The White Sox are planning to select the contract of infielder Brooks Baldwin before the season resumes tomorrow, reports Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. He’s not on the 40-man roster, but the South Siders have a vacancy there after recently designating catcher Martin Maldonado for assignment.
Baldwin, 23, is a 2022 12th-round pick who generally hasn’t been considered to be among the system’s best prospects. He’s dramatically improved his stock this season, however, tearing through the Double-A level with a .322/.386/.441 slash in 319 plate appearances. That prompted a bump up to the Triple-A level, and while Baldwin’s stay there will only last eight games, nothing during that brief run with Charlotte derailed the momentum he’d established in Birmingham. In 35 trips to the plate with the Knights, Baldwin hit .345/.441/.655 with a pair of homers and more walks (five) than strikeouts (just two). Overall, the switch-hitter boasts a .324/.391/.460 slash with a 16.4% strikeout rate and 9.3% walk rate between the Sox’ top two minor league affiliates this season.
While he’s bounced all over the diamond in 2024, logging time at all three infield positions left of first base and in left field, Baldwin has been primarily a shortstop. The Sox have been going with veteran Paul DeJong there in the big leagues, and while he hasn’t exactly been a standout performer, the longtime Cardinal has belted 16 homers and turned in a passable .226/.274/.423 slash in 329 plate appearances. DeJong, however, is a clear trade candidate in the next 12 days as a reasonably productive veteran playing for a last-place team on a one-year, $1.75MM deal.
Baldwin could eventually get a run at shortstop or at second base. Chicago recently optioned Lenyn Sosa to Triple-A, and defensive-minded Nicky Lopez isn’t going to serve as a roadblock to playing time for a potential long-term piece like Baldwin. Lopez has played fine defense at second but batted .240/.297/.287 in 285 plate appearances. He’s a trade candidate himself, thanks to his plus glove at multiple positions, but the Sox could also just move Lopez into a utility role. Lopez is controlled into next year but will be a non-tender candidate, as he’ll be owed a raise on this year’s $4.3MM salary in his final trip through the arbitration process. The Sox also just signed Nick Senzel to play third base, hoping another change of scenery can bring about better production for the former No. 2 overall pick.
Whatever alignment the Sox settle on, Baldwin should get substantial run in the season’s final two and a half months. It’s possible, if not likely, that this will be just one of many auditions in that time. The Sox are sure to trade several players on the roster over the next 12 days, and those will largely be replaced by in-house prospects (the Senzel signing notwithstanding). Colson Montgomery, widely considered the ChiSox’ top prospect (and one of the top overall prospects in baseball) might have been considered for a promotion at this point had he not struggled to a .212/.328/.373 slash in 346 Triple-A plate appearances this season. Third base prospect Bryan Ramos has also struggled of late in the minors. Both rank among Chicago’s best prospects and both could be up eventually in the second half, but Baldwin’s production has apparently been too loud for Sox brass to ignore.
It would be a great story for this 12th round pick if he can stick in the bigs.
Pathetic White Sox stunting the development of another prospect.
He’s hot with the bat this season. Dude is hitting .325 with tons of extra base hits and a couple of homeruns. At this point, Wsox have nothing to lose by promoting prospects like Ramos, Baldwin, etc. Give them a taste for like a week or two.
It also sends a message to other guys that if you hit the baseball and field your position, you will be given a fair chance to grab a roster spot.
He’s talking about Lenyn Sosa
Lenyn Sosa will be back in a week once Paul DeJong is traded and Nicky Lopez is hopefully designated for assignment. He will be fine.
You nailed it. Except Nicky Lopez DFA which should come soon. I hope Sosa gets the chance to play every day, he was the 3rd best hitter on the team during his last stretch up.
Palehose: What’s pathetic is that two if the Sox’ alleged top prospects, Montgomery and Ramos, are struggling in triple A.
You’re right, and it’s because the Sox don’t have anyone in the minors who knows how to develop young talent.
No reply to anyone in particular but exactly how does giving Major League AB’s to a prospect hurt their growth exactly? Giving them a chance to see where they need to get better is bad somehow? Somebody has to explain it to me how you can ” Bring a prospect up too soon”? If he sees what he needs to do, And can’t get it done , Not only has he learned he’s not really good enough but so has the team and can move on. The true pity in all this is teams keeping prospects TOO LONG instead of showing them the door. The thing about prospects is there’s another one right behind you that wants your job. Let’s find out. What do ya say?
They definitely brought Andrew Vaughn up too soon.
Usually you want a prospect to get at least 1000 plate appearances with wood bats in the minors before promotion to the majors. Plus, if there is any swing reconstruction/reinvention needed, you don’t want to be doing that work at the major league level. You also want to build up endurance for the 162-game schedule by playing at least a few seasons in the high minors.
If he can’t do it here he couldn’t do it there. I don’t believe any of that for a second. He’s either unwilling or incapable of making that change. So to me that makes zero sense. Lets face it, He was just a bad pick.
It creates precedents for top prospects to argue service time manipulation. Owners wont like it if a team does this for prospects often. Business comes first. Weird how NBA prospects are ready right off the bat because they get guaranteed contracts
I don’t think Vaughn was a bad pick, but the White Sox have shown an almost impressive amount of futility in scouting hitters and predicting how they will translate to wooden bats.
Vaughn would have been grabbed in the top 5 regardless if the Sox grabbed him or not. But, as it seems with most Sox position players drafted, they don’t ever seem to do what made them successful in college/HS.
The White Sox hire former white sox minor league players to be their minor league coaches. They literally make their own kool aid and drink it and then they wonder why they can’t develop talent.
WTF? You have to be a truly miserable human being to not be excited about seeing him play with the Sox this year. Are you hoping for more Nicky Lopez? Mendick? Maybe they could call Leury back for you.
This is finally something to be interested in, a prospect who came out of nowhere and is having a huge year (at 23). Let’s see what he can do.
@Big Hurt: The needs of a historically bad major league team should not dictate prospect promotions. He had only spent eight games at AAA. It certainly seems like they’re rushing him, and their track record of totally failing to develop position players has not earned them benefit of the doubt when it comes to these decisions.
@Mattv – definitely agree with the first line, and I truly don’t know if it’s too fast. As a fan, I’m interested to see him play right now and don’t see any harm. I don’t believe the Colas, or Sosa, or any prospect since Ricky Seilheimer 🙂 has been impacted by coming up too soon.
Jackson Holliday wasn’t ready when the Os brought him up this year. Does anyone think he’s not going to be a star because of it?
I am tired of seeing Mendick and Lopez, so maybe the games will be watchable with Moncada and some prospects.
On that note, I’d love to trade some of the outfielders and see a bit more of Fletcher, DeLoach, and maybe even Colas one more time. Hell, let’s trade Sheets and see if Elko can hit in the majors. He and Colas are 25, Fletcher’s 26, and the team is awful already. I’m ready to see if any of these guys can play before the off-season blowup.
That should be all the indictment you need against DeLoach, Fletcher and Colas. They can’t even crack this garbage heap of a roster.
Ideally, and this won’t happen because this org is run like a clown show, they WOULD bring those three up, DFA Benintendi, try to trade or DFA Eloy, Sheets/Vaughn, DeJong, Lopez and Pham and just play a roster filled with kids. At least then you know they are actually trying to do a rebuild and not half-a$$ it with garbage veterans who wouldn’t be on an MLB team this year if the Sox didn’t call.
The reality is that they will most likely try to do everything you’re saying, with the exception of DFA’ing Benintendi (as hard as he is to watch). No team (not just the Sox) DFAs a guy with 3.5 years and $60M remaining.
Eloy’s salary and contract could have been a good one had he not been made of glass – as is, no one is going to take him so I assume he finishes they year with the Sox.
The problem with the ‘get rid of everyone and play the kids’ strategy is that no one in the Sox org wants to lose more games than the 1962 Mets. Right now, they are on pace to lose 118 games WITH Crochet, Fedde and Robert (for parts of the year). If/when they trade all of them, they get substantially worse. I suspect they keep at least some of the guys on your list to try to avoid the further embarrassment of the worst season of all time. F me for watching every one of these games lol.
Its almost impossible to win fewer than 50 games in 2 consecutive seasons.
@Aiden – not sure if this is directed to me, but I was talking about this year. They only have 27 wins and need to get 16 more to avoid the worst season ever. It’s possible that if they trade their 3 best players and DFA/trade everyone else as suggested above, they don’t even win 16 more and NO ONE wants to start their GM legacy with the worst season of all time.
Big Hurt: It was directed to you my bad. Realistically they’ll probably finish around 45-52 wins.
No reason to keep Nicky Lopez past the trade deadline. If he can’t be flipped, then release him and give him the maximum amount of time possible to latch on with a contender.
I actually wish the Cubs would start doing this. I’ve pretty much had enough of watching Mastrobuoni, Madrigal, Tauchman, Wisdom playing. Like the Goalie in Slap Shot the Hair here makes me wanna puke Bah! If I’m going to watch complete failures I’d much rather it was BJ Murray, Shaw, Triantos, Hill. What they have doesn’t work. Here’s a thought, Let’s try something else! Even if it doesn’t work well at least you’ll know.
A predictably short-sighted and ill-advised move for the worst run team in the league. Baldwin had only played a handful of games at AAA. Fire Chris Getz yesterday.
SO what
Um… what did you not understand there?
Do you have the same opinion of Thorpe? He played 0 games at AAA, yet looks like a bona fide major league starter. Let’s see what we’ve got.
Seems to me Getz nailed the Cease trade.
Their pitching development has been a lot more successful than their position player development.
How so? They’ve got a handful of good starts from Thorpe, but Iriarte seems destined to be a reliever, and Zavala seems unlikely to ever make MLB. Not exactly a landslide win.
@Mattv – so, your crystal ball tells you that Zavala, who dominated A ball at 18 and is having a bit of a blip at High-A (at over 3 years younger than league average) will never play in MLB. You should be making bank as a scout my friend.
@Big Hurt – Not crystal ball, but having read and listened to what prospect experts have to say about him, there’s not a lot of optimism that he will advance. Nice try, though!
That’s the one thing the organization has done well.
Iriarte is still putting average numbers, could also be a starter too.
Now you’re just making stuff up. “Prospect experts” like MLB Pipeline that have him as a 50 overall prospect ranking and 6th in the system? Listen, I have no idea if he will pan out, but they got Thorpe (3rd in their system and pitching well in the majors already), Zavala (6th), Iriarte (9th) and Wilson who they may be able to flip at the deadline for 2 years of Cease (who I loved but has an ERA near 4). So yeah – looks like a good deal so far.
Iriarte’s OPS against is only .685 this season. “Destined to be a reliever” seems WAY too premature.
How many players can you name off the top of your head that have been successful going from AA straight to the majors?
Neto, Harris II, I don’t count the brief minors of Skenes. Shanuel, Langford, Churious. Thorpe. Those are just off the top of my head. It’s becoming more common as AAA is becoming a spot to stash organization depth for temporary 26 man fill ins, not where you keep you future talent to develop as most often the better competition is in AA
Start with Frank Thomas
Rhys Hoskins
Lots of organizations skip AAA nowadays, especially with promising young pitchers. Why send a guy to the Pacific Coast league with all those bandbox stadiums?
Exactly right. Triple A teams are now filled with career players that really aren’t good enough to play at the major league level, so called quad A players that can be called up when needed then released, and washed up players that want another chance. Highly regarded prospects usually do not spend more than a season at triple A anymore.
How about Crochet, who DIDNT EVEN HAVE A MINOR LEAGUE INNING before he jumped to the bigs and made everyone look silly. And that was BEFORE this dominate year.
Matt: You’re right. Ramos was supposed to be the next big thing, the savior of 3b, and look at him now. Colas was a can’t miss right fielder. Rushing these prospects (except for Montgomery, who was supposed to replace Anderson when he left but apparently isn’t good enough for the majors yet) is the wrong way to go. Getz is just wrecking these players who are supposed to rebuild the franchise.
Ramos is just a horrible example. He is 22 and started the year at AA, and was hitting horribly. They called him up because of injuries and has actually hit better after they sent him down to AAA. Not well, but better – let’s give him time.
Colas had already played in Cuba and Japan before coming here, so another bad example.
If you had said Andrew Vaughn, then u may have a case.
Firing Chris Getz is completely pointless. He gets very little to some blame this season.
He never should have been hired in the first place and bares responsibility for constructing a historically bad team.
I say some blame for that exact reason, but any other GM besides him would have not done much better with the putrid roster tbh.
Nothing matters until ownership changes
Be careful what you wish for. JR could easily sell it to a non-Chicago owner and immediately move the Wsox.
No way. And even if that happens, another team will move or expand into the South Side. Too good of an opportunity being a major market team.
True.
One small step….
Sell the team Mr.Reinsdorf. terrible brand of baseball top office to bottom minors.
Jump 84: Just think when Crochet, Robert and Moncada are gone. Why watch them?
Even a blind squirrel sometimes finds a nut
B Thomas: The squirrel being Reinsdorf, the nut being Chrissy Getz.
In what way is BROOKS related to:
Alec, Daniel, William and Stephen?
Unlike a pair of much higher rated White Sox infield prospects, Brooks Baldwin deserves this promotion based on his excellent production at AA and AAA this season.⚾️
Eight games at AAA. Hardly proved he had mastered the level.
Sure, why not. Paul De Jong is probably going to be traded by the deadline. Not a bad time to call up some young prospects and see what they got. It’s a low-stress big league debut on a team not going anywhere, so it’s the perfect time for more tryouts.
Baldwin has better numbers than both first round short stops of the last few years He definitely deserves this promotion. smart move.
Awesome job Brooks!! Local guy going pro!! Proud of you and hope you find success and are able to stick it in the big leagues buddy!! You and M. Gore making Columbus County proud!!
Rather see a Baldwin and others than trotting out the same bag of AAAA players. After declining club options for 2025 on Moncada, Jimenez and others the payroll is going to be about $60M.
Not to be confused with newscaster Brooke Baldwin, who is worth an image search.
Charlotte has one of worst parks for hitting development in AAA. It is nearly reduced to the same ineffectiveness seen among the hitter’s parks of PCL that fail to help prospect become good major league hitters. The White Sox need to address this flaw otherwise their best hitters will continue to have characteristic holes in their swings, limiting their upside and value.
summer ball photo?
If Baldwin shines at SS, the Sox will have the freedom to move Montgomery to 1B, 3B or RF.
Why would they play Montgomery out of his position. Don’t be Gavin Sheets 2.0.