Chicago White Sox's Position-by-Position Breakdown at 2015 Spring Training

For the first time in a while, the Chicago White Sox opened spring training this season with very few positions undecided, as general manager Rick Hahn did a fine job addressing the club's needs this offseason.

Frankly, with the exception of the battle for the starting job at second base, there isn’t much in the way of intrigue. That won’t stop us from taking a deep dive into each position group.

What follows is a preview of who is expected to open the season at each position, who will be the primary backups and which potential players could make a case for playing time before White Sox manager Robin Ventura makes his final cuts.

Catcher

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Starter: Tyler Flowers

Backup: Geovany Soto

Wild Card: Rob Brantly

Truth be told, the White Sox have several holes on the roster, but the most glaring one is behind the plate.

Don’t take that the wrong way. Tyler Flowers is a serviceable MLB backstop but is also inconsistent at the plate. It will be imperative for Flowers to find a middle ground offensively, avoiding disastrous stretches like last June, when he put up a .129/.187/.214 slash line over 70 at-bats.

Flowers also has trouble throwing runners out on the basepaths but does a fair job with the staff. If he maintains his production at the plate for the majority of the season and keeps the ball in front of him, expect Flowers to catch over 125 games.

As far as the backup spot is concerned, there are multiple options, including Rob Brantly, George Kottaras and Adrian Nieto, but only one real choice—Geovany Soto.

First off, Jeff Samardzija has a lifetime 3.46 ERA in 101 appearances with Soto catching, including a 2.05 ERA over 22 innings last season with the Oakland A’s, per the Chicago Sun-Times’ Daryl Van Schouwen. Couple that with his experience and ability to hit lefties (career .285/.376/.482 slash line), and Soto will get the nod as Flowers' backup to start the season.

If he fails miserably this spring or gets hurt, however, expect Brantly to get a look. Nieto, who spent last season on the 25-man roster after being a Rule 5 pick, needs to spend a full season in the minor leagues with an eye on 2016 and beyond. And Kottaras is a nice emergency option but is likely third in line behind Soto.

First Base/Designated Hitter

John Locher/Associated Press

Starter at First Base: Jose Abreu

Starter at Designated Hitter: Adam LaRoche

If there is a position group (we're combining the two here) that should not be in danger of failing to meet expectations, it is at first base and designated hitter.

True, Jose Abreu hit only seven doubles and five home runs over the final two months last season after driving 28 doubles and stroking 31 long balls over his first 94 games. That said, his plate coverage and discipline, combined with a year's worth of seasoning, should assure that his production in 2015 remains at a high level.

Another thing to keep in mind regarding Abreu’s output this season is that he will likely receive more time at designated hitter following the addition of Adam LaRoche. That will alleviate some of the pressure he puts on his ankles, increasing his ability to drive the ball in August and September.

And yes, there is a chance that LaRoche struggles as mightily as Adam Dunn did after he signed a four-year, $56 million contract prior to the 2011 season. That said, Dunn’s futility in his first season with the White Sox (.159/.292/.277, 11 HR, 42 RBI) set a standard that LaRoche is unlikely to meet.

Expect Abreu and LaRoche, who will hit third and fourth, to provide fantastic power and on-base percentage in the middle of the order. Simply put, first base and designated hitter are in good hands this season.

Second Base

John Locher/Associated Press

Starter: Micah Johnson

Backup: Gordon Beckham, Emilio Bonifacio

Wild Card: Carlos Sanchez

If it were up to Gordon Beckham, he would be the starting second baseman when the season opens. As he told ESPN.com’s Doug Padilla, he is going “to compete for a starting job.” And seeing as there is only one position up for grabs this spring, he is referring to winning the Opening Day nod at second.

Thankfully, it’s not up to Beckham.

Ventura told Padilla that he knows what Beckham brings to the table at the position and will play him all over the infield so Beckham has “that under his belt.” You can say that again, Robin.

That leaves three other options—Micah Johnson, Carlos Sanchez and Emilio Bonifacio. Of them, Johnson would seem to have the early edge.

First, he has the most speed among the three, and with the loss of Tony Campana for the season to an ACL injury, that speed becomes even more valuable. Second, he bats left-handed, providing balance to the bottom of the lineup. Because of those skill sets, CBS Chicago’s Bruce Levine recently posited that “management may prefer” the speedster win the position outright.

True, Sanchez played fairly well in 2014, posting a .250/.269/.300 slash line over 100 at-bats. And while that experience is certainly a plus, his on-base percentage has to be a concern, and the fact that he isn’t exactly fleet of foot plays to his disadvantage.

Regarding Bonifacio, we have to believe that he is most valuable as a utility player, logging time in the outfield and in the infield. In this scenario, Bonifacio sees regular time in the lineup, while every position player (with the exception of Abreu, LaRoche and whoever is catching) gets ample time off.

To be sure, anything can happen prior to final cuts. That is the nature of an open competition.

Beckham could win the job. Bonifacio could prove to be the best option. Or both Johnson and Sanchez may show that they simply aren’t ready and need more time in the minors.

This is the battle to watch this spring.

Shortstop

John Locher/Associated Press

Starter: Alexei Ramirez

Backups: Gordon Beckham, Emilio Bonifacio

As Alexei Ramirez enters his eighth season on the South Side, one thing seems certain—with the additions of Gordon Beckham and Emilio Bonifacio, he will get more time off. That’s not a bad thing, though.

See, for the last four years, he’s appeared in 158 games per season, and the two years prior to that, he appeared in 156 and 148 contests, respectively. All that playing time takes its toll, and with the exception of April (.255/.290/.362 lifetime slash line), his combined production in the months of September and October (.256/.306/.375) represent the worst marks of his career.

True, the weather may have something to do with it, but there is no mistaking the fact that as the season comes to an end, Ramirez’s ability to drive the ball and reach base takes a hit.

Truth be told, there wasn’t really a choice in the matter. As Ventura said, “Alexei got stuck out there and he wants to play every day, but there are some days where he needed days off and we weren’t really able to give it to him,” per the Chicago Sun-Times’ Daryl Von Schouwen.

Look for that to change this season, with Beckham and Bonifacio each taking some time at shortstop away from the right-handed hitter. And while he will still get the vast majority of playing time, a few days off during the middle of the season should pay direct dividends toward the end of the year.

Third Base

John Locher/Associated Press

Starter: Conor Gillaspie

Backup: Gordon Beckham, Emilio Bonifacio

Over his first 81 games last season, Conor Gillaspie compiled a .327/.379/.467 slash line with 24 doubles. By all accounts, he was having a marvelous season. Unfortunately, he managed only a .201/.256/.323 slash with seven doubles over his final 49 contests.

The stark contrast in production was not lost on Gillaspie, who noted that “fatigue” set in, and as August hit, he “just couldn’t do it” any longer, via the Chicago Tribune’s Colleen Kane. Gaining weight this offseason should help, but so will having guys like Gordon Beckham and Emilio Bonifacio available to give him some time off.

See, last season, Marcus Semien and Leury Garcia were the only other guys to get playing time at the hot corner, and neither of them had an on-base percentage over .240 or a slugging percentage north of .322 while playing the position. It was Gillaspie or no one, and that truth eventually caught up with the left-handed hitter.

Defensively, the position will likely be a problem area all season. Look no further than Gillaspie’s lifetime minus-12.7 UZR at third base, per FanGraphs. Sure, he can make highlight-reel plays, but he also has limited range and is prone to missing his target at first.

All told, third base is a mixed bag. On one hand, Gillaspie should be more consistent at the plate, and Beckham and Bonifacio will provide balance against lefties. On the other, defense will be an issue.

Either way, the position is in better shape than it was last season if for no other reason than the combination of Beckham and Bonifacio should be an upgrade over Semien and Garcia. And that depth will play a role in how well the club performs toward the end of the season.

Outfield

Reinhold Matay/Associated Press

Starter in Left Field: Melky Cabrera

Starter in Right Field: Avisail Garcia

Starter in Center Field: Adam Eaton

Backups: Emilio Bonifacio, J.B. Shuck

Heading into spring training, there aren’t many unknowns in the outfield.

Adam Eaton will lead off and be the everyday center fielder. Melky Cabrera will hit second and play left field. And Avisail Garcia will open the season in right field and is slated to bat fifth behind Adam LaRoche.

Flat-out, this is the best starting unit the club has had to open the season for some time. It has speed in the form of Eaton, a switch-hitter with the ability to get on base and drive the ball in Cabrera and a five-tool player in Garcia. As a group, they will set the tone for what the batting order can do all season.

If there is a weakness, it is Cabrera’s defense and the health of Eaton.

With regard to Cabrera, the fact that he isn’t Dayan Viciedo already makes the position better. That said, there is no comparing what the new left fielder brings to the field with what a guy like Alex Gordon does.

And if Eaton can stop running into walls like Aaron Rowand or sliding into first base like a Little Leaguer, that would be just great. He is a fantastic defensive center fielder and is heady on the bases, but each game he misses with a minor injury hurts the White Sox.  

Let’s not forget about the versatility of Emilio Bonifacio. True, he’s seen the most action in center field (175 games), but he has experience in left field (70) and right field (34). Unless he wins the job at second base, expect him to see action at all three positions this season.

Unless otherwise noted, all traditional and advanced statistics are courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference.com. Contract information courtesy of Cots Contracts. Transaction and injury information is courtesy of MLB.com.

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