GLENDALE, Ariz. — White Sox general manager Chris Getz spoke to the media for close to 20 minutes late Monday afternoon at Camelback Ranch, addressing a number of topics with pitchers and catchers reporting Tuesday.
Here are a few highlights.
New addition
Free agent right-hander Erick Fedde’s return to the White Sox wasn’t official as of Monday, so Getz didn’t have much to say in that area. He acknowledged payroll flexibility to make more moves, but sounded like a man encouraged with what the team currently has in camp.
“We’ve got flexibility, we do. But we do feel good about the group we have in here. So much of this year will be the continual development of the young players we have on this roster,” Getz said. “Obviously we added players like Mune [Munetaka Murakami], Sean Newcomb, who all have an interesting story to tell.
“We are confident that a lot of players we are bringing in from outside the organization have a chance to really impact the Major League club in a meaningful manner. It’s a team full of young players with some veterans that if and when it comes together, a lot of good things are going to happen.”
For starters
Shane Smith, Davis Martin and Anthony Kay appear to be rotation locks for the White Sox.
“I’m super excited about it,” Kay told MLB.com during a recent interview. “Kind of finally get my chance to prove to all these other teams that kind of threw me to the side, and now it’s my time to show them what I got.”
There will be healthy competition to complete the front five behind that trio. Sean Burke, the team’s talented 2025 Opening Day starter, should have a leg up on the fourth spot. Newcomb and Mike Vasil both will be stretched out and in the starters’ mix, although they also could become huge bullpen components.
“We know navigating a full season takes a lot of pitching, starting pitching and relievers. We’ve got some versatility in there,” Getz said. “We’re always going to look for opportunities to add.
“We’ve got a young group of pitchers that it’s a heavy load to get through a full season. It gives us a little bit more flexibility when you’ve got some arms that come into an organization that have done it before. We’ve been able to bring in a fair amount of depth, created some depth: Whether it be guys that are coming back here, some outside additions through trade, some free agents.”
Three catchers
Aside from a move to designated hitter, Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero will be working exclusively behind the plate. As for the possibility of breaking camp with veteran Korey Lee in the catcher mix, it’s too early to make that call.
“Obviously we’ve got to work through Spring Training, and a lot of things can happen,” Getz said. “We’re fortunate to have a plethora of catchers that we feel are Major League capable and can be impactful. We feel like we’ve developed a strength in that area, but we haven’t determined how we’re going to utilize the 26-man roster quite yet.
“The catching position is very demanding, physically, mentally, everything that goes into it. To be able to have different options to keep our guys productive and healthy throughout the season is really important. When you’re talking about those three catchers, these are guys that complement each other.”
The goals
Getz and manager Will Venable will start talking with individual players Tuesday about what they are aiming to accomplish during Spring Training and the opportunities possibly coming from it. Getz invoked the “make meaningful strides” clause uttered previously in some form when talking about big-picture goals for ‘26, without addressing a particular win total or simply avoiding a fourth straight season with 100-plus losses.
“There’s no reason why we can’t get off to a really good start and see where the year takes us,” Getz said. “Obviously, winning baseball games at the Major League level is why we come here, why we show up. We are building. We’ve accumulated a lot of talent. We have players pushing toward the Major Leagues.
“We have players more experienced at the Major League level. We know that’s going to lead to more success. We are focused on what’s in front of us on that particular day. Regardless of what happens on that day, we will have that same mindset on the following day.”
