These White Sox Players Are Stuck on the Roster Bubble

Spring training is more than halfway finished, the World Baseball Classic is fully underway, and in just over two weeks, the Chicago White Sox will pack things up at Camelback Ranch and head to Milwaukee for Opening Day.

Over the past few days, roster cuts have even started to trickle out, with the White Sox making some initial transactions to thin the number of players in big league camp. Of course, it also gives us a better idea of who’s in and who might be out.

Barring some unforeseen injuries — and the White Sox have fortunately avoided anything major up to this point — I think quite a few spots on Chicago’s 26-man roster are already set in stone. Between the emerging young core that is certain to get big league opportunities and the veteran additions brought in over the offseason to complement that group, only a handful of spots on Chicago’s Opening Day roster remain.

Most players fit pretty cleanly into the “in” or “out” bucket. But which White Sox players remain on the roster bubble with just two weeks left of Cactus League games?

Here’s a look at some of the active position battles and the bubble players I believe are still fighting for a roster spot.

Jedixson Paez, Alexander Alberto, Wikelman González, Lucas Sims, Ryan Borucki, Chris Murphy

I’d be remiss not to include both of Chicago’s Rule 5 draft picks in this group, even though neither has been particularly impressive during camp thus far. Alexander Alberto has been more productive than Jedixson Paez, which isn’t a huge shock considering his explosive fastball that allows him to compete against MLB hitters despite his limited experience at higher levels.

Still, if I don’t see more from either pitcher, I don’t think they’ll end up making the team. That said, they do have a natural inside track because of their Rule 5 status, and the White Sox seemingly have one bullpen spot up for grabs at the moment.

Wikelman González would have been the intuitive choice before camp began, but he too has struggled, posting an 8.10 ERA. He was also removed from his most recent outing with a back injury. At this point, it looks unlikely that he’ll be ready for Opening Day or that the White Sox will feel confident enough to dedicate a roster spot to him.

Naturally, that turns the focus toward non-roster invites, and veterans Ryan Borucki and Lucas Sims have both been strong in spring training.

Borucki has thrown four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out six. He’s been one of the more dominant arms in camp. Borucki also brings plenty of big league experience, with eight MLB seasons under his belt. He’s a local product and a left-hander capable of giving you multiple innings out of the bullpen.

For all of those reasons, he’s probably my top pick right now. But I can’t rule out Lucas Sims either. Sims has thrown two scoreless innings this spring and brings nine years of MLB experience, even if 2025 was a disaster for him in Washington. Sims has recent experience as a workhorse in the Cincinnati Reds bullpen, and if the White Sox are getting that version of him, he’s a good bet.

Chris Murphy is another capable arm that I’ve projected to make the roster multiple times this offseason. However, Murphy does have minor league options remaining, and it’s fair to question whether the White Sox want redundancy since he would likely serve a similar role to Tyler Gilbert.

Derek Hill, Everson Pereira, Jarred Kelenic

What exactly are the White Sox supposed to do in the outfield?

I think they have one outfield spot open and three viable options. There’s veteran Derek Hill, known for his tremendous speed and excellent defense, but he has also impressed with a relatively strong offensive showing this spring. By the numbers, Hill might be the obvious choice. But he’s 30 years old and offers far less upside than the other two players he’s competing with. And at this point, I’m not sure we know enough about Chris Getz and the mentality of this front office to confidently predict their decision.

We know the White Sox are at least intrigued by Everson Pereira, whom they acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays this offseason. Pereira has appeared in only 50 MLB games and has very little to show for it at the major league level, but his minor league production has been strong. There’s legitimate pop in the bat, and he’s athletic enough to play center field regularly if needed.

Of these three options, Pereira probably has the most upside. However, he has been dealing with an oblique injury during spring training and has yet to appear in a Cactus League game. Pereira is also out of minor league options, which puts the White Sox in a difficult position.

Then there’s Jarred Kelenic.

We know Chicago likes him. Director of hitting Ryan Fuller reportedly advocated for the White Sox to take a flyer on Kelenic and has been intrigued by his profile since the moment he arrived at Camelback Ranch.

Kelenic is a former top-10 pick who has flashed MLB potential at times but has never fully put it all together. The White Sox are hoping a fresh start in Chicago might finally unlock that potential.

The biggest complication is that Kelenic is the only one of these three players with minor league options, since he signed a minor league deal over the winter. That hurts his chances of making the team out of camp. And while he has shown a bit more success recently, he’s still batting just .200 with a .638 OPS this spring.

Korey Lee, Curtis Mead

The biggest toss-up to me is what the White Sox value with the final bench spot.

Do they keep a third catcher and roll with Korey Lee? Or do they carry an extra infielder with better defensive versatility at the corners and keep Curtis Mead? Both players are out of minor league options.

The benefit of keeping Lee is that the White Sox can feel more comfortable running both Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero out in the everyday lineup. Lee hasn’t done anything particularly notable in spring training, and you wouldn’t expect him to be an offensive force during the regular season. But he has a strong arm behind the plate, some pop as a bench bat, and he’s surprisingly athletic for a catcher.

You wouldn’t mind having him as a third catcher and potential late-game defensive replacement.

Mead, on the other hand, isn’t necessarily filling a position of need, but he offers more upside and could help the White Sox defensively. Lenyn Sosa is not a particularly capable defender at either first or third base, and with the White Sox seemingly planning to use both Luis Angel Acuña and Brooks Baldwin as regular outfielders in 2026, Chicago could benefit from an extra infielder who provides defensive flexibility with some offensive upside.

At the end of the day, Mead is still a work-in-progress former top prospect best known for his bat. He’s hitting .308 with a home run in spring training and has also been highly productive for Team Australia in the World Baseball Classic.

My gut right now says the final spots go to Ryan Borucki, Derek Hill, and Curtis Mead.

But the situation will continue evolving over the final two weeks of spring training, and a number of unforeseen circumstances could completely change the dynamics of the roster.