked prospect Jonathan Stiever was reassigned to minor league camp without getting an opportunity to pitch in a Cactus League game.

Stiever, 22, was bothered by soreness during a sideline session, and he was diagnosed with a muscle strain in his right forearm. An MRI showed no problems, and Stiever was shut down for three weeks. He currently is about halfway through that three-week period.

When I made my list of top 10 White Sox prospects, I was a little reluctant to put Stiever up real high on the basis of 10 or 12 good minor league starts at the end of last season. Last year's breakout story can quickly become this year's downer, and we know young pitchers often get their careers derailed by injury.

Here's to hoping this is just a minor blip for Stiever.

The Sox also optioned right-handed reliever Matt Foster to Triple-A Charlotte. Pitchers Dane Dunning and Jimmy Lambert were optioned to Double-A Birmingham. Both Dunning and Lambert are rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Right-hander Ryan Burr, left-hander Hunter Schryver and first baseman Matt Skole also were reassigned to minor league camp.

Burr spent time in the majors last season, but he also is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Schryver recently underwent Tommy John surgery and is done for this season. Skole, a left-handed hitter who has spent some time in the majors in each of the past two years, is an organizational player who will no doubt begin the season in Triple-A Charlotte.

The Sox now have 60 players in camp.

Yoan Moncada, White Sox agree on five-year contract extension

The White Sox on Thursday agreed with third baseman Yoan Moncada on a five-year, $70 million contract extension. The contract includes an option for a sixth year that could make the deal worth $90 million.

The news was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and MLB Network. The Sox have not formally announced the deal as yet, but I have always found Rosenthal's reporting to be quite credible.

Moncada would have become arbitration-eligible in 2021, and he would have hit free agency in 2024. This contract delays Moncada's free agency by two years. He would hit the open market at age 30, and presumably, this gives the Sox a better shot to get to the World Series and win sometime between now and 2025.

In 2019, Moncada had a breakout campaign in which he hit .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs, 34 doubles, five triples and 79 RBIs. He also made a smooth transition from second base to third base, surprising many observers (including me) with his defensive competence.

If Moncada continues to perform at that level, getting him at $14 million a year is a steal. There have been rumors all spring of an extension, but most people were thinking eight or nine years, with a total value in excess of $100 million.

At this point, Moncada has played two full seasons in the majors, and he's had one rough year and one excellent year. There is risk involved for both sides, and but I'm guessing Moncada is more like the player he was in 2019 than the player he was in 2018.

If I'm proven correct, the Sox will come out ahead in this deal.