When a team makes additions to its roster over the course of an offseason, the overall talent level of the major league club rises. At the same time, competition for one of the 26 active roster spots becomes significantly more intense.

That dynamic is not a negative. But it does mean bad news for a few select players. Organizational improvement should be viewed as progress, even if it forces difficult decisions at the end of spring training and throughout the regular season.

That’s the tightrope the Chicago White Sox have needed to walk this winter.

The organization clearly wants to improve, but it also wants to provide meaningful opportunities for young players who are still developing. With every veteran addition, another roster spot potentially disappears for a player with upside or a reclamation project the front office believes it can unlock.

Now that pitchers and catchers have reported to Camelback Ranch in Glendale, it’s a good time to take an initial look at how the 26-man roster could shake out — and which names might unexpectedly be squeezed out.

To determine who’s on the outside looking in, you first have to establish who’s safely in.

The catching tandem appears set with Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero, two of the organization’s most important long-term pieces.

The infield also feels relatively straightforward, with Miguel Vargas, Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, and Munetaka Murakami forming a clear starting group on paper.

Andrew Benintendi and Austin Hays are both locks as well, and for the sake of this projection, they occupy the two corner outfield spots.

Center field is a bit more fluid. Brooks Baldwin and Luisangel Acuña both bring versatility that makes them strong candidates to break camp with the team, and even if neither opens the year as the everyday center fielder, both profile as valuable roster pieces. Acuña, in particular, feels close to a lock given his flexibility and overall skill set.

Lenyn Sosa remains something of an organizational puzzle, but unless a trade materializes — which seems increasingly unlikely — he should factor into the roster mix in some type of bench or designated hitter role.

That accounting gets you to 11 names, including your backup catcher and a utility option. From there, things get tight.

You need at least one true outfielder on the bench, and Everson Pereira makes the most sense. He offers legitimate athleticism and defensive value, along with significant raw power that gives him offensive upside. Just as importantly, he is out of minor league options, which gives him a practical edge over players who can be optioned to Triple-A or who are in camp on minor league deals.

The final roster spot likely hinges on how the White Sox evaluate Andrew Benintendi defensively.

If Benintendi is viewed as a viable everyday outfielder, the club can afford to prioritize infield depth on the bench. If there are lingering concerns about his range or durability in the field, another outfielder becomes far more important. Given that Acuña may project more naturally as an infielder and that removing Benintendi from the defensive equation would thin the outfield quickly, the decision carries real weight.

For now, I’m operating under the assumption that the White Sox will continue to use Benintendi in the outfield in 2026. If that holds, the final roster spot likely goes to an infielder without minor league options, and Curtis Mead fits that profile well. His ability to handle both first and third base provides useful coverage in areas where Sosa and Acuña are less natural fits, giving the roster better balance overall.

If that projection proves accurate, it leaves Derek Hill, Korey Lee, and Jarred Kelenic without roster spots — a surprising development considering how recently all three felt like safe bets to make the team.

Lee has appeared in 174 games for the White Sox from 2023 through 2025 and has provided value as a third catching option who allows both Teel and Quero to be in the lineup simultaneously. He is also out of minor league options, which complicates the decision.

Still, with Drew Romo now in the organization and the club confident in its catching depth, the front office may feel more comfortable moving on.

Hill’s situation is equally interesting. The White Sox tendered him a contract while non-tendering Mike Tauchman, signaling clear belief in Hill’s elite speed and defensive value.

They went out of their way to acquire him late last season and doubled down by keeping him in the fold for 2026. However, as the roster becomes more crowded, defensive specialists can be squeezed out if the offensive upside elsewhere is stronger.

Kelenic might be the most fascinating case. Though he signed a minor league deal, the organization’s enthusiasm was evident. He received a Zoom introductory press conference — unusual for a non-roster signing — and director of hitting Ryan Fuller specifically targeted him as a project worth investing in.

At one point earlier this winter, Kelenic would have comfortably made this projected roster. But as the White Sox continued adding pieces, the math became more complicated.

That’s the reality of roster construction. Every addition strengthens the team while simultaneously creating tougher decisions elsewhere.

Injuries and unexpected spring training performances could still reshape everything — they usually do — but as things currently stand in the early days of camp, this is how the roster appears to be trending.