It’s still freezing in Chicago, but the White Sox are already setting the tone for what could be one of the most revealing springs of the rebuild.
Chicago White Sox outfielder Braden Montgomery during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
On Thursday, the team announced spring training details and officially invited 22 non-roster players to big league camp in Glendale, Arizona — and while it looks like a routine list at first glance, the names tell a much sharper story:
The White Sox aren’t just preparing for 2026…
They’re preparing for chaos.
Pitchers and catchers report Feb. 10, and the full squad hits the field Feb. 15. But the real action starts now — because these invites are the first real hint of what the front office thinks is missing.
And what they think is missing… is a lot.
Seven new minor-league signings got invites — and the vibe is clear: “Fix them, fast.”
The White Sox brought in seven free agents on minor-league deals, all with non-roster invites:
Pitchers
- RHP Tyson Miller
- LHP Ryan Borucki
Infielders
- Oliver Dunn
- Tim Elko
- LaMonte Wade Jr.
Outfielders
- Dustin Harris
- Jarred Kelenic
This isn’t a splashy group. It’s not meant to be.
This is the kind of list that screams:
“We need depth, and we need it to survive.”
Tyson Miller might be the sneaky headliner. In 2024, he looked like a real bullpen weapon — 2.32 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and 54 strikeouts to 11 walks across 62 innings. But 2025 derailed him with a hip issue and ugly Triple-A results.
The White Sox are basically betting on one question:
Was 2024 real… or was it a fluke?
Because if it was real, they may have found a legitimate bullpen piece without paying for one.
Kelenic and Wade are more than “depth” — they’re insurance for an outfield that doesn’t feel stable
Jarred Kelenic and LaMonte Wade Jr. stand out for one reason:
They’ve both shown they can be MLB contributors… but both come with warning labels.
Kelenic’s career has been defined by talent and frustration. At one point he was a top prospect in baseball. He even produced real value in 2023 with a .746 OPS and 2.1 WAR — but strikeouts have kept him from sticking as the player people expected.
Still, on a White Sox roster where the outfield is shaky after the Luis Robert Jr. trade, Kelenic doesn’t need to be perfect.
He just needs to be playable.
And that’s why this invite matters: it’s not a long shot. It’s a real opportunity.
LaMonte Wade Jr. is a similar story, just older and quieter. He had a strong 2023 with 17 home runs and 2.8 WAR, and across five seasons in San Francisco, he posted a .746 OPS.
Then 2025 happened — and it fell apart.
That’s what makes the Wade signing feel less like optimism and more like a gamble:
If he’s cooked, it’s nothing. If he bounces back, it’s a steal.
The Tim Elko invite feels like a “blink-and-you-miss-it” signal
Tim Elko being on the list is easy to overlook… until you remember he had ACL surgery in October.
The White Sox previously estimated an eight-month recovery timeline, which would normally make a spring training invite feel premature.
So why invite him now?
Because it hints at something quietly important:
They might believe his recovery is ahead of schedule.
Or at least, they want him around the big league environment as soon as possible — which is never an accident.
15 more invites from inside the system — and two names feel like pressure points
The White Sox also invited 15 players already in the organization, including several prospects with real weight behind them:
Left-handed pitchers
- Noah Schultz
- Hagen Smith
Outfielders
- Braden Montgomery
- Dru Baker
Infielders
- Sam Antonacci
- Jacob Gonzalez
- plus others
Schultz and Smith are the big story. Not because they aren’t talented — but because 2025 created real discomfort.
Schultz dominated early, then got hit hard in Triple-A. Smith had an uneven season, but flashed upside late, especially in Birmingham’s playoff run and the Arizona Fall League.
The organization still believes in them.
But the patience is starting to feel… thinner.
Because the White Sox don’t just need prospects anymore.
They need proof.
Braden Montgomery is the name that could flip the entire spring
Montgomery’s invite matters for one simple reason:
The White Sox outfield is wide open.
After climbing three levels in his first pro season and finishing around an .804 OPS, he’s now entering the part of the rebuild where fans start asking the dangerous question:
“Why not now?”
Even Chris Getz acknowledged the tension, saying he wants Montgomery to compete — but also emphasized it’s “not about Opening Day.”
That sounds responsible.
But it also sounds like something teams say right before a prospect forces the issue anyway.
The White Sox invited 22 players to spring training, and on the surface it looks like normal roster housekeeping.
But underneath it, the message is sharper:
Jobs are available. Roles are unstable. And 2026 is going to expose who’s real.
The only question is…
who shows up ready to take something the roster wasn’t planning to give them?
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