Projecting the Chicago White Sox's 2015 Opening Day Roster

For the Chicago White Sox, the 2015 regular season can’t start soon enough.

The excitement surrounding the club is the byproduct of general manager Rick Hahn’s aggressive offseason. Honestly, after acquiring Jeff Samardzija, Dan Jennings, Melky Cabrera, Adam LaRoche, Emilio Bonifacio, Zach Duke and David Robertson, the questions related to projecting the Opening Day roster are few.

So let’s get going and look at the White Sox’s projected Opening Day 25-man roster along with each player’s stat line from last season.

Infield/Designated Hitter

	Slash	HR	RBI	2B	OPS+
Adam LaRoche, 1B/DH (L)	.259/.362/.455	26	92	19	124
Jose Abreu, 1B/DH (R)	.317/.383/.581	36	107	35	169
Micah Johnson, 2B (L)	.294/.351/.403	5	44	19	N/A
Alexei Ramirez, SS (R)	.273/.305/.408	15	74	35	101
Conor Gillaspie, 3B (L)	.282/.336/.416	7	57	31	113
Gordon Beckham, UT (R)	.226/.271/.348	9	44	27	75

Micah Johnson did not play in the major leagues last season. His statistics are from his time at Double- and Triple-A.

At the top, the infield is set.

Reigning American League Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu will line up at first base more often than not with LaRoche taking over at designated hitter for Adam Dunn. Alexei Ramirez will take almost every start at shortstop, and Conor Gillaspie will see the bulk of playing time at third base.

After that, things get muddled.

Take second base, for example. As it stands, Micah Johnson and Carlos Sanchez will compete for the starting spot at second with Johnson holding an early advantage for two reasons.

First off, Johnson bats left-handed and has plenty of speed, which benefits every MLB lineup. Second, Sanchez struggled against righties last season to the tune of a .194/.214/.209 slash line. It is a small sample size, of course, but one to take notice of nonetheless. 

Morry Gash/Associated Press

It’s not that Sanchez doesn’t stand a chance, of course, but he will likely have to perform exceedingly well to take the spot. After all, Johnson has more of what the White Sox are looking for right now—left-handedness, the ability to run and a knack for reaching base.

And let’s not overlook the fact that the White Sox just signed Gordon Beckham to a one-year deal, per CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman. If Sanchez had the edge, Hahn would not have signed a guy who put up a .293/.349/.431 slash against lefties last season. In other words, it seems as though Hahn has put in place a system wherein Beckham is the right-handed counter to Johnson and Gillaspie's left-handed bats. 

To be sure, a miserable spring could sway manager Robin Ventura’s decision, but if things stay the way they are, Johnson will open the season at second and Beckham will be the club’s final infielder.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Bonifacio will see plenty of time on the infield. In essence, the White Sox will break camp with what amounts to seven infielders.

Outfield

	Slash	HR	RBI	2B	OPS+
Avisail Garcia, RF (R)	.244/.305/.413	7	29	8	102
Adam Eaton, CF (L)	.300/.362/.401	1	35	26	117
Melky Cabrera, LF (S)	.301/.351/.458	16	73	35	126
Tony Campana, OF (L)	.187/.197/.227	0	5	1	19
Emilio Bonifacio, OF/IF (S)	.259/.305/.345	3	24	17	81

Barring injury, Adam Eaton, Avisail Garcia and Cabrera are the go-to guys beyond the infield.

Eaton is a fine defensive center fielder and proved in 2014 that he is more than up to the job when it comes to leading off. Cabrera struggles defensively but brings a solid blend of power (.415 lifetime slugging) and on-base percentage (.339 career OBP) to the second spot in the order. And Garcia seems poised to break out as a legitimate offensive force in his second season on an Opening Day roster.

Mark Duncan/Associated Press

Let’s not forget about Bonifacio. He can play every position in the outfield and should see plenty of action unless he spends more time roaming around the infield. Expect a clear plan to emerge for him as spring training progresses.

And following the acquisition of Beckham, Hahn made the move that most White Sox fans have long anticipated—he designated Dayan Viciedo for assignment, per Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi. That opens up a spot for a few guys to battle for.

One of them, J.B. Shuck, is already on the 40-man roster, and Michael Taylor did enough last season to warrant a long look this spring. Don’t overlook a guy like Tony Campana, though. In fact, given the fact that the fifth outfielder likely won’t see much playing time, Campana’s speed is enough for us, and he gets the nod.  

Catcher

	Slash	HR	RBI	2B	OPS+
Tyler Flowers (R)	.241/.297/.396	15	50	16	95
Geovany Soto (R)	.250/.302/.363	1	11	6	88

Noting that catcher has been a weakness for some time on the South Side, Hahn made a series of acquisitions at the position this offseason. He claimed Rob Brantly off waivers from the Miami Marlins and then signed George Kottaras and Geovany Soto to free-agent contracts.

Not that any of the three represent a distinct upgrade over incumbent Tyler Flowers (who is unquestionably the starter going into the season), but along with Adrian Nieto, there is certainly a wider range of options to choose from this season as the 25-man roster is finalized. That said, Soto gets the call as the club’s second catcher for two reasons.

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

First, he has a history with Jeff Samardzija. In all, Samardzija has a 3.46 ERA over 101 appearances with Soto behind the dish along with a 2.05 ERA as a starter with the Oakland A’s last season, per the Chicago Sun Times’ Daryl Van Schouwen. Not that Soto is destined to be Shark’s personal catcher, of course, but it is worth noting.

The larger reason Soto will open the season with the White Sox is that he is the best option after Flowers. Sure, Brantly, Nieto and Kottaras have their strengths, but as CBS Chicago’s Bruce Levine noted, his “overall game is superior to the other catchers Chicago will have in camp.”

Starting Rotation

	W-L	ERA	FIP	K/9	BB/9
Chris Sale, LHP	12-4	2.17	2.57	10.76	2.02
Jeff Samardzija, RHP	7-13	2.99	3.21	8.28	1.76
Jose Quintana, LHP	9-11	3.32	2.81	8.00	2.34
Hector Noesi, RHP	8-11	4.39	4.85	6.34	2.93
John Danks, LHP	11-11	4.74	4.76	5.99	3.44

With the acquisition of Samardzija, the White Sox now have a starting rotation that boasts a front end three stars deep. Flat out, Samardzija is the perfect complement to left-handers Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. He provides balance, competitiveness and has a repertoire that keeps batters on the defensive.

From a productivity perspective, the group is ahead of the curve, finishing last season with a combined 14.1 fWAR (FanGraphs’ version of wins above replacement), and each ranked in MLB’s top 30 in ERA and FIP, per FanGraphs. Only the Washington Nationals can boast three hurlers (Jordan Zimmermann, Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer) with a similar stat line.

After them, however, question marks loom.

There is no getting around the fact that John Danks isn’t good enough to justify his $15.75 million salary. And while Hector Noesi made legitimate strides at the end of last season, posting a 3.99 ERA with seven quality starts over his final 10 outings, he is an unknown variable heading into the season.

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

And don’t count on Carlos Rodon making the Opening Day roster.

To start, it makes little financial sense. If, say, he is sent to Triple-A for even a little while, the club will gain one more year of control (see this post from Larry at South Side Sox for a thorough breakdown). And when we’re talking about a guy who could turn into a front-line starter, that’s a real consideration.

Second, the White Sox are doing their best to temper expectations. Hahn, for example, noted that Rodon’s immediate future “is going to be based on his ability and the composition of our roster,” per CSN Chicago’s JJ Stankevitz.

That sounds great, but with the additions of Duke and Jennings, the structure of the roster seems to indicate that the left-handed portion of the bullpen is complete. Not that opening the season in the pen or as a starter is out of the question, but the White Sox will likely give him a few outings at Charlotte to continue working on his off-speed selection before inserting him into the rotation.

Either way, this unit is a vastly improved one. Even with the uncertainty at the back end, there is legitimate reason for optimism regarding the starting rotation.

Relief Corps

	W-L	ERA	FIP	K/9	BB/9
CL David Robertson, RHP	4-5 (39 SV)	3.08	2.68	13.43	3.22
SU Jake Petricka, RHP	1-6	2.96	3.60	6.78	4.07
SU Zach Duke, LHP	5-1	2.45	2.14	11.35	2.61
Dan Jennings, LHP	0-2	1.34	3.48	8.48	3.79
Zach Putnam, RHP	5-3	1.98	3.08	7.57	3.29
Javy Guerra, RHP	2-4	2.91	3.95	7.38	3.88
Scott Carroll, RHP	5-10	4.80	4.77	4.45	3.13

Based on the acquisitions and production at the end of last season, the first six spots in the bullpen are locked up. Zach Putnam, Jake Petricka and Javy Guerra will join new arrivals Robertson, Duke and Jennings as the primary relief options for Ventura and pitching coach Don Cooper.

It is the final spot that is unknown.

Options include Rodon, Eric Surkamp, Daniel Webb, Onelki Garcia and Michael Ynoa. And while each of them either has experience in the big leagues or a devastating fastball, we’re going with Scott Carroll.

M. Spencer Green/Associated Press

Not only can he spot start, which prevents Hahn from optioning pitchers between Triple-A and the big leagues, but he can serve as the long reliever when one of the starters is knocked out of a game in the early going.

True, his stuff may not be as electric as some of the other pitchers’, but he fills two needs. And while the final spot could go to any of the above-mentioned guys, Carroll is the pragmatic choice to start with.

To be sure, the final three or four spots on the roster can go in any number of directions. And while spring training stats are largely meaningless, it will be incumbent for the guys vying for an Opening Day nod to come prepared.

The 2015 season has a chance to be a special one on the South Side. Hahn has energized the fanbase, acquiring a player to fill almost every hole on the roster since free agency began. In the process, the expectations for his club have gone from patient progress to something far greater.

It’s time to turn the promise of the offseason into something more tangible—an American League Central crown.

Unless otherwise noted, all traditional and advanced statistics are courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference.com. Contract information pulled from Cot's Contracts. Transaction information is courtesy of MLB.com.

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