Over the previous 13 years I'd been keeping track of White Sox non-roster invitees, the White Sox had never called more than 10 NRIs to the active roster over the course of the season, and 2020 was an outlier in that regard.
Due to the pandemic, teams opened the season with expanded rosters over the first month of the season, along with taxi squads that traveled to provide replacements in case of illness, so there were naturally more opportunities for healthy players to make random appearances when anybody (or any body) was needed.
In years not so compromised by global circumstances, a successful crop of NRIs, combined with typically unsuccessful White Sox MLB product, would results in six or seven players being added to the roster over the course of the season.
Now that we've established the context for this metric, it should be sufficiently jarring to inform you that the White Sox used 12 non-roster invitees over the course of the 2023 season. Let's update the unnecessarily big board so you can see it for yourself.
- 2023: Hanser Alberto, Oscar Colás, Declan Cronin, Billy Hamilton, Adam Haseley, Jake Marisnick, Keynan Middleton, Edgar Navarro, Sammy Peralta, Zach Remillard, Lane Ramsey, Jesse Scholtens,
- 2022: Tanner Banks, Kyle Crick, Carlos Pérez
- 2021: Andrew Vaughn, Nick Williams, Ryan Burr, Alex McRae, Mike Wright
- 2020: Codi Heuer, Jonathan Stiever, Drew Anderson, Brady Lail, McRae, Ross Detwiler, Cheslor Cuthbert, Nicky Delmonico, Luis Gonzalez, Nick Madrigal
- 2019: Evan Marshall, Ryan Goins, Matt Skole, Charlie Tilson, Zack Collins, Danny Mendick
- 2018: Chris Beck, Rob Scahill, Chris Volstad, Alfredo Gonzalez, Skole, Michael Kopech
- 2017: Anthony Swarzak, David Holmberg, Aaron Bummer, Jace Fry, Nicky Delmonico, Geovany Soto, Cody Asche
- 2016: Tim Anderson, Tyler Danish, Carson Fulmer, Jason Coats, Matt Purke, Hector Sanchez, Omar Narvaez
- 2015: Soto, Beck, Carlos Rodon, Scott Carroll, Micah Johnson
- 2014: Zach Putnam, Chris Bassitt, Scott Snodgress, Andy Wilkins
- 2013: Erik Johnson, Marcus Semien, Jake Petricka, Ramon Troncoso, David Purcey, Bryan Anderson
- 2012: Brian Bruney, Leyson Septimo, Eric Stults, Hector Gimenez, Ray Olmedo, Jordan Danks, Brian Omogrosso
- 2011: Bruney, Donny Lucy, Jeff Gray (and his journal), Josh Kinney, Shane Lindsay, Dallas McPherson
- 2010: Donny, Erick Threets
Given that the White Sox bullpen is accepting all applicants regardless of experience, the 2024 team could make a run at this record during the regular season. My guess is that they'll come up a few players short, because the 40-man roster contains enough starting pitching options and potential right fielders to alleviate the need for reaching as far as they stretched last season.
That said, enough areas on the depth chart are sparse enough that the White Sox are supplementing their capacity-crowd 40-man with 26 non-roster invitees. These are their stories.
Presumed Opening Day White Sox roster member
Pillar will make a $3 million salary if he makes the 26-man roster, and guys who command that type of salary on a split contract usually only sign with a team that has plans for them. Now that Dominic Fletcher and Zach DeLoach are on board, Pillar fits the fourth outfielder mode by complementing those left-handed bats in right field while covering center when Luis Robert Jr. needs a day. If Detroit starts Tarik Skubal on Opening Day, Pillar could be a tough name to remember on a Sox Machine Sporle quiz years from now.
Baby's first spring, hitters
All the other young hitters of note are either repeat visitors or already on the 40-man roster, which means they'll automatically be a part of the big league camp. Elko hit 28 homers and drove in 106 runs acorss three levels, and he's also well-regarded for his leadership. Although his performance in Birmingham hints at a ceiling (49 strikeouts against three walks over 34 games), this invite is, at the very least, a reward for a job well done last year.
Baby's first spring, pitchers
It's a little bit of a surprise that Bush wasn't an NRI for the Angels last year, given that he came off a strong season for Double-A Rocket City, but the lat strain he suffered during the spring would've made it moot. The White Sox made some tweaks to his delivery last year, and they'll get a long look at the progress he's made. Cannon was at one point last season the system's top healthy pitching prospect, but thankfully they've added insulation, because he's still trying to figure out what kind of pitcher he is.
Right-handed pitching depth
- Justin Anderson
- Joe Barlow
- Jesse Chavez
- Jake Cousins
- Chad Kuhl
- Edgar Navarro
- Nick Padilla
- Lane Ramsey
- Jake Woodford
Navarro, Padilla and Ramsey all spent time with the White Sox at various points during the 2023 season, and all cleared waivers at various points afterward.
Among the pitchers added from outside the organization, Chavez is the only one whose signing hadn't been previously leaked, as it was reported shortly after the White Sox issued their press release Thursday. He's nine days older than Chris Getz, and the White Sox would be his 10th team if he makes the roster. Elder millennials and Immaculate Grid players are rooting for him.
Cousins was one of those random late-blooming Milwaukee success stories, using a successful stint with the Schaumburg Boomers to propel himself back into affiliated ball. He posted 2.70 ERAs with excellent peripherals in part-time action in both 2021 and 2022, but elbow and shoulder injuries took their toll last year. When healthy, he throws his slider more than half the time, and sits 95-96 when he decides to use his fastball. He's also a Park Ridge native who will probably help the Sox sell more tickets if he makes the team.
Anderson struck out 127 batters over 102⅓ innings with the Angels from 2018 through 2019. Then he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2020 and hasn't returned to the majors since, spending all of 2023 in the Kansas City organization. Barlow only spent the last two months in KC's system, as he'd enjoyed two years of low-BABIP, high-leverage success for the Rangers before the wheels came off.
Woodford spent the last four seasons as a sixth starter/swingman with the Cardinals, but a useful run came crashing to a halt with a pair of shoulder issues that limited his availability and effectiveness. He's a sinker-sweeper pitcher who gets grounders when things are going well. He and Kuhl are the best bets to offer length from this group. Kuhl has a 31-45 record with a 4.98 ERA over seven big-league seasons, but after a rough start to his 2023 with the Nationals, he stepped away from the game to assist his wife in her battle with breast cancer.
Left-handed pitching depth
The White Sox have shown an interest in Ellard more than his draft status would suggest. They signed him for $20,000 out of Liberty University in the eighth round, but this is his second consecutive non-roster invitation, and they also sent him to the Arizona Fall League last season, where he did the best pitching of his pro career. I talked to him about his AFL performance back in November, and I hope he savored his tour of the national parks on his drive back.
Catchers for those pitchers
Robinson is the only new addition, and I wonder how long he'll be around. He signed with the White Sox back on Dec. 16, after the Sox traded for Max Stassi, but before they acquired Martín Maldonado. The Sox opened themselves to clearing one of their incumbent catchers by designating Pérez for assignment, but he cleared waivers and is still around. Between Pérez, Quero, Hackenberg and Korey Lee, the Sox would seem to have Charlotte and Birmingham taken care of, especially if Michael Turner is still in the mix coming up from Winston-Salem. Robinson had a nice season at Triple-A Louisville, but couldn't get a second crack at the majors after scuffling in 2022.
Organizational players
As the photo above shows, Mendick was last seen in a White Sox uniform being helped off the field after a collision with Adam Haseley destroyed his knee and cut short what looked like a promising season. He couldn't pick up where he left off with the Mets, although he returned to Upstate New York and practically replicated his career Triple-A line (.279/.364/.434) with Syracuse (.282/.369/.424). Remillard had a chance to usurp Mendick as the White Sox's go-to New York native, but the Troy product couldn't sustain his hot start and bunted every chance he got.
Payton is back after leaving the White Sox organization to sign with the Seibu Lions. It didn't go well, but maybe he's richer for the experience. Phillips is a tremendous defender with a bizarre laugh, so he's well-suited to provide some depth in the event Pillar doesn't work out, but Ortega's left-handedness no longer distinguishes him in the outfield picture.
Show something
It wouldn't be the end of the world if these guys went 0-for-3 in posting strong springs, but there'd be unique benefits to each. With the bullpen so unsettled, Leasure has an opportunity for high-leverage auditions if he can hit the ground running. An oblique injury interrupted Montgomery's spring training before it got started, so a strong, healthy showing this time around would allay concerns about core issues. Chris Getz amassed enough arms allow Nastrini to start the season in Charlotte without issue, but it'd be cool to see the flashes of impact he could provide in the event the punishing environment at Truist Field makes that harder to do when the regular season rolls around.
