White Sox continue to waste everyone's time with lousy performances

Dylan Cease

Change the game? More like change the channel.

The White Sox continue to make their fans wish this 2020 season had never gotten off the ground. The South Siders fell to 1-4 Tuesday with two lousy performances in a doubleheader at Cleveland.

The Indians took the opener, 4-3, and won the nightcap, 5-3.

Both games were characterized by horrendous starting pitching by the Sox. The Indians scored two in the first inning in Game 1, and three in the first inning in Game 2. For those wondering, the Sox have now been outscored 13-1 in the first inning through five games.

That is not a recipe for success.

Game 1 starter Dylan Cease didn't make it through the third inning. He gave up as many hits (seven) as he got outs. He allowed four runs, including homers to Francisco Lindor and Bradley Zimmer.

And, oh yeah, the Sox offense stinks too. They left 11 runners on base in the one-run loss and twice failed to score when they had bases loaded with one out. Cleveland starter Aaron Civale totaled a career-high nine strikeouts, and Indians pitching racked up 14 strikeouts overall.

This reminds me of 2018, not the competitive Sox team we were told to expect in 2020.

You know what else reminds me of 2018? Nicky Delmonico hitting in the cleanup spot in Game 2. Yep, that happened. You start to wonder whether manager Rick Renteria is trolling fans with these lineups.

It doesn't help that two starting outfielders, Eloy Jimenez (concussion protocol) and Nomar Mazara (COVID-19, I presume) are currrently unavailable. But Delmonico hitting fourth is not good lineup optimization.

Of course, the starting pitching was again horrendous in Game 2. Carlos Rodon put the team in a 3-0 hole in the first inning. He lasted 3.2 innings and allowed five runs on four hits.

The first time through the rotation, Dallas Keuchel was the only Sox starter to last five innings. That's also the only time the Sox have won a game.

My preseason prediction of 27-33 is looking pretty optimistic right now. Of course, the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers -- two teams that lost more than 100 games last season -- appear on the Sox's schedule 10 times each. You'd like to believe the Sox could go 12-8 or 13-7 against those two clubs.

If that happens, they'd only need to go 14-26 against all other teams to reach my lofty prediction. So far, they are 1-4.

It's still doable, right? What a mess.

White Sox lose two out of three to Minnesota Twins in opening series

Nelson Cruz

They say starting pitching sets the tone, right?

Well, Lucas Giolito was terrible in the season opener Friday night, and the White Sox lost to the Minnesota Twins, 10-5. And Reynaldo Lopez was a combination of bad and injured Sunday, and that led to a 14-2 loss to Minnesota.

Fortunately, Dallas Keuchel had a good outing in the second game of the three-game series, and the Sox won that one going away, 10-3.

We also learned in this opening series that Minnesota slugger Nelson Cruz still owns the Sox. He went a combined 7 for 13 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in these three games. Plenty of players don't produce that in a month.

And, we also learned that the baseball gods hate service time manipulation, as Leury Garcia's poor defense at second base played a key role in Giolito's demise Friday. Garcia botched two plays in the top of the first inning that helped the Twins score four runs.

Sure, Garcia redeemed himself in Game 2 with a home run from each side of the plate, but Garcia's presence in the lineup isn't the problem -- he's playing the wrong position. He should be in right field during Nomar Mazara's absence, and prospect Nick Madrigal should be playing second base. You have to believe Madrigal makes those plays Friday night, but the Sox sent him to Schaumburg to make sure they save a year of service time.

Typical, cheap, rebuilding sort of move from a team that claims to be a contender now.

The team that is "playing to win" has the shaky Garcia playing in the infield, and Nicky Delmonico is playing right field.

Delmonico, a career .223 hitter who cannot field, went 0 for 9 with a walk in the series and missed two cutoff men in the same inning. But hey! By Sunday, he had moved up to second in the lineup!

Go figure.

Here's some other thoughts on each game:

Friday, July 24
Twins 10, White Sox 5: First the good news. Yoan Moncada went 3 for 5 with a three-run homer in the second inning that tied the game at 5, after the Sox had fallen behind 5-1. And Luis Robert singled in his first MLB at-bat and finished 2 for 4 with a double. The prized rookie looked like he belonged from the very start.

Giolito, unfortunately, was terrible. He wasn't helped by Garcia's defense, but his fastball command was nowhere to be found. He gave up two home runs to Max Kepler, including one on the first pitch of the season. He lasted only 3.2 innings, allowing seven earned runs on six hits. He struck out three and walked three.

The short outing caused manager Rick Renteria to run through his bullpen trying to keep the game close. Eight Sox pitchers were used. Seven relievers combined to give up three runs, and the Sox did not score again after Moncada's homer in the second. It was an ugly season opener.

Saturday, July 25
White Sox 10, Twins 3: The South Siders beat the Twins at their own game in this one, homering five times. Sure, Cruz got his for Minnesota -- he hit a three-run shot off Steve Cishek in the sixth.

However, the rest of this game was all Sox. Garcia's two homers produced four runs. Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer in the fifth, and Eloy Jimenez backed him up with a solo shot. James McCann also homered in the sixth.

That made a winner out of Keuchel, who was very good. He limited the Twins to only one hit through five. Minnesota got a couple of singles off him in the sixth, and he ended up being charged with two runs when Cishek allowed his inherited runners to score.

Nevertheless, it was an encouraging outing for the veteran lefty, who has looked good every time he's gone to the mound this month.

Sunday, July 26
Twins 14, White Sox 2: This game can be summed up on one play in the top of the first inning. Jake Cave hit a grand slam off Lopez with two outs, and Jimenez crashed into the wall and hurt himself trying to make a play on the ball, which cleared the fence quite easily, frankly.

Two batters later, Lopez still was not out of the inning and he left trailing 4-0 with right shoulder tightness. Jimenez continued for one more inning, before leaving with lightheadedness.

Gio Gonzalez provided little relief, as he was touched up for five runs in the top of the second inning. So, it was 9-0 Twins after an inning and a half.

Nobody would have blamed you if you turned off your TV, although you would have missed Robert's first career homer, a two-run shot in the fifth.

And, you know, Cruz went 4 for 5 with two doubles, two homers and seven RBIs. Get that guy out of our sight already.

Next up for the Sox is a three-game series in Cleveland against the Indians. Here are your pitching probables:

Monday, 6:10 p.m.: Dylan Cease vs. Aaron Civale
Tuesday, 6:10 p.m.: Carlos Rodon vs. Zach Plesac
Wednesday, 5:10 p.m: Giolito (0-1, 17.18 ERA) vs. Shane Bieber (1-0, 0.00 ERA(

Nomar Mazara is out. Now what for the White Sox in right field?

Nomar Mazara

White Sox right fielder Nomar Mazara did not play in either of this week's exhibition games against the Cubs. Manager Rick Renteria described Mazara as being "under the weather."

Today, Mazara was placed on the 10-day injured list. No explanation has been given. We can speculate on what's going on, but what we know is that Mazara will not be in the lineup for Friday's season opener against the Minnesota Twins.

In fact, he won't be eligible to return until Aug. 1, so what do the Sox do in right field in the meantime? In a 60-game season, a good start is even more important than usual. And it's especially crucial for the Sox, given that they start the season with the Twins and the Cleveland Indians -- the two clubs that are expected to be the front-runners in the AL Central.

Well, I guess it depends on who the second baseman is. Will it be prized prospect Nick Madrigal or veteran utility player Leury Garcia?

If it's Madrigal, then Garcia can fill the gap in right, perhaps as part of a time share with Adam Engel. Perhaps Garcia, a switch-hitter, starts against right-handed pitchers, while Engel, a right-handed hitter, starts against lefties.

Here's a look at the platoon splits for each player in 2019:

Garcia vs. RHP: .264/.294/.348
Garcia vs. LHP: .311/.344/.443

Engel vs RHP: .201/.272/.326
Engel vs LHP: .313/.360/.482

The numbers tell us Garcia is stronger from the right side of the plate. But Engel's numbers against righties are pathetic, while Garcia's are acceptable. For me, it then makes sense to play Garcia against righties.

And while Garcia performed just fine against lefties, Engel hits them harder, so I would give him the start on the rare occasions when the Sox face a lefty starter -- there aren't a lot of them in the AL Central, and Minnesota's Rich Hill is probably the only one the Sox will see during the season's first week.

But, what if the Sox decide to hold Madrigal back for service time or some other reason that I'm not thinking of? Then Garcia is the second baseman, and Engel is the best choice in right field.

I'm cringing a little bit as I look at the lineup for Wednesday night's exhibition against the Milwaukee Brewers. Garcia is at second base. OK, perhaps the Sox are tipping their hand at what they are going to do at that position.

But then in right field, it's not Engel. It's ... Nicky Delmonico? The career .227 hitter who doesn't have a position he can play competently? Ugh.

I'm not a huge Engel fan, but at least he's a good outfielder. Engel is certainly not the best hitter, but he brings one major league-caliber skill to the team -- his glove.

What exactly does Delmonico do well?

I'll be disappointed if someone other than Garcia or Engel is getting time in right field during Mazara's absence.

Here are the 44 players coming to White Sox camp

The White Sox will report to Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday for their 2020 summer camp, ahead of the anticipated July 24 opening of the season.

As many as 60 players can participate, but for now, the Sox are bringing 44. Additional players eventually will be added to bring the roster to the full complement of 60, but general manager Rick Hahn says those players will not report until mid-July.

Thirty players will make up the Opening Day roster, while the remainder will make up a "taxi squad," which will conduct workouts elsewhere in Chicago to stay ready in the event of an injury or a COVID-19 infection. It is anticipated that no minor league baseball will be played this summer.

For now, let's take a look at the 44 players, position by position:

Catchers (4): Yasmani Grandal, James McCann, Zack Collins, Yermin Mercedes

Comments: Grandal and McCann are roster locks, if healthy, and it remains to be seen whether the Sox want to use either Collins or Mercedes as a bench bat. Collins has the advantage of being a left-handed hitter, and of having had previous major league experience. Mercedes was impressive in March and played his way into the conversation.

Infielders (10): Jose Abreu, Leury Garcia, Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Edwin Encarnacion, Andrew Vaughn, Andrew Romine, Danny Mendick, Nick Madrigal, Cheslor Cuthbert

Comments: If healthy (a common phrase right now), Abreu, Anderson and Moncada are entrenched starters. Let's include Encarnacion in the entrenched starters group, as he will be the primary designated hitter. But what about second base? Garcia will be on the club as a super-utility guy, and the guess here is he starts the season at second base. The Sox will hold Madrigal back for a week for service time reasons. One week of sitting him out is all they need to retain another year of team control. Vaughn is a great prospect, but there are no at-bats for him right now at the big league level. Romine is a Quad-A extra who could see time in the event of an injury. Will Mendick make the 30-man roster, or will the Sox carry extra pitching? We'll see.

Outfielders (6): Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Nomar Mazara, Adam Engel, Nicky Delmonico, Luis Alexander Basabe

Comments: We know the starters, if healthy, are Jimenez, Robert and Mazara. We know Engel is the extra outfielder, and we know Garcia provides extra depth when he's not playing infield. Delmonico is on the roster bubble. He was impressive in March, but he has a thin track record against major league pitching. Basabe's inclusion shows the Sox view him as the most rosterable among the remaining outfield prospects not named Robert.

Starting pitchers (9): Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Dylan Cease, Gio Gonzalez, Michael Kopech, Carlos Rodon, Dane Dunning, Jimmy Lambert

Comments: Kopech and Rodon should be completely recovered and ready to go after elbow surgeries. Neither man was expected to be on the Opening Day roster had the season started as scheduled, but now we figure to see both in the Sox's rotation. Gonzalez may no longer be needed as a starter, since he was viewed as a stopgap to get the Sox through the April, May and June. Still, he's a veteran presence, so he'll be on the team, perhaps as a long reliever. Only Dunning and Lambert, two others who are coming off elbow surgery, figure to not make the Opening Day roster. Suddenly, the Sox have seven starting pitchers to choose from.

Relief pitchers (15): Alex Colome, Aaron Bummer, Jimmy Cordero, Jace Fry, Kelvin Herrera, Steve Cishek, Carson Fulmer, Evan Marshall, Jose Ruiz, Ian Hamilton, Ross Detwiler, Codi Heuer, Tayron Guerrero, Tyler Johnson, Drew Anderson

Comments: Will they carry eight relievers? Perhaps nine? Maybe even 10? I guess it depends on how much they want to protect their starting pitchers, who probably won't be ready to pitch deep into ballgames right at the start of the season. The roster locks, if healthy, are Colome, Bummer, Cordero, Fry, Herrera, Cishek and Marshall. There's seven. At the start of the year, we thought Fulmer would get one more kick at the can because he's out of options. Maybe that's still true. Heuer impressed in Arizona in March and is a dark horse to make the roster.

Notable omissions: RHP Zack Burdi, C Seby Zavala, OF Micker Adolfo, OF Blake Rutherford, OF Luis Gonzalez, LHP Garrett Crochet, RHP Jared Kelley

Comments: Any or all of these guys could be added when the roster fills out to 60. It's a surprise Burdi isn't in the mix in the first group, just because so much has been invested in the former first-round pick. I figure Zavala will eventually come on board. What if two of the other four catchers get the coronavirus? Wouldn't it be nice to have a good defensive catcher such as Zavala hanging around? I believe so. As we said in the outfielders section, evidently Basabe is more highly regarded that the other fringy outfield prospects, all of whom I included on this list. Crochet and Kelley are the Sox's top two draft picks. Is there any plan for them this year? Crochet, in particular, could contribute immediately as a reliever, depending on how the Sox want to develop him.

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 place Jace Fry on the injured list, release Nicky Delmonico

White Sox relief pitcher Jace Fry has been placed on the injured list with a swollen ERA, errr ... left shoulder soreness.

The move is retroactive to Saturday, and I can only hope that Fry has been struggling because he is hurt. He's been one of the most disappointing players on the Sox this season, compiling a 1-2 record and a 5.97 ERA in 28 appearances.

Fry has given up 21 hits and walked 17 batters in 23.1 innings pitched. That's a lot of base runners, and Aaron Bummer clearly has passed him as the most reliable left-handed relief option on the team.

The move makes room on the 25-man roster for Odrisamer Despaigne, who had his contract purchased from Triple-A Charlotte. Despaigne is taking the starting rotation spot of Dylan Covey, who also is on the injured list with the dreaded shoulder soreness.

In the tradition of Mike Pelfrey and Chris Volstad, Despaigne stands to take a beating every fifth day, because the Sox are too timid to call up a legitimate prospect such as Dylan Cease. (Yes, I'm aware that Cease had a bad outing Sunday at Charlotte, but you will never convince me that Despaigne is a better option than Cease.)

Despaigne, 32, is a veteran of 106 major league games, including 47 starts. He has previously pitched for the Padres, Orioles, Marlins and Angels, going 13-24 with a 4.94 ERA. He's not good, and I will assume the Sox will lose every time he takes the mound.

Of course, Despaigne also had to be added to the 40-man roster. To make room, Nicky Delmonico was granted his release. The outfielder is out for the season after having surgery on his left shoulder for a torn labrum.

Delmonico, 26, is a career .227 hitter and may not see the major leagues again. 

Eloy Jimenez comes off the injured list; Nicky Delmonico optioned to Triple-A Charlotte

Eloy Jimenez

.186, .189 and .220.

I arrived at Guaranteed Rate Field on Sunday and looked at the White Sox starting lineup on the scoreboard, and it was hard not to notice the pathetic averages for the Nos. 4, 5 and 6 hitters in the batting order.

Yonder Alonso, Welington Castillo and Nicky Delmonico lived up to those ugly numbers, going 0 for 12 with five strikeouts in a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

It's too bad, because a quality start by Reynaldo Lopez went to waste, and the Sox (21-24) missed an opportunity to take three out of four from the struggling Blue Jays (19-28). The South Siders had to settle for a split of the four-game series, and a split of the six-game homestand.

But there's help on the way. Eloy Jimenez has been activated off the injured list and is in the lineup for the series opener Monday against the Houston Astros. Jimenez has been out since spraining his ankle April 26 in a collision with the left-field wall. He went 7 for 22 with a homer in five games on a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Charlotte.

To make room on the roster, the Sox optioned Delmonico to Charlotte. His batting average is down to .206, and we know he isn't much with the glove, either. It's hard to see a role for Delmonico in Chicago over the long haul. He'll likely be joining Adam Engel on the organizational scrap heap.

As for Jimenez, it's a relief to have him back. The injury, when it happened, looked bad enough that I thought Jimenez would be sidelined until at least June 1. It's May 20, and he's returning. Hopefully, he doesn't have any run-ins with the Crawford boxes in left field in Houston, and hopefully, he can help provide some lineup protection for Jose Abreu.

This figures to be a challenging week for the Sox. They are on the road to play the two best teams in the American League -- the Astros (31-16) and the Minnesota Twins (30-16).

It's a seven-game trip, and I'd be thrilled with 3-4. Frankly, I'd take 2-5 right now if you offered it to me.

Palka to Charlotte; Giolito to IL; Cordell excels; Fulmer flops

The White Sox on Wednesday optioned outfielder Daniel Palka to Triple-A Charlotte, just hours after he broke an 0-for-32 slump with a broken-bat single in a 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals.

Of course, Palka also grounded into a double play with the bases loaded and one out in a tie game in the bottom of the eighth inning, and he also made the final out of the game in the bottom of the 10th -- making weak contact in both at-bats.

It was time to send him down. Past time, in fact.

Amid all the Tim Anderson controversy, it was almost forgotten that pitcher Lucas Giolito had to leave Wednesday's game in the third inning with left hamstring tightness. It was unfortunate, because Giolito had his good stuff working. He had not allowed a hit and struck out five through 2.2 innings.

These two roster moves allowed Ryan Cordell and Carson Fulmer to return from Charlotte for Thursday's game in Detroit, a 9-7 White Sox loss. 

Cordell started in right field batting ninth, and went 3 for 4 with his second home run of the season, which briefly gave the Sox a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning. On this blog, we previously endorsed Cordell's recall from Charlotte, although I had suggested he replace Adam Engel, not Palka.

In any case, Cordell seems to be the best of the bad options in the Sox outfield right now. He's swinging the bat better than Palka, Engel or Nicky Delmonico, who is at Charlotte.

As we've stated before, Cordell should not be seen as a long-term solution to anything, and as a Sox fan, I long for the day when we aren't talking about shuffling through a bunch of never-will-be outfielders. But, this is the situation right now, and the Sox need to give the playing time to the man who is doing the best job.

At the moment, that's Cordell. Give it a week, and it might be someone else's turn.

As for Fulmer, he found himself on the mound in the eighth inning of a 7-7 game Thursday, and he gave up two runs and lost it on a single, two hit batters and two sacrifice flies. Fulmer continued his longstanding habit of giving things away by loading the bases with the two hit batsmen.

I didn't really like Fulmer being on the mound in that situation on his first day back in the bigs, but in fairness to Sox manager Rick Renteria, he lacks good options in the bullpen.

For me, Fulmer is a symbol of why the Sox rebuild has stagnated. The rebuild proponents want to the team to tank again for draft position this season, but the thing is, the Sox haven't done a good job with their first-round draft picks, of which Fulmer is one.

He's out of options, and this might be his last kick at the can with the Sox organization. Can a rebuild really work for an organization that a) doesn't draft well and b) doesn't want to spend in free agency?

It doesn't look good. The Sox (7-12) lost 100 games last season; they are on pace for 99 losses this season. As a friend texted me this afternoon, "This just keeps getting worse." 

Reports: White Sox working on long-term deal with Eloy Jimenez

Eloy Jimenez

So, there's hope that all that nonsense about Eloy Jimenez's service time will become a moot point.

Reports say the top prospect and the White Sox are close to agreeing on a contract that would put Jimenez under team control for the next eight seasons. Jimenez would get $43 million guaranteed over six years, and he could earn up to $77.5 million over eight years if two club options are triggered.

In other words, if this contract is signed, there is no need for the Sox to bury Jimenez in the minors for the first three weeks of the regular season in order to get a seventh year of team control -- now they've got him for eight.

As we've said all along, Jimenez appears to be the best starting option at a corner outfield spot, so that means he should be there on Opening Day.

Fingers crossed that it all works out, because the Sox are a team desperately lacking in buzz. They haven't even sold out their home opener yet.

If Jimenez is going to be on the team, that has ramifications for position battles in the final week of Cactus League play, too.

For the sake of argument, let's say the Sox are going to carry 13 pitchers. Personally, I think 12 is enough, but let's be honest, the Sox disagree with that. They've been carrying 13 pitchers for the past several seasons, and I fully expect them to break camp that way this spring.

That leaves room for 12 position players. Here's how it would look with Jimenez in the fold:

C: Welington Castillo
1B: Jose Abreu
2B: Yolmer Sanchez
SS: Tim Anderson
3B: Yoan Moncada
LF: Jimenez
CF: Adam Engel
RF: Jon Jay
DH: Yonder Alonso
Bench: James McCann
Bench: Leury Garcia
Bench: ????????

Daniel Palka, Jose Rondon and Nicky Delmonico are on the bubble. Before this Jimenez news, you'd have three men battling for two spots. Now, you've got three men for one spot.

I'm thinking Delmonico is an odd man out. Palka vs. Rondon is a much tougher call. Palka has that one big skill that nobody else on the team has -- left-handed power -- but that's all he does. Meanwhile, Rondon is right-handed hitter who hits lefties and can handle all infield positions competently.

Not an easy decision, but it's a decision I'd be happy to see the Sox have to make if Jimenez is coming north with the team.

Eloy Jimenez's spring training slump provides cover for White Sox front office

Eloy Jimenez

Eloy Jimenez would have been called up to the big leagues last season if it weren't for service time manipulation.

Let's just be honest about it. The White Sox aren't *that* concerned with his outfield defense. They are concerned about what their payroll will look like seven years from now, and they want to delay Jimenez's free agency for as long as possible.

For that reason, he will start this season at Triple-A Charlotte, even if he were hitting .997 in the Cactus League.

While I believe Jimenez, the No. 3 prospect in baseball, should be starting at a corner outfield spot for the Sox on Opening Day, the reality is we won't see him until about mid-April at the earliest. After that, the Sox can call him up without losing a year of team control.

And make no mistake, some in the front office have to be breathing a sigh of relief that Jimenez is 3 for 23 with eight strikeouts and only one home run so far this spring. If this continues for another week or two, Sox brass will be able to point to this slump as a good reason to keep Jimenez in the minors for a little while longer.

They won't be completely wrong. As a rule, I'm in favor of calling players to the majors for the first time when they are playing well, not when they are struggling.

However, I don't think Jimenez is your typical prospect. I don't think this slump will lessen his confidence. He didn't seem concerned in this latest interview, and I think he believes that he's a big-leaguer right now, today. That's half the battle right there.

Regardless of what anyone says, Jimenez is without question the best corner outfield option on the Sox's 40-man roster. No way Jon Jay, Daniel Palka or Nicky Delmonico should be playing ahead of him.

His cold spring hasn't cooled my opinion on him. I want to see him in the major leagues, and I think it pretty much stinks that he's being held back because of silly service time rules that hopefully will be changed in the next collective bargaining agreement.

Early list of 2019 SoxFest attendees released

Dewayne Wise

SoxFest 2019 will take place from Jan. 25 to 27 at the Chicago Hilton, and believe it or not, that's only about a month away.

I've already got my hotel package booked, so I got an email this week with an early list of players scheduled to attend the event. Let's have a look:

Current players:
Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, Nicky Delmonico, Adam Engel, Jace Fry, Lucas Giolito, Leury Garcia, Michael Kopech, Reynaldo Lopez, Yoan Moncada, Daniel Palka, Yolmer Sanchez.

Prospects:
Micker Adolfo, Luis Alexander Basabe, Dylan Cease, Zack Collins, Eloy Jimenez, Nick Madrigal, Luis Robert.

Coaches:
Rick Renteria, Daryl Boston, Nick Capra, Don Cooper, Curt Hasler, Joe McEwing, Greg Sparks, Todd Steverson.

Alumni:
Harold Baines, Carlton Fisk, Ken Harrelson, Carlos May, Bill Melton, Tim Raines, Jim Thome, Dewayne Wise.

Broadcasters:
Jason Benetti, Steve Stone, Ed Farmer Darrin Jackson.

A few thoughts:

1. Props to Giolito for showing up. Usually, when a guy has a bad season he doesn't want anything to do with the fans at SoxFest the following winter.

2. Early favorite for most crowded autograph line: Jimenez. They probably will pare him with someone that few fans will be interested in, such as Delmonico.

3. I'm not sure Baines and Fisk have any stories left to tell that I haven't already heard. Of course, Baines is a team ambassador, and he was just elected to the Hall of Fame, so I'm sure the Sox will try to capitalize on that with a seminar of some sort.

4. Wise is an unusual name to appear on the guest list. I guess 2019 is the 10-year anniversary of Mark Buehrle's perfect game -- and Wise's spectacular catch to preserve that achievement -- but reflecting on that day isn't worth much if Buehrle isn't around to share in it.

5. What, no Ron Kittle?

White Sox non-tender Avisail Garcia, Matt Davidson; sign Leury Garcia

Avisail Garcia

The White Sox must be confident that they can sign a corner outfielder as a free agent this offseason.

How else to explain their decision Friday to non-tender right fielder Avisail Garcia? Infielder Matt Davidson also was non-tendered, and utility player Leury Garcia was signed to a one-year, $1.55 million contract.

First, Avisail Garcia: In principle, I agree with the decision to move on from him. Yes, he was a 2017 All-Star, but that .330 batting average and full season of health from that year was the exception in his career, not the norm.

Avisail Garcia in 2018 reverted back to what we've seen him be throughout most of his Sox career -- injury-plagued and inconsistent. While he hit a career-high 19 home runs, injuries limited him to 93 games, and his .236/.281/.438 slash line was not up to par. In particular, the batting average and on-base percentage were poor, well below his career norms.

But let's take a longer term view of Avisail Garcia's career. He's been with the Sox for five years, so we have a good sample size:

2014: .244/.305/.413
2015: .257/.309/.365
2016: .245/.307.385
2017: .330./380/.506
2018: .236/.281/.438

I think it's time to cue up our friend, Cookie Monster:

That's right, Cookie. One of these things is not like the other things. And, in this case, that thing is Avisail Garcia's 2017 season. We can wish for him to be that guy all we want, but I think he's much closer to the player we saw from 2014-16 and again in 2018.

It's OK to move on from Avisail for just that reason: Four years of mediocrity or worse trumps one career year. The key is, you have to replace him. So, Rick Hahn, spend some money and replace him, please.

We know Eloy Jimenez is going to get his chance in left field for the Sox in 2019. He hit a grand slam in his first game in the Dominican Winter League this week. That's one corner outfielder. Who is the other one? It won't be Avisail Garcia, and I'm hear to tell you it isn't going to be Daniel Palka (he's a DH) or Nicky Delmonico, either.

As for Davidson, he's had two full years with the Sox and hit 20 home runs or more in both, but he's also a career .226 hitter. Sure, he improved his on-base percentage from .260 to .319 in 2018. He's to be commended for that, but that's still not good enough from a bat-only player. Davidson came up as a third baseman, but he rarely plays there anymore. He's been mostly a designated hitter and a first baseman, and guys who do that either need to bat higher than .230, or hit 30-plus homers. I don't think Davidson is that guy. Let's move on.

Leury Garcia, hey, his ability to play center field might be saving him. Jose Rondon, 24, is a younger, cheaper and possibly more effective option than the 27-year-old Leury Garcia as a backup infielder. However, we've not seen Rondon play outfield, and we have seen Leury Garcia fill in at all three outfield spots -- including center field.

That sort of utility, the ability to play six positions, keeps guys around in this era when teams are carrying 13 pitchers and only 12 position players. Now, I would argue that Leury Garcia plays none of those six positions particularly well, but the Sox don't seem to care about that. They want roster flexibility, and this is a player who provides it.

I'm assuming a prospect eventually will come up from the minors and unseat the Adam Engel-Leury Garcia combination in center field, and I'm not expecting that position to be addressed in free agency this offseason.

Hard to envision Nicky Delmonico sticking with the 2019 White Sox

The White Sox activated Jose Abreu from the disabled list for Monday night's game against the Kansas City Royals.

The Sox's first baseman and best hitter hasn't played since Aug. 20, and his three-week-long absence opened the door for Nicky Delmonico, Matt Davidson and Daniel Palka to get more consistent playing time.

With Abreu back, one of these guys is likely to sit more often. It's probably going to be Delmonico, who hasn't done enough this season to make his 2017 success seem like anything more than a fluke.

I was reminded of what a rough time Delmonico has been having as I watched Sunday's game, a 1-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels that capped a gloomy 3-7 homestand for the Sox.

Delmonico was summoned to pinch hit for Ryan LaMarre with runners at the corners and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Angels manager Mike Scioscia made an unorthodox countermove, knowing the Sox had no right-handed hitters left on the bench. He pulled his closer -- right-hander Blake Parker -- and replaced him with left-hander Jose Alvarez, who did not have a single save all season.

Well, Alvarez has one save now after striking out Delmonico on five pitches -- all of them breaking balls. The first two pitches were both hangers, begging to be hit hard somewhere, if not into the seats. Despite the lefty-lefty matchup, Delmonico had a great chance to be a hero, but he fouled off both hangers and dug himself an 0-2 hole in the count that he never recovered from.

Missed opportunities have become a trend for Delmonico, as he's been a combination of injured and bad throughout the 2018 season. His season statistics are lingering behind those of Davidson and the surprising Palka, who was an afterthought coming out of spring training.

Delmonico: .215/.301/.389, 8 HRs, 24 RBIs, 11 2Bs, 4 3Bs in 279 ABs
Davidson: .235/.330/.451, 20 HRs, 58 RBIs, 22 2Bs, 0 3Bs in 436 ABs
Palka: .237/.285/.469, 21 HRs, 55 RBIs, 14 2Bs, 3 3Bs, in 382 ABs

None of these three players provide much in the way of defensive utility. Both Delmonico and Palka are substandard corner outfielders. At least Palka has enough arm to play both left and right field. Delmonico never moves off left field, other than the occasional appearance at first base. Davidson is a below-average defender at both corner infield positions.

In short, all three of these men need to hit to justify their roster spots. Davidson and Palka both are flawed players, but they have brought more to the table offensively than Delmonico this season. Palka has the highest batting average and slugging percentage. He has hit a team-best six home runs in the ninth inning. Davidson has the highest on-base percentage. Both Palka and Davidson are challenging Abreu (22 HRs) for the team's home run lead.

Granted, Delmonico has had fewer at-bats -- a broken bone in his hand earlier in the season limited his playing time. But his production just wouldn't compare even if you gave him another 100 to 150 at-bats or so to bring him equal with the opportunities Palka and Davidson have had.

I do not see a roster spot available in 2019 for Delmonico. He can't make the team ahead of other fringe guys such as Davidson and Palka, and with Eloy Jimenez on the horizon and Abreu and Avisail Garcia both likely to return next season, it's looking as though there aren't any more spots for corner outfielders and 1B/DH types, especially ones that can't punish a hanging slider with the game on the line.

White Sox win series vs. Royals; Michael Kopech to pitch Tuesday

James Shields

We won't bury the lead this time: The announcement that Michael Kopech is pitching Tuesday was the biggest White Sox news of the weekend.

More on that later, but first, let's recap the weekend series against the Kansas City Royals, in which the Sox (46-77) won two games out of three.

Friday, Aug. 17
White Sox 9, Royals 3: It looked as though James Shields (5-14) was on his way to his 15th loss. When he walked off the mound after getting the third out in the top of the seventh inning, the Sox were trailing, 3-2.

Instead, Shields earned his fifth victory after the Sox scored seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. The rally was highlighted by a pair of three-run homers, one by Jose Abreu that gave the Sox a 5-3, the other by Nicky Delmonico that made it 9-3 and put the game out of reach.

Abreu increased his RBI total to 76 with one swing of the bat. His quest for 100 RBIs will be one of the stories to watch over the remaining 39 games.

Saturday, Aug. 18
Royals 3, White Sox 1: This was a brutal offensive game for the Sox, as they went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and struck out 13 times.

Delmonico homered for the second straight day -- his fifth of the season -- but the highlights pretty much began and ended there.

Dylan Covey (4-10) pitched better than he usually does. He held Kansas City off the scoreboard through the first five innings and took a 1-0 lead into the sixth.

However, he allowed two runs in the sixth and was removed from the game with two outs. That was enough for him to take another loss.

Sunday, Aug. 19
White Sox 7, Royals 6: Reynaldo Lopez gave up six runs in the second inning and was gone by the third with the Sox trailing, 6-0. It wasn't looking too good.

However, the Royals blew that lead with ruthless efficiency. Kansas City starter Heath Fillmyer gave up six consecutive hits to open the bottom of the fourth inning.

Abreu singled. Daniel Palka singled. Avisail Garcia hit a three-run homer. Delmonico singled. Tim Anderson hit a two-run homer. Omar Narvaez hit a solo homer. In a span of about 10 to 12 pitches, the score went from 6-0 Royals to a 6-6 tie.

See ya later, Fillmyer.

The Sox took the lead for good in the fifth when Narvaez singled home Garcia, who had walked, with two outs.

Surprisingly, the Sox got seven shutout innings from their bullpen, led by Hector Santiago (5-3), who worked four innings in long relief. He struck out six and allowed only two hits, and that gave the Sox a chance to get back in the game.

Six relievers were needed in this game, but they all did the job, culminating in Jace Fry striking out the last two batters of the game to earn his second save.

Kopech to pitch Tuesday

The Sox in the third inning Sunday announced on the scoreboard that Kopech would be coming up to make his highly anticipated major league debut Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins.

The only complaint I have about this decision is that it didn't happen two weeks ago. Kopech basically has mastered the Triple-A level, overpowering hitters over his past seven starts, as we've discussed previously on this blog.

Even if he gets shelled Tuesday night, it's a good thing that he's coming to Chicago. It's time for him to learn at the big league level. Rewarding high-performing prospects with a more difficult challenge simply is the right thing to do, service time considerations be damned. And, the Sox need better players. They aren't 31 games under .500 by accident, so let's put better players on the team and try to win more games.

This is just so obviously the right move, and I'm looking forward to the game Tuesday.