The White Sox sent Wikelman Gonzalez, David Sandlin, and Tanner Murray to Triple-A Charlotte as the competition for the final Opening Day roster spots begins to narrow.
The Chicago White Sox provided some clarity to several ongoing roster battles on Monday when they optioned three young players to Triple-A Charlotte.
Right-handed pitchers Wikelman González and David Sandlin, along with infielder Tanner Murray, were among those optioned as the White Sox trimmed their spring training roster down to 52 players.
That group currently includes 26 pitchers, five catchers, 10 infielders, and 11 outfielders.
UPDATE: After the latest roster moves reassigned RHP Ben Peoples and LHP Tyler Schweitzer to minor league camp, the White Sox have 24 pitchers and 50 total players in camp.
While it’s not particularly surprising that González, Sandlin, and Murray ultimately fell short of the Opening Day roster, I’ll admit I’m a bit surprised to see the White Sox move on from each of them this early in camp.
Before spring training began, González appeared to be one of the pitchers in the mix for a bullpen spot, especially after tossing 20.1 innings with a 2.66 ERA out of Chicago’s bullpen last season.
He’s still only 23 years old and will turn 24 the day before Opening Day, and he possesses the kind of electric stuff that points to a bright future as a relief arm. González was ultimately undone by two factors: he still has minor league options, and he has not pitched particularly well so far this spring.
In 3.1 innings, González has allowed five hits and three runs while walking six and striking out four. The control issues have been a recurring theme throughout his career, and it’s likely a key developmental focus for the White Sox as he begins the season in Charlotte.
Sandlin, meanwhile, was acquired in a trade this offseason when the White Sox took on the contract of Jordan Hicks as part of a move to upgrade their pitching prospect depth. There is plenty to be excited about with Sandlin, but his spring has gotten off to a slow start.
The right-hander entered camp dealing with back issues, which delayed the start of his throwing program. As he worked his way back, he also experienced elbow soreness, creating further setbacks. Because of those issues, Sandlin has yet to appear in a Cactus League game this spring.
Sandlin is scheduled to throw a side session on Tuesday as he attempts to get back on track, but without the opportunity to take the mound and showcase his stuff, optioning him was an easy decision for the White Sox.
Sandlin struggled when he transitioned to a bullpen role with Triple-A Worcester in 2025, so the most likely path forward will be for the White Sox to stretch him back out as a starting pitcher and see if he can find success at the upper levels of the minor leagues before eventually calling his number.
Murray, meanwhile, got off to a hot start this spring before cooling down in recent days. He launched two early home runs, and his .632 slugging percentage still carries his Cactus League OPS to .936, but Murray is currently 4-for-19 overall. To his credit, he has not struck out very often.
The White Sox love the defensive versatility he provides across the infield, but there simply isn’t a realistic path for Murray to make the Opening Day roster given his lack of sustained success at Triple-A and the current infield logjam the Sox are navigating.
That said, I do expect Murray to be someone the White Sox call upon fairly early if an infielder goes down. He’s 26 years old, versatile, and experienced, which is typically the profile of a player on the verge of his first big league opportunity.
Murray is the player I’m most surprised to see optioned this early in camp, but the move may also allow the White Sox to narrow their focus to the roster battles that truly matter over the final weeks of spring training — namely how the outfield competition shakes out and whether the team ultimately decides to carry three catchers on the Opening Day roster.