The White Sox have started holding players accountable for poor performance, and these three guys could be the next roster casualties in Chicago.
With right-handed pitcher Trevor Richards being added to the active roster for the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, Jordan Leasure was optioned to the minor leagues.
That wasn't necessarily the roster move I expected the team to make, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anybody who disapproves, given how Leasure has pitched in 2026. And the way I see it, it's a sign of the times for the White Sox.
Leasure has a 6.06 ERA in 16 appearances this season. Before the year began, Leasure was expected to be a high-leverage arm for the White Sox, and prior to the free agent deal with Seranthony Dominguez, he may have even been in line to be Chicago's closer.
He had a great second half of the 2025 season, but he hasn't looked like a serviceable big leaguer in 2026, and the White Sox are no longer giving opportunities and roster spots to players who only show flashes or potential. Slowly but surely, they're beginning to weed those players out. If you want a roster spot, you need to earn it.
With this in mind, who’s next? Which players do the White Sox need to move on from and get off the roster in the name of finding a more competent replacement?
I don't believe any of the following players will be on the White Sox roster for much longer.
Osvaldo Bido
If there is one criticism of the decision to send Jordan Leasure down, it's that Osvaldo Bido remains on the White Sox roster. Bido has a 6.23 ERA in 8.2 innings pitched since joining the White Sox, and he consistently fails to get his job done, even in low-leverage relief spots.
In the series finale against the Angels, Bido entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs and proceeded to hit the first two batters he faced, bringing in runs for Los Angeles.
He doesn't throw enough strikes to be an effective innings eater out of the bullpen. There's very little upside here, and at 30 years old, there's no world in which he'd be part of the White Sox long-term future.
Chicago has plenty of intriguing bullpen options on the cusp of an MLB call-up in Triple-A, and it's long overdue for one of them to get an opportunity while Bido is designated for assignment.
Luisangel Acuña
As much as the White Sox may have been intrigued by his upside, and as excited as they may have been to give him “runway” at the MLB level, it's becoming more and more apparent that Luisangel Acuña simply can't cut it at the MLB level from an offensive standpoint.
He's batting .175 with a .426 OPS this season. He rarely puts the ball in play with authority or has a competitive at-bat. He has also been one of the worst defenders in baseball.
Acuña is incredibly fast. He's in the 97th percentile in sprint speed this season. He's a tremendous baserunner who can steal a bag whenever you need one.
In some cases, you could argue that he should be kept on the roster as a potential late-game pinch runner, but the White Sox have outfielders like Derek Hill and Tristan Peters, who are also in the top 10 percent of MLB players in sprint speed, capable basestealers, and both are better defensive outfielders.
There's nothing Acuña brings to this team that the White Sox don't already have in another player, and at the moment, he's taking up a roster spot and playing time from more deserving candidates.
While he's out of minor league options, it's time for the White Sox to admit defeat and DFA Acuña. That seems like a likely outcome once Braden Montgomery gets brought up from AAA and makes his MLB debut.
Edgar Quero
It's only a matter of time before White Sox catcher Edgar Quero is sent down to Triple-A, and at this point, it feels long overdue.
Quero is batting .154 on the season with a .419 OPS. He has no pop, his swing is long, and he regularly looks overmatched at the plate. To make matters worse, Quero has continued to struggle defensively. He's one of the worst blocking catchers in the sport, one of the worst framing catchers in the sport, and he hasn't seemed to have a good feel for the ABS challenge system. He's also one of the slowest baserunners in baseball.
It’s ugly. And as soon as Kyle Teel returns from his hamstring injury and rejoins the White Sox, Quero is likely headed back to Triple-A while Drew Romo takes over as the big league backup.
It might even be worth it for the White Sox to bring up Michael Turner or Korey Lee from Charlotte just to handle backup catching duties while Romo gets regular at-bats in the meantime and Quero gets a reset. Because right now, he's drowning on the big league roster.
He's still only 23 years old, and it's not too late for Quero to course correct and become an important piece of Chicago's future. But if the White Sox are serious about roster spots going to players who earn them, they can't keep trotting Quero out there in the everyday lineup.