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White Sox Option Colson Montgomery

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The White Sox announced Tuesday that they’ve optioned top shortstop prospect Colson Montgomery to Triple-A Charlotte. He’ll begin the season there. Chicago also optioned righties Nick Nastrini and Owen White to Charlotte. Non-roster first baseman Tim Elko was reassigned to minor league camp as well.

The Montgomery news doesn’t register as a huge surprise, given the way his spring has played out. The 23-year-old is widely ranked among MLB’s 100 best prospects, but he was slowed by back spasms in camp and has only taken nine plate appearances thus far. The former No. 22 overall pick is also coming off a rough 2024 season in Triple-A. Though he hit well for the final five weeks of the season, he finished out the year with an ugly .214/.329/.381 slash (88 wRC+) and a 28.6% strikeout rate. A big spring showing certainly could’ve thrust Montgomery into the mix for a roster spot, but he’ll head back to Charlotte and work toward a big league debut that will very likely happen at some point in 2025.

With Montgomery headed for the minors, the White Sox’ options at shortstop include Jacob Amaya, Lenyn Sosa and Brooks Baldwin. Prospect Chase Meidroth, acquired from the Red Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade, is also still in the mix but is not on the 40-man roster. The 23-year-old Meidroth had a nice year in Triple-A Worcester in 2024 but has struggled in his limited spring work thus far. Amaya has seen the most time at short this spring out of any option for the position.

The White Sox only selected Montgomery to the 40-man roster this past November, doing so in order to protect him in his first offseason of Rule 5 eligibility. As such, this will be just the first of his three option years being burned (assuming he stays in Triple-A for more than 20 days). The Sox could’ve considered bringing Montgomery north in hopes of securing future draft picks under MLB’s prospect promotion incentive (PPI) program, but between his back issue, last year’s rough numbers and a 1-for-9 performance with five strikeouts when he was in the spring lineup, they’ll go another direction.

Nastrini started eight big league games last year but was tagged for an ERA north of 7.00 and walked more batters than he punched out. He whiffed a quarter of his Triple-A opponents but was still hit hard there. He’ll likely stay stretched out as a starter in Charlotte and should get multiple opportunities to establish himself in the majors in 2025.

White is a former top prospect with the Rangers who bounced around the league via waivers this offseason. He split 2024 between the bullpen and rotation for Texas’ top affiliate. White only pitched one official inning in a Cactus League game this spring.

White Sox Notes: Free Agency, Robert, Montgomery

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White Sox general manager Chris Getz spoke with reporters on Thursday in advance of this weekend’s SoxFest. The second-year baseball operations leader indicated the team was unlikely to make any significant moves for the remainder of the offseason.

“For the most part, we feel like we’ve got our roster. Yeah, it’s just a matter of getting to Spring Training and prepping for Opening Day,” Getz said (link via MLB.com’s Scott Merkin). While he left open the possibility for “an addition here and there,” it doesn’t seem the Sox expect to do much else before the season gets underway.

That’s to be expected. The White Sox are coming off the worst season in modern baseball history. They certainly weren’t going to be major players in free agency. They’ve somewhat surprisingly signed five MLB free agent deals this winter, though none goes beyond this year. Martín Pérez ($5MM), Josh Rojas ($3.5MM), Mike Tauchman ($2MM), Austin Slater ($1.8MM) and Bryse Wilson ($1.1MM) are guaranteed a combined $13.4MM. They’ve added backup catcher Matt Thaiss and lefty reliever Cam Booser via minor trades.

While the Sox surely hope they’ll be able to flip some of their free agent acquisitions at the deadline, no one from that group is going to net more than a marginal return even if they play well in the first half. Chicago’s biggest decisions were tabbing Will Venable as manager and sending Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox for a four-player prospect return headlined by Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery. Crochet was easily the Sox’s top remaining trade chip.

That title now falls to Luis Robert Jr. The star center fielder is coming off the worst season of his career. Robert hit .224/.278/.379 through 425 plate appearances. Few players had a sharper drop-off relative to their 2023 production. Robert finished 12th in AL MVP balloting two years ago. He played elite defense and hit .264/.315/.542 with 38 homers and 20 stolen bases.

Robert is the only player on the Sox roster who has the ceiling to net them a franchise-changing trade return. That very likely wouldn’t be on the table this winter, though, so it’s logical for Chicago to hold him until the deadline. While Getz didn’t firmly shut the door on trading Robert before Opening Day, he didn’t sound eager to deal the 27-year-old.

“We’re open minded, we’re not looking to move anyone,” the GM said (link via Andrew Seligman of The Associated Press). “With that being said, there are other teams that are working through the free agent process perhaps and there could be some opportunities to have dialogue. We do feel like the majority of our moves have been made. But with that being said, we’re not quite there yet and I look forward to getting this group together out in Arizona.”

Robert will be the Sox’s most important player in the season’s first few months. He’s playing on a $15MM salary in the final guaranteed season of his pre-debut contract extension. He’s guaranteed at least a $2MM buyout on $20MM club options covering the 2026-27 campaigns. If Robert finds anything near his ’23 form, Chicago would market two and a half seasons of club control over a star outfielder. If he plays like he did last season, they’d be looking at middling returns on a player who might get bought out at the end of the season. The Sox have already seen the latter situation play out with Tim Anderson and Eloy Jiménez, each of whom struggled enough to get bought out of what initially seemed to be very team-friendly contracts.

In either case, it’s hard to envision Robert remaining on the White Sox into the 2026 season. By that point, Colson Montgomery could be the new face of the franchise. The lefty-hitting shortstop was one of the sport’s top 15 prospects at this time last year. Montgomery underperformed in his first crack at Triple-A. He hit .214/.329/.381 while striking out at a 28.6% clip during his age-22 season. That has dinged his prospect value to some extent, though he still ranks among Baseball America’s Top 50 minor league talents.

The White Sox added Montgomery to their 40-man roster in November. That was a formality to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. They’d be justified in starting him back in Triple-A, but Getz left the door open for the former first-round pick to take the shortstop job out of camp. “He’s going to get a lot of opportunity come Spring Training,” Getz said (via Merkin). “We expect to see Colson Montgomery playing shortstop for the White Sox this year at some point. … He’s going to get a shot to make the club. Now, we’ve got other players on the roster that are going to compete for shortstop opportunities.”

Brooks Baldwin, who started nine games at shortstop last year, is the only returning player who logged any time at that position. Rojas has been their only major league infield acquisition this winter. He had a bit of run at shortstop early in his career with Arizona but hasn’t played there in four years. Chase Meidroth, whom the White Sox acquired in the Crochet deal, is coming off a .293/.437/.400 showing with Boston’s Triple-A club. His bat seems big league ready, but most scouting reports suggest he’s a better defensive fit at second or third base who can play shortstop on occasion. Meidroth is not yet on the 40-man roster, but it stands to reason that Chicago will give him an MLB look at some point this year.

White Sox To Select Colson Montgomery, Juan Carela

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The White Sox have selected the contracts of shortstop Colson Montgomery and right-hander Juan Carela, per the team transaction log at MLB.com. Both are now on the 40-man roster and ineligible to be taken in next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

Montgomery, 22, was the Sox’ top pick in the 2021 draft, coming off the board with the No. 22 overall pick. He’s been the system’s top prospect since and currently factors prominently into top-100 lists at multiple publications (e.g. No. 38 at Baseball America, No. 37 at MLB.com). He ripped through High-A and Double-A as a 21-year-old in 2023 before struggling for much of the season as a 22-year-old in Triple-A this year. Montgomery did finish the season nicely, slashing .263/.357/.465 in his final six weeks of action, but his overall .214/.329/.381 slash obviously leaves plenty to be desired.

Even with those struggles, however, there’s no way the Sox were going to leave a prospect of Montgomery’s caliber unprotected. He breezed through the low minors and was four years younger than his average opponent in Triple-A. Montgomery hit .313/.511/.656 in 45 plate appearances during the Arizona Fall League as well, further adding to that nice finish. Scouting reports aren’t sold on him as a long-term shortstop, due primarily to his 6’3″, 225-pound frame, but Montgomery is thought to have the arm and defensive chops to handle third base even if a position switch is necessary down the road.

Carela, 22, came to the ChiSox from the Yankees in the 2023 trade that sent Keynan Middleton to the Bronx. He split the 2024 campaign between High-A and Double-A, logging sub-4.00 ERAs at each stop. Collectively, it played out as a 3.71 earned run average, a strong 25.2% strikeout rate and a 9.9% walk rate he’ll work to pare down in the future. Carela totaled 106 2/3 innings, all as a starter. He’ll likely head back to Double-A to begin the 2025 season, as he only tossed 32 2/3 innings there. Given his placement on the 40-man roster and the likelihood that he’ll split 2025 between Double-A and Triple-A, he’ll be a candidate to make his big league debut later in the 2025 campaign if he continues to pitch well.

White Sox Eyeing Short-Term Veterans At Shortstop

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For the first time in seven years, the White Sox appear likely to head into a season with someone other than Tim Anderson penciled in as their primary shortstop. The Sox bought out Anderson’s $14MM club option, and while a potential reunion isn’t entirely off the table, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that new GM Chris Getz is looking for a veteran option with good defensive skills who can be signed on a short-term deal. The idea would be for that veteran pickup to serve as a bridge to top prospect Colson Montgomery, who’s on track to make his MLB debut at some point in 2024.

Anderson turned in some strong defensive seasons early in his career, but metrics like Outs Above Average and Defensive Runs Saved have soured on his glovework in recent years. He’s seemingly acknowledged as much, expressing a willingness to move to second base if need be. In all likelihood, Anderson no longer fits the description of what Getz is targeting for this role.

[Related: Previewing the 2023-24 Free Agent Class — Shortstops]

It’s a bleak crop of free-agent shortstops, though there are certainly a fair number of glove-first options who’d fit this billing. Longtime D-backs shortstop Nick Ahmed has been one of the sport’s premier defenders at the position since making his big league debut a decade ago. He’s never been a big threat at the plate — although he hits lefties fairly well — and shoulder injuries have tanked his past couple seasons. He missed almost the entire 2022 season due to surgery and hit just .212/.257/.303 in 210 plate appearances before being released by Arizona.

That said, Ahmed did manage a .257/.319/.428 batting line from 2019-20. He’s a career .257/.309/.430 hitter against southpaws. He also ranks eighth among all big leaguers, regardless of position, with 79 Defensive Runs Saved since 2015. Statcast is even more bullish, crediting him with a sensational 111 Outs Above Average in that time — second among all Major Leaguers, trailing only Francisco Lindor.

Elsewhere on the market, Paul DeJong has a long track record of quality glovework at shortstop, though his bat has wilted after a strong three-year run to begin his career in 2017-19. Since 2020, he’s turned in a grisly .200/.273/.352 batting line in 1213 trips to the plate. He was traded from the Cardinals to the Blue Jays at this year’s deadline but cut loose both in Toronto and later by San Francisco. DeJong was hitting .233/.297/.412 at the time of the trade but posted a disastrous .129/.128/.183 output between the Jays and Giants.

Speaking of the Giants, longtime shortstop Brandon Crawford’s contract expired at season’s end. He’s a free agent for the first time in his career and would certainly provide the Sox with a plus glove on a short-term deal, though he hasn’t yet made up his mind on whether he’ll continue his career into the 2024 season, tweets Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. Even if Crawford doesn’t retire, the soon-to-be 37-year-old might prefer to join a team with a clearer path to the postseason, if such an opportunity presents itself.

There are other options to consider. A reunion with Elvis Andrus could make some sense, and there are buy-low options like Amed Rosario to consider. Perhaps the Sox could pursue a multi-position option with some shortstop experience; Gio Urshela, Joey Wendle and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are all available. Urshela and Wendle have played more third base than shortstop, however, while Kiner-Falefa logged just eight innings there in ’23 and Rosario hasn’t turned in particularly strong defensive grades overall.

Whoever takes the reins, he’ll do so knowing that one of the sport’s top prospects is breathing down his neck. Montgomery, 21, posted a .287/.456/.484 batting line across three minor league levels in 2023 and ranks among the game’s top 20 prospects at FanGrahps (No. 12), Baseball America (No. 14) and MLB.com (No. 17). He climbed as high as the Double-A level in 2023 and will open the 2024 season either back at that level (presumably for a brief stint) or in Triple-A. Montgomery was the No. 22 overall pick in the 2021 draft, and he’ll get the opportunity to prove he can be the South Siders’ shortstop of the future before long.

Big Hype Prospects: Nett, Montgomery, Teodo, Triantos, Sabato

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Our AFL coverage continues. The schedule is winding down. The Fall Stars game was played on Sunday. The two-game postseason will take place next Friday and Saturday. James Triantos and Jakob Marsee continue to battle for top batter status. Presently, Triantos has the edge. On the pitching side, Davis Daniel has the best claim to the top performance as a starter. Reliever Emiliano Teodo has 11 scoreless innings with 19 strikeouts with only three hits and four walks allowed.

Listed stats are from the AFL. To emphasize, this is AFL coverage.

Five Big Hype Prospects

Braden Nett, 21, SP, SDP
17.1 IP, 21 K, 13 BB, 4.67 ERA

Though he doesn’t have the shiniest stats, Nett posted an encouraging AFL as detailed by Baseball America. An undrafted pitcher, Nett has seen his velocity approach triple-digits as a starter, complemented by visually impressive secondary offerings. Command eludes Nett – an issue dating back to his pre-draft days. However, he showed strides in attacking the strike zone during this fall session. If he’s able to build upon his success next season, he’ll find his way into top prospect conversations. There’s considerable relief risk here if his command doesn’t continue on an upward trajectory.

Colson Montgomery, 21, SS, CWS
84 PA, 3 HR, .244/.302/.423

The second-best Montgomery in the AFL by the numbers, Colson is low-key divisive among evaluators. None that I’ve contacted doubt he has a Major League future. Most see as a blue-chip regular. Where the arguments begin is the type of regular. Some see him as a core performer. While they acknowledge the upside, they’re skeptical Montgomery will reach it. The doubters point to an impending move to third base where there will be more pressure on his bat. Advocates are confident he can support a move down the defensive spectrum. His exit velocities suggest he’s a small tweak or epiphany away from unlocking more extra-base outcomes.

Montgomery took home MVP honors in the Fall Stars game. He went 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI.

Emiliano Teodo, 22, P, TEX
11 IP, 19 K, 4 BB, 0.00 ERA

The Rangers have developed Teodo as a starter, but his future appears to be in the bullpen. Though listed at 6’ 1’’, one evaluator I contacted believes he’s several inches shorter. That’s backed by the FanGraphs crew – they describe him as “lilliputian.” His usage – and success – in the AFL points to an imminent role shift. As a starter, he touched upper-90s. He has the look of an on-meta power arm who relies on effectively wild heaters and hammer curves.

James Triantos, 20, 2B/3B, CHC
92 PA, 3 HR, 9 SB, .423/.505/.700

The hits, triples, and OPS leader of the AFL, Triantos has long appeared on scouts’ breakout lists. The results haven’t really stood out in full season leagues where he’s been more solid than exceptional. The Cubs are developing him as a super utility type including the odd game in center field. He focused on third base in 2022 and second base this year. He’ll spend 2024 in the upper minors where we all eagerly await to see if his power continues to develop. Triantos is a high-probability Major Leaguer. His future role remains open for debate.

Aaron Sabato, 24, 1B, MIN
74 PA, 7 HR, .215/.320/.585

A classic TTO slugger, Sabato has bashed his way to a share of the AFL home run lead along with fellow Twin Kala’i Rosario. Sabato works counts and routinely runs over-30 percent strikeout rates. In fact, he’s done so at every level. The reward for all those whiffs is some of the most impressive exit velocities in professional baseball. As a right-handed first baseman, the standards he needs to reach are rather high. He was a tad old for Double-A this season and produced an exactly league-average 100 wRC+. This is a profile that tends to late-bloom and early-fade. Sabato is Rule 5 eligible, and there’s a solid chance he’ll be left exposed.

Three More

Liam Hicks, TEX (24): While scouts are dismissive of Hicks for valid reasons – low exit velocities and sub-par defense – there’s no question he’s posted a dominant AFL season. He’s batting .455/.556/.530 in 81 plate appearances. His 15 walks nearly double his eight strikeouts. For Hicks to have big league relevance, he might need to channel his inner Luis Arraez. Or change his approach.

Wilmer Flores, DET (22): Flores’ AFL matches his scouting report to a “T.” He’s worked 18 innings with 22 strikeouts and only five walks. He also coughed up 25 hits and a 4.00 ERA. Flores has an attractive combination of high ground ball and swinging strike rates. Though Rule 5 eligible, he’s a lock to be added by the Tigers.

Sterlin Thompson, COL (22): Thompson has compiled a .950 OPS without hitting a home run in 93 plate appearances. A designated hitter, his bat nonetheless shows signs of carrying him to the Majors. He handles fastballs of all types well. Presently, he’s better at laying off breaking balls than he is at hitting them – a trait that will likely determine if he’s a Quad-A slugger or a future big leaguer.

Did I miss a detail or nuance? DM me on Twitter @BaseballATeam to suggest corrections.

Central Notes: Votto, Canha, Montgomery

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The Reds declined their club option on franchise icon Joey Votto yesterday. In a statement from GM Nick Krall yesterday on the move, he emphasized that he didn’t believe that the necessary at-bats would be available to Votto in 2024 for him to remain with the team, seemingly indicating that the odds of the sides getting together on a smaller deal were remote. That being said, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer, neither side is shutting the door on a potential reunion just yet.

“I’m not closing the door on anything,” Krall said (as relayed by Sheldon), “I just think with the players we have on our roster right now, there’s no playing time [for Votto]… It would be tough to have him as just a pinch-hitter bat off the bench with the way our roster is constructed right now.” Krall went on to acknowledge that it will be “tough to watch” if Votto winds up playing in another uniform next year after departing the Reds.

It’s easy to see what Krall means regarding the club’s crunch for roster space on the positional side. Jonathan India, Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Noelvi Marte are all big-league ready infielders who ought to be in line for everyday at bats in 2024, meaning that group’s playing time will surely bleed into the outfield and DH slot, where the likes of TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, and Will Benson also figure to play on a regular basis, to say nothing of players like Stuart Fairchild and Nick Senzel who could also be in line for at-bats. Given the club’s excess of positional talent, it’s hard to see where Votto could fit in for Cincinnati barring a hypothetical trade that clears some of the club’s positional logjam.

For Votto’s part, he seems to hold no ill will against the Reds over the decision. “At 40 years old, a team that’s about to be a championship-caliber team didn’t pick up the option of a guy who hit .200 in back-to-back seasons,” Votto told reporters, including Goldsmith. Goldsmith added that Votto, like Krall, did not want to close the door on a potential return to Cincinnati next year despite becoming a free agent for the first time in his career.

More from around MLB’s Central divisions…

  • Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris spoke to reporters (including Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press and Chris McCosky of The Detroit News) yesterday regarding the club’s acquisition of veteran outfielder Mark Canha from the Brewers. During the conference, Harris noted that the addition of Canha checks the box of “adding a right-handed bat that helps [Detroit] on and off the field” in 2024. As Harris alluded to, Canha’s right-handed bat will serve as an excellent complement to an all-lefty outfield of Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows, Akil Baddoo, and Riley Greene while also affording fellow righty hitter Matt Vierling more opportunities to play at third base. Harris also praised the ability of Canha, 35 in February, to mentor the club’s young roster as a “high-character” player whose calling card is his superlative plate discipline, with strikeout and walk rates that are well above the league average. For Canha’s part, McCosky notes that the veteran praised the team’s young core, saying that “A team is never as far away from where they want to be as it feels like. All it takes is a little nudge.”
  • The White Sox parted ways with longtime shortstop Tim Anderson yesterday, adding shortstop to a list of positions that need to be filled this offseason that already includes right field, catcher, and second base. MLB.com’s Scott Merkin relays that shortstop prospect Colson Montgomery, who is expected to be the club’s long-term solution at short, has his sights set on making the club’s Opening Day roster in 2024. “I’m confident I could have that spot, but you never know,” Montgomery said regarding the Opening Day shortstop job, “As a competitor and as a baseball player, you want to push yourself… I’m going to chase for it.” Montgomery entered the 2023 season as a consensus top-40 prospect in the sport and .287/.456/.484 in 64 games this games this year while advancing to Double-A.

Big Hype Prospects: Flores, Manzardo, Bliss, Montgomery, Hassell

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Our coverage of the Arizona Fall League continues. Jakob Marsee remains the top hitter with a 1.442 OPS in 44 plate appearances. The title of top pitcher is less clear. Perhaps it’s 27-year-old southpaw reliever Jake McSteen? He’s worked 4.2 innings of hitless ball with six strikeouts. He hit one batter.

Let’s see who else merits a look.

Five Big Hype Prospects

Wilmer Flores, 22, SP, DET
(AA) 80.2 IP, 9.15 K/9, 3.57 BB/9, 3.90 ERA

Flores performs like someone with a Major League future. He induces plenty of whiffs, limits walks, and generally runs around a 50 percent ground ball rate. Typically, pitchers who can show those three traits go on to have a nice career (health permitting). Sometimes, they have to take the long road like Cristopher Sanchez or Erick Fedde.

My contacts don’t like Flores’ pitch design, though it’s been at least half a year since I’ve received an update on that front. In brief, as of April, his pitches didn’t tunnel well. This is his second stint in the AFL. In three games, all relief appearances, he’s thrown eight innings while allowing nine hits, one walk, one hit batter, one run, and nine strikeouts. Flores is Rule 5 eligible this winter. Barring catastrophe, he’ll soon be on the Tigers 40-man roster. Though he has the look and stuff of a starter, a debut in the bullpen would allow him to ignore those pitch design concerns.

Kyle Manzardo, 23, 1B, CLE
(AAA) 415 PA, 17 HR, 1 SB, .237/.337/.464

Widely expected to debut for the Rays in 2023, Manzardo instead turned in a 95 wRC+ for the Durham Bulls. He was traded at the deadline to Cleveland. A lefty-hitter, righty-thrower, Manzardo makes for an unusual first base prospect. At an even six feet tall, he’s on the short end for the position. His discipline- and contact-forward approach isn’t what most clubs crave from the cold corner. Of course, the Guardians are not most teams. They appreciate discipline and high contact rates. It even appears they’ve coached him away from the extreme pulled-contact approach he featured in Durham. He finished the season on a high note for Guardians Triple-A affiliate, batting .256/.348/.590 in 92 plate appearances. In 40 AFL plate appearances, he’s hitting .286/.390/.657.

Ryan Bliss, 23, 2B, SEA
(AA/AAA) 612 PA, 23 HR, 55 SB, .304/.378/.524

The Mariners acquired Bliss at the trade deadline. He figures to serve a utility role going forward, though he’s only a positive defender at second base. Despite 23 home runs, Bliss has below-average quality of contact. His stolen base total also inflates his speed which is merely above average. The trait that makes him a future big leaguer is his ability to hit breaking pitches. A tiny right-hander, Bliss is susceptible to velocity at the top of the zone. If carefully managed, Bliss could play up in a platoon role. In 26 AFL plate appearances, he’s hitting .350/.500/.400.

Colson Montgomery, 21, SS, CWS
(Cpx/A+/AA) 223 PA, 8 HR, 2 SB, .287/.456/.484

After missing much of the 2023 season, Montgomery bears watching. The White Sox top prospect is among the AFL leaders with three home runs in 35 plate appearances. He’s also yet to record a walk in an OBP-centric league. Even worse, he has 11 strikeouts. My guess is the White Sox sent Montgomery to the AFL to work on power and aggression. He’s always verged on passivity and rarely gets to his power in-game. Strikingly, he seems to maximize for day-to-day performance rather than an eventual Major League outcome. Perhaps these less-than-desirable AFL results represent the proverbial one step back for two steps forward.

Robert Hassell, 22, OF, WSH
(AA) 476 PA, 8 HR, 13 SB, .225/.316/.324

A precocious fast-riser in the Padres system, Hassell’s star began to dim not long before he was included in the Juan Soto trade. After a little over a year with the Nats, Hassell has scarcely shown a pulse. That extends his .286/.317/.286 batting line in 38 AFL plate appearances. Along with the lack of pop, he also has 11 strikeouts. At the time of the Soto blockbuster, Hassell was a consensus Top 100 prospect. Now it’s hard to find evaluators who believe he has a second act in him. My two cents: he needs to do something to combat his passivity and lift the ball with more authority. That doesn’t mean selling out for power either. Most of his contact is soft and more than half of his batted balls are grounders. Even an increase in line drive singles would go a long way toward him becoming a viable Major Leaguer.

For those hunting for a silver lining, Hassell is credited with gritty-gamer makeup and might have been negatively affected by a hamate injury suffered in the 2022 AFL. Possibly, he’s tinkered in the wrong direction and merely needs a fresh adjustment to get back on track.

Three More

Harry Ford, SEA (20): Ford is disciplined and powerful as evidenced by his seven walks and three home runs in 25 AFL plate appearances. Those dingers represent the total sum of his hitting – he has a .000 BABIP.

Davis Daniel, LAA (26): Daniel is already on the 40-man roster with 12.1 Major League innings to his name. He profiles as a spot starter or middle reliever – the sort that can provide bulk relief. He’s among the top AFL performers with 10 innings, 15 strikeouts, three hits, three walks, and one run allowed.

Jacob Berry, MIA (22): A former sixth-overall pick from the 2022 draft, Berry is a switch-hitting designated hitter who has looked overmatched at every level. The AFL offers him an opportunity to work with new coaches and possibly get his career back on track. Presently, he’s on the exit ramp.

Did I miss a detail or nuance? DM me on Twitter @BaseballATeam to suggest corrections.

White Sox Sign First Round Pick Colson Montgomery

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The White Sox announced they’ve come to terms on a $3.027MM deal with first rounder Colson Montgomery. That matches the slot value associated with the 22nd overall selection.

Montgomery’s spot on pre-draft prospect rankings was variable. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN slotted the left-handed hitting infielder 13th, while Baseball America had him 34th and Keith Law of the Athletic placed him 56th. There’s some question marks about Montgomery’s age — at 19, he’s a bit old for a prep draftee — but he has plenty of power projection and a good chance to stick on the infield, likely at third base.

An Indiana product, Mongtomery had been committed to Indiana University. The White Sox will sway him from that commitment and add a high-upside young player to a farm system that has been thinned out a bit as Chicago’s top talents have graduated to the major leagues.

2021 MLB Draft, Day One Results

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The 2021 MLB Draft is underway, and we’ll be keeping track of tonight’s picks as they’re announced.  The draft will get underway this evening with the first 36 picks — the first round proper, the compensatory round (which consists of just one pick, the Reds’ extra selection granted when Trevor Bauer rejected their qualifying offer last winter and signed with the Dodgers for more than $50MM), and then Competitive Balance Round A.

Rounds 2-10 (plus the included compensation picks and Competitive Balance Round B) will take place on Monday afternoon, and then rounds 11-20 will take place Tuesday afternoon.  This year’s draft is to 20 rounds from five rounds in 2020, and the current expectation is that the 2022 draft will return to its old 40-round format, though the draft structure will be one of many topics under discussion when the league and the players’ union negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement this winter.

For more on these stars of the future, check out the prospect rankings and scouting reports compiled by Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.  As well, here is MLB Pipeline’s breakdown of the slot values assigned to each pick in the first 10 rounds, as well as the bonus pool money available to all 30 teams.

The selections…

  1. Pittsburgh Pirates: Henry Davis, C, University Of Louisville
  2. Texas Rangers: Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt University
  3. Detroit Tigers: Jackson Jobe, RHP, Heritage Hall High School (OK)
  4. Boston Red Sox: Marcelo Mayer, SS, Eastlake High School (CA)
  5. Baltimore Orioles: Colton Cowser, OF, Sam Houston State University
  6. Arizona Diamondbacks: Jordan Lawlar, SS, Jesuit Prep (Dallas, TX)
  7. Kansas City Royals: Frank Mozzicato, LHP, East Catholic High School (CT)
  8. Colorado Rockies: Benny Montgomery, OF, Red Land High School (PA)
  9. Los Angeles Angels: Sam Bachman, RHP, Miami University (Ohio)
  10. New York Mets: Kumar Rocker, RHP, Vanderbilt University
  11. Washington Nationals: Brady House, SS, Winder-Barrow High School (GA)
  12. Seattle Mariners: Harry Ford, C/OF, North Cobb High School (GA)
  13. Philadelphia Phillies: Andrew Painter, RHP, Calvary Christian Academy (FLA)
  14. San Francisco Giants: Will Bednar, RHP, Mississippi State University
  15. Milwaukee Brewers: Sal Frelick, OF, Boston College
  16. Miami Marlins: Kahlil Watson, SS, Wake Forest High School (NC)
  17. Cincinnati Reds: Matt McLain, SS, UCLA
  18. St. Louis Cardinals: Michael McGreevy, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
  19. Toronto Blue Jays: Gunnar Hoglund, RHP, University Of Mississippi
  20. New York Yankees: Trey Sweeney, SS, Eastern Illinois University
  21. Chicago Cubs: Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State University
  22. Chicago White Sox: Colson Montgomery, SS, Southridge High School (IN)
  23. Cleveland Indians: Gavin Williams, RHP, East Carolina University
  24. Atlanta Braves: Ryan Cusick, RHP, Wake Forest University
  25. Oakland Athletics: Max Muncy, SS, Thousand Oaks High School (CA)
  26. Minnesota Twins: Chase Petty, RHP, Mainland Regional High School (NJ)
  27. San Diego Padres: Jackson Merrill, SS, Severna Park High School (MD)
  28. Tampa Bay Rays: Carson Williams, SS/RHP, Torrey Pines High School (CA)
  29. Los Angeles Dodgers: Maddux Bruns, LHP, UMS-Wright Prep (AL)
  30. Cincinnati Reds (compensatory pick): Jay Allen, OF, John Carroll Catholic High School (FL)
  31. Miami Marlins (Competitive Balance Round A): Joe Mack, C, Williamsville East High School (NY)
  32. Detroit Tigers (CBR-A): Ty Madden, RHP, University of Texas
  33. Milwaukee Brewers (CBR-A): Tyler Black, 2B, Wright State University
  34. Tampa Bay Rays (CBR-A): Cooper Kinney, 2B, Baylor High School (TN)
  35. Cincinnati Reds (CBR-A): Matheu Nelson, C, Florida State University
  36. Minnesota Twins (CBR-A): Noah Miller, SS, Ozaukee High School (WI)
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