The White Sox appear to have finalized their Opening Day roster, with a pair of offseason acquisitions set to open the year on the injured list.
Infielders Brooks Baldwin and Nick Maton and outfielder Travis Jankowski made the club’s Opening Day roster. Mike Tauchman and Josh Rojas will start the year on the IL.
Maton has four years of MLB experience under his belt and was signed as a free agent in November. He spent his first two MLB seasons with the Phillies before making stops with the Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles. Maton owns a career .206/.303/.357 slash line in 443 at-bats.
The 28-year-old appeared in just five games for the Orioles last season, going 0-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts. However, Maton had a solid Spring with the White Sox, hitting four homers and posting a .368 OPS. This comes after he hit .258 last season in the minor leagues with 16 homers. Maton also provides some flexibility for Will Venable defensively with the ability to play shortstop, second, and third base.
Josh Rojas’ White Sox Debut Delayed By Injury
Rojas was the frontrunner for the Opening Day second base job before his injury in March. Though doctors determined he couldn’t worsen the fracture, pain tolerance became a concern. The White Sox opted to place him on the IL, allowing him extra recovery time before joining the lineup.
Maton is likely viewed by the team as a placeholder until Rojas is ready to return. Rojas suffered a fractured big toe midway through March. While team doctors felt he could not injure it any worse by playing, Rojas had been dealing with some significant pain. At the time of his injury, Venable told reporters that the team was taking the injury day to day, and his return would come down to pain tolerance. By placing him on the IL to start the season, the White Sox have provided him some extra time to return at full strength
Before the injury, Rojas seemed to have the inside track to be the White Sox Opening Day second baseman. The six-year MLB veteran has had a strong Spring, batting .313 with a .759 OPS in his first 32 at-bats.
Baldwin Gets Another Shot
Baldwin made his MLB debut with the White Sox last season after slashing .324/.391/.460 in 82 minor league games, 74 of which came with the Class AA Birmingham Barons. He got 121 plate appearances with the White Sox, hitting .211/.250/.316 with a pair of homers and eight RBIs.
Like Maton, Baldwin also provides versatility with time spent at shortstop, second, and first base.
Jankowski Strengthens the Outfield Defense
Jankowski, a ten-year MLB veteran, was not signed by the White Sox until March 12. Adding Jankowski provided the team with some much-needed depth at a time when Tauchman, Andrew Benintendi, and Austin Slater were on the shelf with injuries.
While Benintendi returned in time for Opening Day, Tauchman’s injury cleared a path for Jankowski to make the team. He immediately improves the team’s outfield defense with his speed and range. He also brings championship experience to the locker room.
In 2023, he won a World Series with White Sox manager Will Venable. Venable served as the Rangers’ bench coach during Jankowski’s two seasons in Texas. That connection is one of the things that drew Jankowski to the South Side.
The 33-year-old is not much of a hitter, with a career slash line of .236/.319/.305. He had a strong 2023 season with the Rangers, serving as the fourth outfielder on their World Series-winning roster. Over 107 games and 287 plate appearances, he posted a solid .263/.357/.332 slash line and a 97 wRC+ while contributing quality baserunning and reliable defense. That season, he swiped 19 bags. However, he struggled to replicate that success in 2024, hitting just .200/.266/.242 with 11 stolen bases across 207 plate appearances in 104 games with Texas.
