On vacation....

Going on vacation. Blogging will resume Monday, March 31. Will the White Sox be 0-3 by then? Only half-kidding.

Sean Burke will start Opening Day for White Sox

When spring training began, it was a question mark whether Sean Burke would make the White Sox roster. I had him at No. 6 on my list of 10 candidates for the starting rotation.

Turns out, Burke is not only on the team, but he'll also start Opening Day on March 27 against the Los Angeles Angels, according to manager Will Venable.

Burke, 25, was a third-round pick out of the University of Maryland in 2021, and he did not make his MLB debut until last season.

In fact, Burke has only three starts and 19 innings in the majors to his credit, but hey, he was effective in a small sample size. He went 2-0 on a team that only won 41 games all season, and he struck out 22 in those 19 innings.

It's just a surprise the Sox are going this direction, with more experienced options such as Martin Perez and Davis Martin on the roster.

That said, of all the candidates for the Opening Day start, Burke perhaps has the best stuff. He's got the 95 mph fastball. He's added a sinker to his power slider, and he showed a good changeup last season that helped keep opposing batters off his higher-velocity pitches.

Ultimately, what is there to lose if Burke fails? Expectations for the season are super low. The ceiling for Burke is higher than someone like the journeyman Perez, so I see no real drawback to giving this a shot.

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. 

White Sox option Colson Montgomery to Triple-A

Full disclosure: I've been bearish on the idea of Colson Montgomery as the White Sox Opening Day shortstop this year.

I understand Sox fans are tired of watching short-term stopgaps at almost every position on the diamond. I understand Sox fans want a glimpse of the future. I understand Sox fans are starving for hope of any sort. 

But the reality is Montgomery isn't ready for the task right now.

Team management agrees. On Tuesday, the Sox announced they are optioning the No. 39 prospect in baseball to Triple-A Charlotte. I see a lot of folks on social media expressing disappointment over this decision, but it's the right call.

If we're being honest, Montgomery hasn't proven he can hit at Triple-A yet. The ballpark in Charlotte is paradise for hitters, but the 23-year-old struggled in 130 games at that level in 2024, batting .214/.329/.381 with 18 homers, 63 RBIs and 164 strikeouts in 572 plate appearances. Only a strong finish brought Montgomery's OPS up to .710.

Yes, he did hit well in a small sample size in 11 games in the Arizona Fall League -- .311/.511/.656 with three homers, 10 walks and only six strikeouts in 45 plate appearances. Alas, the AFL is a hitters' league, and it's generally void of top pitching prospects. A halfway decent hitting prospect *should* dominate in that league.

I would have been skeptical of Montgomery even if he was having a good run in the Cactus League right now. Instead, he missed about 10 days with back spasms, and after homering in the spring training opener against the Cubs, he hasn't had a hit since. He's 1 for 9 with five strikeouts.

Given the timing of the injury, it's best that he start in Charlotte. Hopefully, he performs well in Triple-A for a couple of months, and then he can come to Chicago healthy and in top form later in the season.

Where does that leave the Sox for a shortstop in the short run? It's ugly. The candidates include Chase Meidroth, who is better suited for second base; Jacob Amaya, a good fielder who couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat; and Brooks Baldwin, who looks like a future utility player.

The Sox front office made a mistake by not bringing in a serviceable veteran who can handle the position. They put all their eggs in the basket of Montgomery being ready, and that is simply not the case.

But, at least they are not doubling down on this. They are acknowledging that Montgomery needs more time in the minors. It's the correct move for the player and the team.

Andrew Benintendi out 4-6 weeks with fracture

The White Sox collected their first spring win of the season Thursday, defeating the Cleveland Guardians, 4-2.

The victory came at a price, however, as left fielder Andrew Benintendi will miss four to six weeks with a non-displaced fracture in his right hand. The veteran was struck with a pitch from Cleveland left-hander Logan Allen in the bottom of the first inning.

The injury comes exactly four weeks before the season opener on March 27, so we should not expect to see Benintendi back in the lineup by then. Mid-April is probably a more realistic timeline.

Earlier this month, I noted that the Sox outfield was pretty much set, with Luis Robert Jr., Benintendi, Austin Slater, Mike Tauchman and Michael A. Taylor all in camp on major league contracts.

The injury gods had other ideas, and now there's a spot open. Dominic Fletcher and Oscar Colas are the other two outfielders on the 40-man roster, so one would assume that opportunity will knock for one of them.

If I'm being honest, I've seen about enough of Colas. I've watched three of the six spring games, and I've already seen the 26-year-old Cuban make two egregious defensive miscues -- including one where a fly ball smacked him right in the face. 

Fletcher, 27, played 72 games with the Sox last season, and he demonstrated that he cannot hit. He batted just .206/.252/.256 with one home run, only eight doubles and 17 RBIs. That said, Fletcher has shown that he is a plus defender at corner outfield spots, and he can stand in center field in a pinch (although Taylor is best suited to back up Robert Jr. in that role.)

When choosing a backup outfielder, I prefer the guy who can catch the ball, so I'll take Fletcher over Colas.

If you're wondering about free agent outfielders, Alex Verdugo, Aaron Hicks, Robbie Grossman, Adam Duvall and David Peralta are all still out there.

Verdugo, 29, is the only one of that group younger than age 35. He batted .233/.291/.356 with the New York Yankees last season. That doesn't wow anyone, and it seems unlikely that Sox ownership will open the wallet to raise the floor of the team to compensate for a short-term injury.

Fletcher or Colas it shall likely be.

First impressions of White Sox: Terrible

If you're looking for a reason to believe the White Sox will be more watchable or more tolerable in 2025, I don't think we've seen one yet.

The Sox are 0-4 in their first four spring training games, and they've been outscored 36-12 thus far. On Tuesday, they endured a vicious 14-3 pounding at the hands of the not-so-mighty Colorado Rockies. That loss came on the heels of defeats against the Cubs on Saturday (7-3), the Kansas City Royals on Sunday (4-3) and the Texas Rangers on Monday (11-3).

I guess you can give the Sox credit for being consistent: They score three runs every day.

However, looking over these losses, we see a lot of the same patterns we saw during the record-setting 121-loss season of 2024.

Against the Cubs, the Sox played a sloppy defensive inning in the second, surrendering five runs and basically taking themselves out of the game early. A two-run homer by 22-year-old shortstop Colson Montgomery provided the biggest highlight for the South Siders, but I fear that might have fooled some fans into thinking the former first-round pick is ready for the majors.

Montgomery is 1 for 7 with four strikeouts so far this spring, and after he hit just .214/.329/.381 last season at Triple-A Charlotte, I think he would be best served to repeat the level in 2025. Even if Montgomery bats .500 in spring ball, I'm likely not going to change my assessment that he needs more work in the minors.

The Sox probably should have won Sunday. They took a 3-1 lead into the eighth inning, but the Royals rallied with three runs off lefty reliever Trey McGough. It seems unlikely that McGough, a 26-year-old career minor leaguer, will make the team. However, the Sox tend to blow leads in the seventh and eighth innings of games regardless of who is on the mound, regardless of the circumstances. Even if spring ball is meaningless, around here you're not even allowed one win to feel better about this team.

The first Chicago Sports Network broadcast of the season came Monday, and the Sox greeted fans by giving up nine runs in the top of the first inning against the Rangers. Texas collected only four hits during the rally, as two Sox pitchers -- including Rule 5 pick Shane Smith -- combined to gift the Rangers four walks and a hit batsman. The less said about that game, the better.

Perhaps it's for the best that Tuesday's loss to the Rockies wasn't on TV anywhere. Reports indicated that starting pitcher Davis Martin was sharp, needing just 18 pitches to record six outs in his two scoreless innings. However, two relievers who are expected to make the team -- Gus Varland and Justin Anderson -- were charged with 10 runs. Anderson allowed eight runs (seven earned) without recording an out in the eighth inning. Woof.

Really, Sox fans are looking for some reason -- any reason -- to believe this team isn't going down the same path it did in 2024. So far, sad to say, they are picking up right where they left off.

White Sox starting pitching depth already eroding

When I listed my 10 preseason candidates for the White Sox starting rotation, I ranked Ky Bush as No. 7.

Cross him off. 

Sox general manager Chris Getz announced on Tuesday that Bush will miss the 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Bush, a 25-year-old lefty, made his big league debut last season. He went 0-3 with a 5.60 ERA in four starts. Bush's ceiling is likely a No. 4 starter, so you may not see this is a big loss.

It's really not, but it is one less pitcher the Sox can use to make starts in a season where they are looking for people to eat innings. Realistically, I thought Bush would start somewhere between five and 10 games this season. Now, someone else needs to take those starts.

Innings are a concern for the Sox because four of their top-five guys in innings pitched from 2024 are no longer with the team. Here are their innings leaders from last year:

1. Chris Flexen, 160 innings
2. Garrett Crochet, 146 innings
3. Jonathan Cannon, 124.1 innings
4. Erick Fedde, 121.2 innings
5. Michael Soroka, 79.2 innings 

Only Cannon remains with the team. Fedde was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals midseason last year. Crochet was traded to the Boston Red Sox this offseason. Soroka left via free agency and is now a member of the Washington Nationals. Flexen remains a free agent.

That's 507 innings walking out the door. Martin Perez and Bryse Wilson were the only two veteran pitchers brought in this offseason. They will not combine for 300 innings, let alone 500.

Maybe it's time to get Flexen on the phone?