White Sox sign OF Austin Hays to 1-year contract

It's time to do a little player comparison, based on 2025 statistics:

Player A: .263/.356/.400, 17 2Bs, 9 HRs, 40 RBIs, 112 OPS+, 1.9 WAR, 93 games

Player B: .266/.315/.453, 16 2Bs, 15 HRs, 64 RBIs, 105 OPS+, 0.8 WAR, 103 games

Player A is Mike Tauchman, the veteran corner outfielder the White Sox brought in on a one-year contract last season.

Player B is Austin Hays, the veteran corner outfielder the White Sox just signed to a one-year deal for 2026. 

It's not an exact apples-to-apples comparison. Hays, 30, is five years younger than Tauchman. And Hays has more power than Tauchman, having hit 15 or more home runs in four of the past five seasons. Tauchman's career high in homers is 13, although he has Hays beat in the on-base percentage category. The shape of the production between these two players is a little different.

Also, Tauchman swings lefty. Hays bats right-handed.

But ultimately, the Sox are swapping one outfielder for another here. Hays is coming off a league-average kind of year with the Cincinnati Reds, and his best skill is the ability to hit left-handed pitching.

Here are his splits for last season:

• vs. LHP: .319/.400/.549
• vs. RHP: .249/.286/.422

That said, Hays did hit 13 of his 15 homers last season against righties, and I don't think he's coming to Chicago to be a platoon bat. He's coming here because there's an opportunity to play every day in a Sox outfield that features a lot of question marks.

Luis Robert Jr. has been traded, creating an open competition in center field.. Andrew Benintendi is the incumbent left fielder, but there are question marks about whether his health will allow him to stand in the outfield every day. Right field is vacant after Tauchman was not tendered a contract offer. Brooks Baldwin will be on the roster, but his role is likely utility-oriented. It doesn't seem probable that he would win an starting outfield spot in camp.

The Sox have accumulated several reclamation projects in the outfield. Luisangel Acuna, acquired in the Robert deal, has been mostly an infielder in his career, but he's playing center field in the Venezuelan winter league. Derek Hill, a glove-first veteran, is another candidate to play center. 

Everson Pereira, a former top prospect in the New York Yankees organization, and Tristan Peters, a castoff from the Tampa Bay Rays, are on the 40-man roster entering spring training. Former top prospect Jarred Kelenic, who struggled with both the Seattle Mariners and the Atlanta Braves, is coming to camp as non-roster invitee. 

Amid all this chaos and uncertainty, it seems pretty likely that Hays is going to be standing in a corner outfield spot on a regular basis for the Sox, provided he's healthy. He did miss 59 games last season with calf and hamstring injuries.

But presuming availability, a healthy Hays provides predictability in a sea of unpredictability. That's why the Sox signed him. 

White Sox sign Seranthony Dominguez to 2-year contract

After the White Sox traded center fielder Luis Robert Jr., general manager Chris Getz said the $20 million the team was saving on Robert's contract would be spent elsewhere.

Well, half that money is accounted for. Relief pitcher Seranthony Dominguez will be slated to make $10 million in 2026 as part of a two-year, $20 million contract he will sign with the Sox.

Dominguez, 31, split time in 2025 with the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays. He appeared in a career-high 67 games and tossed a career-high 62.2 innings, totaling 79 strikeouts, 36 walks and a 3.16 ERA.

Those 79 strikeouts were also a career high for Dominguez, who throws 97 mph and should add some much-needed swing-and-miss stuff to the Sox bullpen. 

Of course, while his 30.3% strikeout rate last season is desirable, his 13.8% walk rate and league-leading 12 wild pitches temper enthusiasm a little bit.

Dominguez is tough on right-handed batters. He limited them to a .132/.269/.182 slash line last season. Left-handers were noticeably better at .277/.371/.446.

It stands to reason that Dominguez could thrive in a role where he faces primarily righties, but the Sox are planning to use him as a closer -- he has 40 saves in seven MLB seasons -- so how he handles lefties could determine his success or failure in a ninth inning role.

Is this the best way for Getz to spend the money he saved on the Robert deal?

Ehh. I've never been a big proponent of spending on relief pitchers when you have a holes in your lineup like Swiss cheese.

The Sox outfield was suspect even before Robert's departure. You figure highly paid veteran Andrew Benintendi is a lock for one roster spot, but the other outfield jobs will be up for grabs among Luisangel Acuna, Brooks Baldwin, Derek Hill, Everson Pereira, Tristan Peters and Jarred Kelenic.

That doesn't inspire a lot of confidence, does it? Maybe the Sox should have spent on an outfielder. 

That said, the remaining outfield free agents wouldn't make me feel much better. Harrison Bader and Austin Hays are probably the top two left on the market, and neither moves the needle for me.

Given the track record of the Sox organization in recent years, we should probably be happy that Getz spent his savings on *something*. 

Dominguez is an upgrade over some other pitchers projected for the Sox bullpen, for sure. 

White Sox trade Luis Robert Jr. to New York Mets

It's official: This bobblehead featuring Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert Jr. has been rendered obsolete.

That's because the White Sox on Tuesday cut ties with Robert, the last significant piece of the failed Rick Hahn rebuild, trading him to the New York Mets for all-purpose player Luisangel Acuna and pitcher Truman Pauley.

The Mets are taking on all $20 million of Robert's 2026 salary, in addition to the 2027 team option for $20 million that includes a $2 million buyout.

Some Sox fans seem unhappy with this light of a return, but the fact is Robert is often injured. He's also been unproductive in each of the past two seasons, and he's also expensive.

Injured, unproductive and expensive: Three strikes and you're out. 

Robert was marketed to fans, by Hahn and others, as a future superstar. But aside from the 2023 season, when Robert slugged 38 homers and made his only All-Star team, he was a disappointment.

In fact, that 2023 campaign looks like the outlier, a career year. Here's what Robert has done more recently:

• 2024: .224/.278/.379, 14 homers, 35 RBIs, 23 SBs, 100 games, 1.4 WAR, 86 OPS+
• 2025: .223/.297/.364, 14 homers, 53 RBIs, 33 SBs, 110 games, 1.4 WAR, 85 OPS+

These are not superstar numbers, friends. The most reliable Robert skill is his speed, and even that is fleeting given the amount of time he spends on the injured list with ailments in his legs. There were eight players on the 2025 Sox, a 102-loss team, that accumulated more WAR than Robert did last season.

Strangely, you still hear people talk of Robert's upside and "potential," but this is now a 28-year-old player with six years of experience in the league. He is who he is. Believe your eyes. Believe what you are seeing from this player, not what people have told you to expect from him.

Some people will say, why not keep Robert until the trade deadline? See what he does in the first half, and maybe he can rebuild some trade value. 

Well, for starters, that was tried last year. It didn't work. But just for the sake of argument, let's say the Sox keep Robert and he regains his 2023 form. Would that really increase his trade value dramatically? 

I say no.

Why? Because rival GMs would be reluctant to give up premium talent for a player with a long track record of injury. Think about it: Are you going to give up top prospects to acquire Robert for a playoff push, knowing full well that he usually finishes every season on the injured list? If you're a contending team, you're looking for someone more reliable, right? 

You see, the days of Robert as a premium trade asset are long since past, so Sox GM Chris Getz took what he could get.

I understand the fan frustration with hearing about how this trade creates "financial flexibility" for the Sox. The $20 million Robert contract should not be stopping the Sox from spending. Only in cheap owner Jerry Reinsdorf's world was Robert's money preventing the Sox from going out and improving their team. The anger with that is understandable.

But you cannot be angry with this trade return because, well, Robert isn't worth that much.

Acuna, 23. was once the third-rated prospect in the Mets' system, but he's never gotten a full-time opportunity because he's been blocked by veteran players.

He's played in 109 games over two years with New York, with pedestrian results. His career slash line is .248/.299/.341. He's played mostly infield with the Mets, but he's been playing center field with his team in the Venezuelan winter league.

The guess here is the Sox are going to give Acuna a full-time shot to stick in their outfield. He's only 5-foot-8, so he's undersized for an outfielder, but he does have speed and athleticism.

Pauley, 22, was New York's 12th round pick in the 2025 draft. He pitched 4.1 innings at Single-A last season after finishing his collegiate career at Harvard. I would expect him to begin 2026 in A-ball.

Bellinger back to Yankees

With Robert bound for the Mets, that made one less team in the hunt for free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger, who was the best remaining bat on the market coming into Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Bellinger went back to the Yankees on a five-year, $162 million contract. The deal includes opt-outs after the second and third seasons. 

No surprise here. Bellinger was a top priority for the Yankees all offseason, and the two sides finally came to terms. 

White Sox position players: A way-too-early projection

Last week around this time, I offered some thoughts on how the White Sox pitching staff stacks up as the calendar turns to 2026. 

There is still ample offseason remaining, and there are plenty of free agents still available. So, we're a long way from knowing who the Sox will put on the field on Opening Day. But here's a best guess on who the position players would be as we sit here the second week of January:

C: Kyle Teel. You often hear Teel's name mentioned in the same breath as Edgar Quero, but for this exercise, we need to pick one starting catcher. We'll go with Teel on the basis of his better bat -- a 121 OPS+ last season -- and the fact that he was the centerpiece of the trade return in the deal that sent Garrett Crochet to Boston. That alone makes the organization heavily invested in Teel's success.

1B: Munetaka Murakami: You probably won't see a bigger free agent outlay from the Sox this offseason, after they gave a two-year, $34 million contract to the Japanese slugger. A 25-year-old left-handed batter, Murakami once slugged 56 homers in a season, and he has 246 career home runs over eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. Sure, the swing-and-miss rates are high on this player, but the Sox need power, and this was a worthwhile gamble. At least they did something!

2B: Chase Meidroth: The 24-year-old batted .253/.329/.320 in his rookie season. There isn't much power there, and Meidroth will need to improve upon the 84 OPS+ he posted last year to stick as an everyday player. He's competent at both middle infield positions, which helps his cause, although his arm is more suited to second base.

SS: Colson Montgomery: Just when I was ready to write this guy off as a prospect, he comes to the majors and slugs 21 home runs in 71 games. A .529 slugging percentage will play, but is it sustainable? Montgomery struck out 83 times in 284 plate appearances. You can live with some swing-and-miss with that kind of power, but I would like to see a little more contact this season. The good thing is Montgomery proved to me that he can play shortstop. Unlike Meidroth, he absolutely has the arm strength to play on the left side of the infield.

3B: Miguel Vargas: The acquisition of Murakami moves Vargas across the diamond to third base. The 2025 season was an up-and-down one for Vargas, but after a disastrous Sox debut in 2024, a 1.9 bWAR last year wasn't the worst possible outcome. Vargas batted .234/.316/.401 with 16 homers. You'd like to see him put the ball over the fence a little more, but he did contribute a team-high 32 doubles.

LF: Andrew Benintendi: It feels like the declining veteran has been here forever, but he's only been with the Sox three seasons. He has two years left on his contract, which feels as unmovable as ever. This is the gift from the Rick Hahn era that keeps on giving. Benintendi batted .240/.307/.431 with 20 homers last year. He's essentially a league-average offensive player. But a chronic Achilles' injury has sapped all his defensive value, and the Sox have said he might be slated for more time at DH this season.

CF: Luis Robert Jr.: He's still here! The Sox continue to value Robert Jr. as a premium trade piece, but other teams do not see him in that light. Therefore, I remain skeptical that there's any deal to be made, despite rampant trade rumors. Injuries limited Robert Jr. to 110 games last year. What else is new? He finished the year at .223/.297/.364 with 14 homers and 53 RBIs. He was playing well late in the season until a hamstring injury ended his year Aug. 26. Typical.

RF: Brooks Baldwin: I don't know what the Sox are going to do in right field. Mike Tauchman was non-tendered this offseason, and while there have been a few minor acquisitions in the outfield, none of them scream "starting right fielder" to me. We figure Baldwin will make the team and play somewhere, so let's put him in right field for now. Baldwin improved with the bat in the second half last season, hitting seven of his 11 homers and posting a .769 OPS after the All-Star break.

DH: Lenyn Sosa: What to do with Sosa? We can't ignore the fact that he led the Sox with 22 homers and 75 RBIs last season. But we also can't ignore that it only resulted in a 101 OPS+, because Sosa struck out 127 times and drew only 18 walks. We also can't ignore that Sosa doesn't play any position well. He can stand at first base or second, but he'll hurt your defense at either spot. Can they just put him at DH and hope for another 20 to 25 homers? A lot of Sox podcasters think a Sosa trade is coming, but rival GMs are aware of his shortcomings, too.

Bench

C: Quero: The 22-year-old didn't have a lot of power in his offensive profile, but you can do worse than .268/.338/.392 as a rookie. Quero has a good sense of the strike zone for a young hitter, and while his receiving behind the plate still needs work, he's pretty good at picking guys off third base. He'll at least get a couple of starts a week behind the plate, and we'll see how the Sox handle the DH spot this year. Will both Teel and Quero be in the lineup at the same time? 

INF: Curtis Mead: The 25-year-old infielder came over in a midseason trade with Tampa Bay last year, but he didn't do much with the opportunities he got in 41 games. He didn't hit a single homer in a Sox uniform -- a red flag for a corner infielder -- and batted just .240/.280/.304. Supposedly, much like Vargas the prior year, the Sox had some "offseason adjustments" they wanted Mead to make. He's out of options, so his time could be running out. But I think he's on the roster for now.

OF: Derek Hill: Somebody has got to play center field when Robert Jr. is ouchie, right? I figure that's the reason the Sox tendered the journeyman Hill a contract. The 29-year-old is on his sixth organization because he's a lifetime .229 hitter. He's not going to give you much with the bat, but hey, he can play the outfield. That's a skill. Michael A. Taylor has retired, so Hill seems to be penciled into that role for now. 

C: Korey Lee: I don't know what to do with the final bench spot, so I'll give it to the most competent guy on the 40-man roster who I haven't mentioned. That's Lee, who has a good throwing arm behind the plate and seems to work with pitchers well. Unlike other catchers, he has some base running ability, so he can be used as a pinch runner late in the game for the slow-footed Quero. And hey, if you want to DH either Teel or Quero, it's probably not a bad idea to have Lee around on the bench for catching emergencies. This probably isn't a great case for keeping Lee, but I'm not impressed with the other options.

Speaking of other options, they include outfielders Everson Pereira and Tristan Peters, and infielder Bryan Ramos. The Sox also inked post-hype prospect Jarred Kelenic to a minor league deal, so he'll be another name to watch in spring for the outfield mix.

But anyway, I'm hoping the Sox add another outfielder to the roster at some point, and then Baldwin can shift back into the utility role that best suits him. Only 76 days until the season begins. What will change between now and then? 

SoxFest boycott to continue in 2026

When the last weekend in January comes, I'll once again have the feeling that I ought to be doing something. Alas, we will once again be boycotting SoxFest on the grounds that team management is giving us a cheapened experience.

In years past, we were regulars at SoxFest. It used to be a three-day event at a downtown Chicago hotel. It was at the Hyatt. Then it was at the Palmer House. Then it was at the Hilton. In 2020, it was at McCormick Place, and we stayed at one of the adjacent hotels.

Somewhere along the line, it got reduced from three days to two, because "people want to watch the NFL." I'd rather poke my eyes out than watch an NFL game, but SoxFest was still a fun event even when it was two days.

Even if the team was expected to suck (which most of the time it did), you got to spend a weekend in January in the city, mingling with other baseball people and talking baseball with your friends. It was good for the soul.

And I'll be honest: Even though I'm no longer a season ticket holder, and even though I think the 2026 White Sox are going to be bad, if they had an old-school SoxFest like back in the day, I'd buy a weekend pass in a second.

But that's not what they're doing, and they haven't done it for a while. From 2021-23, the Sox canceled the event, hiding behind the COVID-19 excuse for two years longer than they should have.

In 2024, the Sox conducted a lame meet-and-greet for season ticket holders at the Chicago Field Museum. I mean, who wouldn't want to rub elbows with Pedro Grifol and the members of a team that was destined to go 41-121? I wasn't welcome because I had canceled my tickets, and frankly, I didn't want to go anyway.

Then last year, they gave fans a "reimagined SoxFest Live" at the "historic Ramova Theatre" in Bridgeport. That's the format this year, too, with the event scheduled for Jan. 30-31. Only season ticket holders are welcome on Friday, and apparently, the program is the exact same thing on both days.

I heard that last year, fans weren't allowed to ask their own questions of the GM and manager. Only "preapproved" questions were allowed, and broadcaster Len Kasper did all the asking.

No thanks, if I'm going to pay money for this, I want to ask my own questions -- not listen to Kasper ask Will Venable how he uses analytics. That's the equivalent of an interview you can hear on the pregame show every day during the season. This is supposed to be a fan event, so let the fans speak.

Right now, the list of players scheduled to appear is unimpressive. For what it's worth, quite a few of the guys who matter on the 2026 roster will be there: Davis Martin, Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Luis Robert Jr., Shane Smith, Grant Taylor, Kyle Teel and Miguel Vargas. Also on the list are prospects Tanner McDougal and Sam Antonacci.

But no former players? Forgive me, but us older guys like it when the players of the past come back. They have the best stories, and no longer being in the league, they tend to be more candid and less guarded than the athletes of today. 

Honestly, what's the appeal here? You want me to spend money to hang out for three hours in a small, renovated theater with no parking to hear guys respond to canned questions and recite cliches about how they hope to improve upon last year's 60-102 record?

I'll pass. Bring back the old SoxFest, and I'll come back. I promise. 

White Sox exercise Luis Robert's $20 million option

Luis Robert Jr. will be back in center field for the White Sox in 2026. 

Probably. If he doesn't get injured or traded first. 

Sox general manager Chris Getz had been insistent since the middle of summer that the team would exercise Robert Jr.'s $20 million contract option for next season, and on Tuesday, the club did exactly that.

It looks like a massive overpay. The 28-year-old batted just .228/.297/.364 with 14 homers and 53 RBIs in 2025. Robert Jr. stole a career-high 33 bases, but two stints on the injured list once again limited him to 110 games.

He did not play after Aug. 26 after suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain. 

Despite all that, the argument for keeping Robert Jr. is simple: The Sox don't have anyone else to play center field. Michael A. Taylor retired at the end of the season, so that leaves Brooks Baldwin as the only other guy on the roster who can stand at that position. Does that sound like a good plan to you? Me neither.

What about free agency, you ask? Cedric Mullins and Harrison Bader are probably the two best available guys who can play center field. Trent Grisham is out there, too, but after his 34-homer season with the New York Yankees, let's assume he's going to have offers from teams better than the Sox.

If you're going to overpay a guy, I guess you overpay the guy you already have in house. Robert Jr.'s upside is still higher than those aforementioned three players, even if his 38-homer season in 2023 feels longer ago than two years.

Robert Jr. has been with the Sox for six years, and 2023 remains the only season in which he has hit more than 14 homers. It's also the only season in which he has played more than 110 games. Yes, the two things are related.

A word of caution: I think the ship has sailed on the idea that Robert Jr. can be a premium trade piece. Getz held onto him at the trade deadline this past summer because he didn't like the offers he received, and I think you're going to see something similar this July -- even if Robert Jr. is healthy and effective.

The list of injuries this player has suffered through the years is so long now that he simply can't be trusted, and a healthy first half of 2026 isn't going to be enough to erase that thought from the minds of rival GMs.

If you think the Sox are going to deal Robert Jr. for two or three high-level prospects at midseason, get that thought out of your head right now. It's not realistic.

The hope is he'll be healthy and perform well for a full season with the Sox, and perhaps, finally help pull the team out of the basement in the American League Central.

Perez declines mutual option

In other news, left-handed pitcher Martin Perez declined a $10 million mutual option for 2026 and instead will receive a $1.5 million buyout.

Perez went 1-6 with a 3.54 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) in 2025. There was nothing particularly wrong with his performance, but Perez missed significant time with a left elbow strain and left shoulder inflammation. He was on the injured list at season's end.

At age 34, and with two injuries to his pitching arm in the same season, Perez can no longer be trusted to take the mound. It's best that the Sox move forward without him. 

'Explosive' Royals punk White Sox bullpen yet again

During the ninth inning of Tuesday's game between the White Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Rate Field, Sox announcer John Schriffen called the Kansas City offense "explosive."

John, my man, I hate to tell you this, but the Royals rank 14th out of 15 American League teams in runs scored this season. They are even below the Sox, who are 13th in the league. Kansas City is on the outside of the playoff picture right now because its offense has been among the worst in baseball.

Sure, the Royals punked the Sox again on Tuesday night, scoring two runs in the eighth and three more in the ninth to erase a four-run deficit and beat the South Siders, 5-4.

But I'm sorry, this is not a good Kansas City offense. It's a bad Chicago bullpen, plain and simple.

The Royals had no answers for Sox journeyman lefty Martin Perez, who allowed no runs on one hit and walked nobody over the first seven innings of this game.

He left the mound with a 4-0 lead and probably thought he had victory in the bag. Alas, Jordan Leasure, Grant Taylor and Tyler Alexander combined to light the game on fire.

Leasure gave up two runs in the eighth. Taylor (0-4) gave up three hits in the ninth to load the bases, and then Alexander surrendered two hits that allowed all the inherited runners to score. 5-4 Royals. Ballgame.

Colson Montgomery homered for the fourth consecutive game for the Sox. I guess that's nice. He now has 14 for the season and has a chance to end up as the team leader. He's three homers behind Lenyn Sosa.

Luis Robert Jr. left the game with a left hamstring strain. He's hasn't been on the injured list since July, so he's about due to be sidelined.

The Sox are 48-84. 

Can't anybody in Atlanta pitch?

During their three-game weekend series in Kansas City, the White Sox got swept because they had trouble scoring runs. In fact, they touched home plate only five times total in the series.

Now that the scene has shifted to Atlanta, the Sox bats have suddenly come to life. They've scored 23 runs in the first two games against the Braves.

That's good; that's great.

The problem is, that offensive explosion has only resulted in a 1-1 record. After winning 13-9 on Monday night, the Sox blew a six-run lead Tuesday, losing 11-10 to the Braves.

It wasn't starter Shane Smith's fault. Sure, he was mediocre over six innings pitched, allowing four runs on seven hits. But when Smith recorded the final out of the bottom of the sixth inning, he walked off the mound with a 10-4 lead.

You would think the bullpen could cover the remaining nine outs, but you would be wrong. Sox relief pitching blew this with a remarkable quickness, giving up five runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth.

The Braves didn't even need to bat in the bottom of the ninth after trailing by six in the seventh. Pretty embarrassing for the Sox.

There were some highlights for the position players. Kyle Teel was 2 for 5 with four RBIs, a two-run double and a two-run homer included. Luis Robert Jr. had a two-out, three-run double that capped a five-run outburst in the fifth inning. Miguel Vargas was 2 for 4 with three runs scored and an RBI.

Some moral victories there, but the Sox bullpen appears to be running on fumes. There have just been too many innings to cover, with starting pitchers failing to work past five innings in too many games.

The front office realizes it, and they've been churning the bullpen to try to keep fresh arms available. One night after getting shelled for four runs in one-third of an inning, Owen White was placed on the injured list with a hip impingement, and Elvis Peguero was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte.

Alas, Peguero -- along with Tyler Gilbert -- was one of the culprits in surrendering the five-run seventh inning. Peguero issued two walks and retired only one of the four batters he faced.

Tyler Alexander (4-11) and Steven Wilson combined to surrender the lead in the eighth, with Alexander earning the loss and Wilson earning the blown save.

The Sox are 45-81. Unfortunately, there are 36 games left to play in this miserable season, which is now a near-lock to end with 100-plus losses. The pitching staff still has another 300-plus innings to cover. It's going to be ugly. 

White Sox option Sean Burke to Triple-A Charlotte

In a somewhat surprising move, the White Sox optioned starting pitcher Sean Burke to Triple-A Charlotte on Monday.

Burke, who was the team's Opening Day starter, has had an up-and-down season, going 4-10 with a 4.28 ERA. The 25-year-old right-hander has appeared in 24 games (20 starts), and he's pitched a team-leading and career-high 117.2 innings.

And Burke has struck out 110 batters across those innings. That's the good part. He has shown some ability to miss bats. However, he might be hitting a bit of a wall during these dog days of August. 

On paper, his last five starts aren't that bad -- a 3.92 ERA with 30 strikeouts over 20.2 innings. But that last number -- the innings -- is the sore spot. Burke is barely averaging four innings per start over this stretch. 

In his previous two outings, he needed 88 pitches to get through 3.1 innings against Cleveland. He needed 85 pitches to get through 3.2 innings Saturday against Kansas City. That's taxing a Sox bullpen that has been struggling.

It's not a great sign that both Burke and Jonathan Cannon have been optioned to Charlotte in recent days. No doubt the Sox were hoping one (or both) of them would have a breakout season and solidify a rotation spot for 2026. Neither man has done that.

Martin Perez is back off the injured list, and he'll rejoin the rotation when he starts Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Braves. Perez and Aaron Civale make up the veteran part of the starting staff. 

Shane Smith has looked much better since recently coming off the injured list, and Davis Martin threw six innings of shutout ball in a no-decision Sunday in Kansas City.

So, four of the rotation spots are still covered, despite the struggles of Burke and Cannon. Apparently, the Sox want to take a look at righty Yoendrys Gomez, who had a strong five-inning start with seven strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 12.

Gomez pitched Monday's game against the Atlanta Braves, as well, and he picked up his second consecutive victory as the Sox beat Atlanta, 13-9.

The Sox were ahead 10-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, so Gomez (3-1) was once again effective through five. Alas, he gave up three runs in the sixth, and that made his final line look mediocre -- four runs on seven hits, with three strikeouts and one walk.

The 13 runs and 19 hits were season highs for the Sox. Brooks Baldwin, Luis Robert Jr., Lenyn Sosa and Kyle Teel all homered for the Sox. 

For Sosa, it was his third homer in the four games on the current road trip. He now leads the team with 17 home runs. Teel and Andrew Benintendi each had four-hit games. 

The Sox are now 45-80. 

White Sox call up RHP Grant Taylor

The White Sox on Tuesday called up one of their best pitching prospects, right-handed relief pitcher Grant Taylor.

Taylor, 23, was chosen in the second round of the 2023 draft. He was widely considered a first-round talent out of LSU, but he slipped to the Sox in the second round because he was recovering from Tommy John surgery during his draft year.

This is the right-hander's first full healthy season in professional baseball, and in 15 games in Double-A Birmingham, Taylor was 0-1 with a 1.01 ERA. He struck out 37 and walked 11 in 26.2 innings.

The first six of those 15 outings were starts. Someone controversially, the Sox recently moved him to the Birmingham bullpen. The prospect guys in the media and blogosphere objected, arguing that Taylor should continue his development as a starter.

No matter how you feel about that, Taylor was overpowering in nine Double-A relief appearances. He did not allow a run, while striking out 18. Only four batters reached bases against him -- three singles and one walk.

The Sox wasted no time throwing Taylor into a game. He worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh inning in Tuesday's 4-2 victory the Houston Astros. Taylor got his outs on 12 pitches, six of which were over 100 mph. He is still looking for his first strikeout after inducing a flyout to center and two grounders to the shortstop.

The Sox got a big game from Luis Robert Jr., who went 2 for 4 with an RBI double and his sixth home run of the season. Edgar Quero had perhaps the biggest hit, a two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded that staked the Sox to an early 3-0 lead in the third inning.

Shane Smith (3-3) perhaps didn't have his best stuff, as he allowed seven hits and two walks across six innings pitched. But he surrendered only one run and benefited from three double plays turned behind him. He struck out four and has now won his past two starts. 

Brandon Eisert worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his second save of the season. The Sox are 23-44. 

White Sox take 2 of 3 from Royals

Coming into this weekend's series at Rate Field, the White Sox had lost 10 in a row and 18 out of 19 against the Kansas City Royals. 

Doesn't it seem like the Sox have a lot of these terrible losing streaks left over from the Pedro Grifol era? 

The good news is the Sox put an end to that foolishness by taking two out of three from the Royals over the weekend. The South Siders completed a 4-3 homestand against the first-place Detroit Tigers and Kansas City.

Frankly, I was expecting a 2-5 record this week, so I have no complaints, despite a Sox loss on Sunday. Here's a look back at the weekend that was:

Friday, June 6

White Sox 7, Royals 2: The Sox used a five-run bottom of the eighth inning to break open a 2-2 tie. Luis Robert Jr.'s two-run bloop single with the bases loaded put the Sox ahead to stay at 4-2.

Kansas City then gifted the Sox three more runs with a wild pitch and two errors. Robert Jr. finished the game 2 for 3 with three RBIs, although both hits were soft singles. The Sox broadcast booth tried to convince fans that Robert Jr. is "back" after that performance. Alas, he was 0 for 8 with four strikeouts in the final two games of the series.

Davis Martin got a no-decision, but pitched well. He gave up two runs on five hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked nobody. Catcher Kyle Teel went 1 for 2 with two walks and a run scored in his MLB debut.

Saturday, June 7

White Sox 4, Royals 1: A pair of home runs made the difference for the Sox. Tim Elko's fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the second inning, put the Sox ahead 2-1. Chase Meidroth's second home run of the year made it 3-1 in the third.

There the score stayed until the bottom of the eighth. Singles by Miguel Vargas and Teel and a sacrifice fly by Edgar Quero produced the fourth Sox run.

Adrian Houser (2-1) tossed six innings of one-run ball to get the win. He struck out six and walked one. Relievers Cam Booser, Steven Wilson and Dan Altavilla each worked a scoreless inning, with Altavilla earning his first save with the Sox. 

Sunday, June 8

Royals 7, White Sox 5: Kansas City's offense broke out with 16 hits, and the Sox were fortunate to limit the damage by turning five double plays.

Nevertheless, the Royals broke up a 2-2 tie with two runs in the seventh inning and three more in the ninth. The Sox trailed 7-2 heading into their last at-bat, but they came up with three runs and had the bases loaded with two outs. Alas, Elko struck out swinging against Kansas City closer Carlos Estevez to end the game.

Vargas totaled three RBIs for the Sox. He hit his team-leading ninth homer, a two-run shot in the first, and drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth. The South Siders were limited to four hits and struck out 11 times.

The Sox are 22-44. 

Luis Robert Jr.: Does he care?

I'm seeing a narrative emerge on social media about White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr.

The thinking goes, the Sox stink. Therefore, Robert no longer cares about the organization. He doesn't want to be here, and he's mailing in the season. He's just hoping to get traded, and that's the reason for his poor performance.

There's no getting around it: Robert has been absolutely terrible in 2025. He went 0 for 3 with a strikeout in Monday's 13-1 loss to the first-place Detroit Tigers. His batting average is down to .177. His OPS is down to .552. 

We're in June now, so this isn't a "slow start." This isn't because of "cold weather." This is a tire fire, a prolonged slump that is dragging an already-bad Sox team to even lower depths.

However, this whole "Robert doesn't care" business is a load of bull, and I'll tell you why. Let's take a look at the details of Robert's contract.

After this season, there are two club options remaining on his deal. Each is worth $20 million, one for 2026 and one for 2027. If the option is not exercised, Robert can be bought out for $2 million.

Let's think about this from Robert's perspective: Do you want $40 million over the next two seasons, or do you want $2 million after the 2025 season ends?

You want the $40 million, right? You want to play well enough so that those options get exercised, no?

Well, guess what? Robert isn't going to get that money unless he's turns his season around dramatically over the course of the next four months. If he continues to fail, he's not getting his $20 million next year, or in 2027. He's getting $2 million.

His poor performance this season is literally costing him millions. He could be leaving $38 million on the table. 

Do you really think he's mailing it in when he has 38 million reasons to play well? If you believe players are motivated by money (and I most certainly do), then the answer to that question is "no." 

Robert hasn't thrown in the towel on the White Sox. He just flat out sucks at the plate this season. No more, no less. Sometimes, it isn't more complicated than that. 

Bad pitching will always beat bad hitting (apparently)

The Baltimore Orioles have a 5.29 team ERA, which ranks 14th in the American League and 28th overall in Major League Baseball.

Only the Athletics and the Colorado Rockies are worse. 

In other words, on average, the Orioles give up more than five earned runs every time they take the field. But that didn't stop the White Sox from posting a grand total of five runs (only four of which were earned) in a three-game series at Baltimore over the weekend.

The Orioles (22-36) swept the series, beating the Sox 2-1 on Friday, 4-2 on Saturday and 3-2 on Sunday.

It was a truly spectacular failure by the South Siders, who piled up 29 strikeouts in the three defeats. 

There are two players we will excuse from blame. Mike Tauchman went 6 for 12 with two doubles, a triple, a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs in the series. Andrew Benintendi went 4 for 11 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.

No other Sox player had an RBI. There was one run scored Sunday on an error, hence no RBI credit was given.

Let's take a look at some of the horrible stat lines we saw from other Sox batters this weekend, in order of terribleness:

• Luis Robert Jr., 0 for 10, seven strikeouts
• Miguel Vargas, 1 for 12, two strikeouts
• Joshua Palacios, 1 for 10, three strikeouts 
• Edgar Quero, 1 for 7, four strikeouts
• Josh Rojas, 2 for 10, three strikeouts
• Chase Meidroth, 2 for 9, one strikeout
• Lenyn Sosa, 3 for 10, three strikeouts

OK, maybe we can forgive Sosa. There was no production associated with his 3 for 10, but that's a .300 batting average, and Sosa looks like Babe Ruth in comparison to Robert Jr.

Baltimore has a pitching staff that opposing teams have been padding their numbers against, but the only thing the Sox padded this weekend is their strikeout totals.

The Sox are 18-41, and it's getting a little frustrating to still hear people claim that the team is "making progress," or "turning a corner," or "showing signs of improvement."

Let's be real here: The Sox are on pace to go 49-113. Yes, that's better than the 2024 Sox, who went 41-121. Yes, they are better than the aforementioned Rockies, who are 9-50 and on pace to obliterate previous records of futility. That's nice, but so what?

The fact is the 2025 season will ultimately result in the second-worst Sox team in my lifetime, ahead of only last year. I turn 49 years old next month. I'm not new here. 

We are once again witnessing historical ineptitude, no matter what way you try to spin it. 

Andrew Benintendi powers White Sox to win over Mets

Worth noting: The White Sox scored nine runs on Wednesday with neither Andrew Vaughn nor Luis Robert Jr. in the lineup.

Vaughn and Robert were supposed to be the leading run producers for the Sox in 2025. Vaughn and his .189 average and .531 OPS have been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. Robert and his .190 average and .583 OPS have been stapled to the bench the past two days because of knee soreness.

They were not missed in Wednesday's series finale against the New York Mets, a 9-4 Sox victory. Andrew Benintendi had one of his best games of the season, going 3 for 5 with four RBIs. He was a double short of the cycle.

Benintendi's two-run single to left-center opened the scoring in the first inning. He added an RBI triple in the sixth inning to increase a Sox lead to 6-3. His homer in the eighth, his sixth of the season, capped Chicago's scoring and made it 9-3.

Mike Tauchman went 2 for 5 with two doubles and a pair of RBIs, and Lenyn Sosa went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI single to add to a 12-hit Chicago attack.

Starting pitcher Shane Smith entered this game with a 2.36 ERA in 10 starts, but he has only one win to show for it because of lack of run support. This time, it was the Sox offense who bailed out a struggling Smith, who allowed three runs and walked five over 3.2 innings in a no-decision. Smith struck out five, but he ran up 86 pitches in a short start. 

One thing Sox fans should keep in mind about Smith: He's never thrown more than 94.1 innings in his career. This season, he's logged 57 innings, and we aren't even to June 1. It wouldn't be a surprise if we see some regression and fatigue from the rookie right-hander.

As a Rule 5 pick, Smith's production has been a pleasant surprise through 11 starts. Imagine going for a walk in your neighborhood and finding $1,000 on the ground. You'll gladly accept the good fortune, but it wouldn't be wise to bank your financial future on that every happening again.

That's how I look at Smith: He's found money. Your delighted by what's happened so far, but you can't be certain he's going to have another run of good starts like he's had this early season. I'm not sure what Smith will provide the rest of the way. You just keep pitching him, and see what he does.

Brandon Eisert (2-0) got four outs to earn the win in relief Wednesday. Another Rule 5 pick, Mike Vasil, tossed three scoreless innings with five strikeouts for the Sox, who are now 18-38.

Tim Anderson designated for assignment

Former White Sox All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.

In 31 games, Anderson batted .205/.258/.241 with no homers and three RBIs. His three doubles were his only extra-base hits of the season. As a matter of fact, Anderson has only homered once in the last three seasons combined. He hasn't played well since the first two months of 2022.

So, no, the Sox should not "take a flyer" on Anderson, who will turn 32 on June 23. He's cooked.

White Sox have first 3-game winning streak of 2025

If you have any Cincinnati baseball fans on your friends list, you might want to call for a well-being check on them.

That's because the Reds have lost two games in a row at home to the lowly White Sox, who were previously 3-17 on the road.

The South Siders beat Cincinnati, 4-2, on Wednesday night to earn their third consecutive win. This is the first such winning streak for the Sox in 2025. 

This also means the Sox have secured their fourth series win of the season, having previously won home series against Boston, Houston and Miami. By way of comparison, the 2024 Sox only won four series the entire season.

Let's not get it confused: The Sox are 14-29, and they still stink. But at this stage, you take the positives wherever you can get them.

Davis Martin (2-4) pitched 6.2 innings of one-run ball to pick up the win Wednesday. He allowed seven hits, struck out five and walked nobody.

Lenyn Sosa hit his third home run of the season as part of a 2-for-4 night. Michael A. Taylor also homered, his second of the year, for the Sox. Luis Robert Jr. went 2 for 3 with two singles, a walk, an RBI and a run scored.

Mike Vasil got three outs in the ninth for his first career save.

The Sox will look for a rare sweep on Thursday afternoon.

Nick Maton? Why not Tim Elko, Corey Julks or Dominic Fletcher?

We noted earlier this week that the White Sox have had a lot of trouble scoring runs in Kansas City in recent years.

Nothing new to report Wednesday night: The Royals got a two-run homer from shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., and that was enough for Kansas City to beat the Sox, 2-1.

One thing you notice about the Sox: There is almost no power whatsoever in their lineup. After Wednesday's loss, it has now been five consecutive games without a home run for this team. Luis Robert Jr. hit his fifth home run of the season last Friday in a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros, but the quick-strike offense has been lacking for the South Siders.

Adding to the problem: another injury for Andrew Benintendi, who hit the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a calf strain. Whatever power the Sox have, it typically comes from Robert Jr. and Benintendi. The two are tied for the team lead in homers with five. 

Strangely, the Sox selected the contract of Nick Maton to take Benintendi's place on the roster. You might recall that Maton was designated for assignment on April 26, after batting .173/.295/.327 in 23 games to start the season.

I guess Maton did hit two homers in those 23 games, but I wouldn't say he's the sort of player who is a threat to hit the ball out of the park with any regularity. He's not going to fill any power void.

He's also an infielder, so he's not going to fill the holes the Sox have at the corner outfield spots. Benintendi, Mike Tauchman and Austin Slater are all injured now, leaving the South Siders woefully thin in the outfield.

Brooks Baldwin, an infielder by trade, has been playing left field in this series against Kansas City. Joshua Palacios started in right field on Wednesday. Palacios is lucky to be in the big leagues, but at least he's playing his natural position. 

This is why the addition of Maton is so curious. He doesn't help in any of these two glaring problem areas, and the Sox have other options at Triple-A Charlotte.

Tim Elko is batting .348 with 10 homers and 23 RBIs for the Knights. No, Elko is not going to stand at a corner outfield spot, but you can put him at designated hitter and at least have another guy besides Robert Jr. who is a threat to hit a ball into the seats.

Then there's Corey Julks, who is pretty much a Quad-A player. But he's dominating at Charlotte, hitting .364 with three homers and 14 RBIs. We've seen Julks before, and we know that production won't translate all that well to the majors, but at least he can play a competent corner outfield in the short run.

Dominic Fletcher is hanging around Charlotte, too, batting .265 with an .836 OPS. Fletcher is actually a good defensive outfielder, especially if you put him at a corner spot. At least that's *something,* a skill that has some utility.

What exactly is Maton going to give the Sox? I always say, even if I disagree with a move, I can live with it if I understand the thought process behind it. 

But I just don't see the logic here of passing over Elko, Julks and Fletcher to add Maton to the roster.

Has Kansas City replaced Oakland as the White Sox house of horrors?

For years and years, the White Sox seemingly couldn't win a game in Oakland to save their lives. Now that the Athletics have moved to Sacramento, the Oakland Coliseum is no longer a place for teams to visit.

But it seems to me that Kansas City has replaced Oakland as the house of horrors for the Sox. During the Pedro Grifol era (2023-24), the Sox went 2-11 at Kauffman Stadium -- including 0-7 in 2024.

During those seven games, the White Sox scored eight runs. Total. Averaging just over one run per game generally gets you beat. Then on Monday night, the Sox got shut out, 3-0, in their first game of 2025 in Kansas City.

The continuation of a trend.

Believe it or not, the Sox scored three runs on Tuesday night. Their cup runneth over! And they took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. But then this sequence of events happened:

1. Relief pitcher Cam Booser walked pinch-hitter Mark Canha on five pitches.
2. Drew Waters hit a routine infield fly. Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth missed the ball, and it clanged off his face into right field. Canha held at first, understandably believing the ball would be caught. Sox right fielder Michael A. Taylor had a chance to force Canha at second, but his throw airmailed Sox shortstop Jacob Amaya, and everyone was safe. You read that right: The ball hit Meidroth right in the face.
3. Freddy Fermin attempted to give the Sox an out with a sacrifice bunt. But Booser was slow to cover the bunt up the third-base line. By the time he retrieved the ball, the Sox had no play anywhere. Bases loaded, no outs.
4. Kyle Isbel popped up to third baseman Josh Rojas. The ball did not hit him in the face. He caught it. Even if he hadn't, the infield fly rule was called. One out.
5. With the infield at double-play depth, Jonathan India grounded one back up the middle. Amaya ranged to his left and dove to glove the ball. From the seat of his pants, he made a toss to second to try to get the force, but it was errant. Everyone was safe. Tying run scores. Bases still loaded.
6. Kansas City's all-world shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. hit a deep fly ball to center field. Luis Robert Jr. let it drop for a walk-off single. Even if he had made the catch, it would have been a game-winning sacrifice fly.

4-3 Royals. The Sox are 10-26. There are 126 games left to play. 

White Sox opener strategy works ... sort of

Give White Sox manager Will Venable credit for trying something new. 

The Athletics have a left-handed-dominant top of the batting order, and the Sox have nothing but right-handers in their starting rotation. 

It's a matchup made in hell, so Venable used a left-handed reliever to pitch the first inning of all three games in Sacramento this weekend, and then he went to his regularly scheduled right-handed starter in the second inning.

Even though the Sox lost two of three games, it mostly worked. Tyler Gilbert pitched a scoreless first inning Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Brandon Eisert allowed one run in the first inning Sunday. 

The right-handers who followed them pitched well. On Sunday, Davis Martin tossed six shutout innings. Jonathan Cannon got his first win of the season Saturday when he allowed three runs over 7.2 innings. Sean Burke on Friday allowed three earned runs over 5.1 innings, which wasn't great, but it was an improvement over his previous outings.

Here's a look back at the weekend that was:

Friday, April 25

Athletics 6, White Sox 5: The Sox took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth, but Burke got in trouble. With two on and two outs, Jacob Wilson singled to center, and Luis Robert Jr. booted the ball, allowing both runners to score and tie the game at 3.

The A's tacked on two in the seventh and one in the eighth to take a 6-3 into the ninth. The Sox rallied against closer Mason Miller. Lenyn Sosa singled and scored on a two-run homer by Brooks Baldwin. Miguel Vargas lined out to center, and Edgar Quero just missed tying the game on a fly ball to right that was caught at the wall.

Four good ABs in a row, and then Robert Jr. struck out on three pitches, the last of which was nowhere near a strike. It was a tough game for Robert Jr. overall: 1 for 4 with three strikeouts and the crucial error that flipped the game in the Athletics' favor.

Saturday, April 26 

White Sox 10, Athletics 3: Robert Jr. redeemed himself with a solo home run in the top of the first that started a four-run rally. Quero walked, and then there were three straight RBI doubles by Sosa, Michael A. Taylor and Baldwin.

The Sox added two more in the second inning and jumped out to an early 6-0. Cannon (1-3) made it work from there with his best outing of the season. He struck out five and walked two, while allowing six hits over his 7.2 innings.

Taylor finished 3 for 5 with three doubles. Quero and Vargas also had two-hit games.

Sunday, April 27

Athletics 3, White Sox 2 (10 inn.): The Sox had 14 men reach base in this game -- nine hits, four walks and a hit batsman. You would think that would be a recipe for more than two runs, but you'd be wrong.

Joshua Palacios hit a solo home run to start the game, but the Sox didn't score again until the top of the 10th when Robert Jr. plated the ghost runner with an RBI single to put the South Siders ahead 2-1.

Quero then singled, advancing Robert Jr. to third with only one out. It looked like the Sox might break the game open. Alas, Andrew Vaughn grounded into a double play to drop his average down to .157 and kill the inning.

That proved really costly because the Sox needed another run. Jordan Leasure (0-2) gave up a homer to Luis Urias in the bottom of the 10th with the ghost runner aboard, and that provided the winning margin for the Athletics.

The Sox stranded 10 runners, went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and hit into two double plays. Woof.

The 10-game road trip is over. The Sox went 3-7 and are now 7-21 for the season. They start a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night at Rate Field.

Luis Robert Jr., Andrew Vaughn continue to fail White Sox

The top of the fifth inning of Tuesday night's game against the Minnesota Twins summed up White Sox baseball for me this season.

The Sox were trailing 2-1, but they had a promising start to the inning. Singles by Nick Maton and Andrew Benintendi put runners on first and third with nobody out against struggling Minnesota starter Bailey Ober, who entered this game with a 6.16 ERA.

The table was set for the No. 3 and No. 4 batters in the Sox lineup, Luis Robert Jr. and Andrew Vaughn.

Well, you can guess what happened, and none of it was good. Robert had a chance to do damage on two middle-middle changeups from Ober, but he fouled both of them off. Having gotten away with a couple of mistakes, Ober then came up with a quality pitch, acing Robert with a fastball on the corner for a called strike three.

Vaughn jumped ahead in the count 2-0, but you wouldn't know he was at an advantage based upon the pitch he swung at -- a breaking ball down and on the outside corner. It was a pitch that was designed to get Vaughn to roll over, and he obliged, bouncing into a 6-4-3 double play. 

Inning over. No runs.

Why swing at that pitch when you are ahead in the count? Who knows?

A potential big inning was derailed, and the Sox went on to lose 4-2.

Robert is now hitting .151 with a .527 OPS. Vaughn is batting .145 with a .461 OPS. These are the guys the Sox are counting on to be the big run producers in the middle of the lineup.

No wonder they are 5-18. It's time to move on from both players. Hopefully, that will happen sometime in 2025.