Yesterday was the first official full practice for MLB teams, and for non-roster invitees (NRIs), it’s the official start of their fight for a position on 40-man rosters. Although 10 of the 26 White Sox NRIs have already inked contracts with the club, roster shifts are expected before Opening Day on March 27.
With invitations extended to new faces, a few veterans and even some familiar faces, who has the best chance of breaking camp with the White Sox?
Ben Peoples
The Sox tapped into Tampa Bay’s pitching factory last year in the Adrian Houser trade, and it’ll pay off this season. Peoples spent his first three years in the Rays minor league system putting up solid numbers as a starter before he transitioned into a long reliever role in 2025. His 2.65 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings with the Durham Bulls showed much promise despite his performance slippage once he was traded to Chicago. While seven earned runs and nine hits in 10 relief appearances doesn’t look great on paper, consistency (especially in Charlotte) is hard to expect from a reliever. With nearly five-and-a-half seasons of sub-4.00 ERA ball under his belt, don’t reach too much into Peoples’ second-half 2025 stats.
Peoples is in a strong position to break camp with the team. He could easily steal a bullpen spot from incumbents Wikelman González or Prelander Berroa (who is on the Tommy John mend and could struggle in his initial return). After one of the worst bullpen years in recent memory (and that’s saying something), the Sox will be experimenting with their bullpen to find a crew that clicks, and Peoples could become a go-to guy in the fifth and sixth innings.
Dru Baker
The Sox are in dire need of defense, and Chicago’s outfield could end up a mess. That leaves the door open for Baker to sneak onto the 40-man roster in March. Baker hasn’t produced jaw-dropping numbers, but he’s done enough to be given a chance. Coming off a strong 2024 campaign, Baker’s .245/.321/.343 slash line and 30 walks in 100 games in 2025 was serviceable. His real strength is defense: Baker has spent most of his time in center, but is no stranger to the outfield corners. He showcased excellent fielding several times last year. and was recognized as Tampa’s minor league player of the month last April.
There isn’t much separating a Triple-A outfielder from a major-leaguer in the Sox organization, leaving Baker a narrow window of opportunity. Injuries and Spring Training performance will play a huge role in whether Baker makes his MLB debut before June.
Jarred Kelenic
The former 2018 first-round pick hasn’t lived up to his hype. Kelenic’s performance quickly dropped off following his career-high .253/.327/.419 slash in 2023 with the Mariners. He struggled to stay in the majors in his last two seasons with the Braves, batting .222/.279/.381 with 17 home runs in 155 games. His poor swing decisions (41.5% WHIFF in 2025) are hard to fix and don’t bode well for a fruitful career in the majors. However, it’s possible that Chicago’s hitting coaches can make enough tweaks to get him back to being a viable defensive sub option, as his strong arm beats Andrew Benintendi’s any day. At this rate, put me in left field, Venable!
Kelenic has a slim chance of making the Opening Day roster, but his big league experience and raw power could be enough to beat out the rest of the competition.