As the White Sox get set to open the second half, the 26-man roster will look considerably different. Martín Maldonado and Danny Mendick were DFA'd, with Chuckie Robinson and Brooks Baldwin will replace them.
But also, Nick Senzel is around. Also, Yoán Moncada could be wrapping up his rehab stint. Also, a bunch of guys could be traded over the next dozen days.
In advance of waiting for the corresponding moves so the White Sox can field a full roster in Kansas City, here's a brief short-term forecast for all of the players operating under some degree of uncertainty.
Out: Danny Mendick and Lenyn Sosa, to different degrees
Mendick was designated assignment in order to make room for Nick Senzel, while you can never assume that any DFA will mark the end of a White Sox career, it certainly seems like the end of the line. Up until Adam Haseley crashed into Mendick's knee, he was the poster boy for making himself useful. He was healthy enough to play 115 games or more in four consecutive minor league seasons, and versatile enough to do so at seven different positions, and he parlayed that combination of ability and availability into six consecutive years of MLB action, which is no small feat for an undersized 22nd-round pick out of UMass-Lowell without a signature tool.
Sosa was merely optioned to Charlotte. He rode high during an eight-game hitting streak, only to go 2-for-22 with eight strikeouts over his next six games. The cold spell coincided with some atrocious play at second base, and while that's not a position he appears well-suited for, his bat is such that he needs to be able to cover at least two infield positions with some confidence. There should be reps at second base for him in Charlotte, although since the White Sox just released Jared Walsh, perhaps Sosa will play some first as well.
In: Brooks Baldwin
Speaking of guys who look worse at second, I've only closely watched Baldwin since the White Sox anointed him an everyday shortstop for the first time in his professional or collegiate career, and he looked better there than he did in the games where he played second opposite Jacob Gonzalez. That could merely be an unfortunate small sample of batted balls and positioning, but I'd hope that the White Sox simplify his to-do list and stick him at what's been his most regular position for the early going.
As James wrote in the news about Baldwin's call-up, he's universally lauded for his headiness, whether it's getting walking leads on stolen bases, cutting down lead runners, or roping the occasional dope.
But I'm getting a few Zach Remillard flashbacks from last year, in the sense that it's not great when a guy making an unlikely MLB debut is somehow the most reliable source of polished play. The league eventually figured out that Remillard would bunt at every given opportunity, his flexibility encouraged Pedro Grifol to play him in positions he wasn't great at, and everything slowly collapsed.
The hope is that Baldwin's keen sense of timing holds up under the pressures of the third deck, but I hope the Sox can wait at least a month before rolling out the And A Rookie Will Lead Them rhetoric.
In flux: Paul DeJong and Nicky Lopez
Going back to the idea of playing two infield positions with confidence, DeJong has played third base in three of the last five games, with Lopez playing at short in his last three starts.
By and large, both players have validated the White Sox's reasoning in acquiring them. Lopez should get the Gold Glove solely for making second base the only White Sox defensive position in the black according to Defensive Runs Saved, and he showed with Atlanta last year that he's more useful when not pressed into everyday action. DeJong's defense has disappointed, but he's offset it by leading the team in homers(!), and by a comfortable amount(!!). Teams that are looking for a veteran utility infielder should have a strong idea of who they're acquiring here. It's just a matter of whether they want it.
Around: Nick Senzel
When Pedro Grifol speaks to the media before Friday's game, I'm most curious about what he has to say about Senzel, because there isn't any immediate reason for him to be around. He has the ability to run into one from time to time, especially against left-handed pitching, but he doesn't do anything well. In a scenario where all of the above are on the roster and Yoán Moncada's healthy, where would he play?
On the other hand, in a scenario where the White Sox trade DeJong and/or Lopez and Tommy Pham in quick succession while Moncada gets hurt again, Senzel's ability to physically occupy the infield and outfield corners helps fill out a lineup card, which prevents Chris Getz from having to call up prospects who don't look ready for it. Baldwin's the only one whose cleared that bar with his performance.
On deck: Yoán Moncada
Moncada didn't play for the ACL White Sox on Thursday, after going 9-for-15 with a double and a walk in 16 plate appearances over five rehab games as he works his way back from an adductor strain. The White Sox have a 40-man roster spot available for both him and Baldwin after DFA'ing Mendick and Martín Maldonado, but they do not have a 26-man roster spot for both. As much as the White Sox have done to shake up their roster in advance of the second half, more dominoes could fall.
Unless Moncada had a setback. That can't be ruled out, but for the purposes of this exercise, it's more useful to rule him in and then work backward.
