Teams are starting to make their first round of roster cuts as we head into the middle stages of spring training. The White Sox are no different, as the team announced five roster moves today.
Jake Eder and Jairo Iriarte
Per the announcement, left-handed pitcher Jake Eder and right-handed pitcher Jairo Iriarte were both optioned to the AAA Charlotte Knights. Eder, 26, was acquired in the Jake Burger trade with the Marlins in 2023 and made one appearance with the White Sox major league team last season. He struggled in a small sample size this spring, as he had a 11.57 ERA and 2.14 WHIP in 2.1 innings. He will likely start the season in Charlotte’s bullpen and could be called up later this season.
Iriarte, 23, is the White Sox #9 prospect per MLB.com and spent most of last season with the AA Birmingham Barons. Acquired in last year’s Dylan Cease trade with the Padres, Iriarte performed well at the AA level in 2024, pitching to a 3.71 ERA and 1.28 WHIP over 23 games. Like Eder, Iriarte also had a small taste of the big leagues with the White Sox MLB squad last season. He struggled in a small sample this spring, pitching to a 6.23 ERA in 4.1 innings while walking five and only striking out three. Throwing strikes has always been Iriarte’s kryptonite. He will likely start the season in Charlotte’s starting rotation and could be one of the first pitchers called up in case of injuries or underperformance on the White Sox pitching staff.
Wikelman González
The White Sox also optioned right-handed pitcher Wikelman González to the AA Birmingham Barons as part of these roster moves. González, 22, was acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade this past offseason. The #18 prospect in the White Sox organization per MLB.com, González only made one appearance in spring training, allowing two runs in one inning of work. He will likely be part of the Barons’ starting rotation to start the season.
Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith
Today’s roster moves also impacted the White Sox two best pitching prospects. Left-handed pitchers Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith were reassigned to minor league camp.
Schultz, 21, is the White Sox #1 prospect and the #16 prospect in MLB per their list. The White Sox first-round pick in 2022, Schultz spent most of last season with the AA Birmingham Barons where he pitched to a stellar 1.48 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 10.8 K/9 in 61 innings over 16 starts at that level. He also didn’t allow a run in three spring innings. Given his lack of experience however, Schultz getting reassigned to minor league camp at some point was a foregone conclusion. He will likely begin the 2025 season at AA Birmingham again as he looks to continue building up his workload and innings. Barring something unexpected, Schultz will head to AAA Charlotte later this season. We could possibly even see him in Chicago by the end of 2025.
Smith, 21, is the White Sox #3 prospect and the #34 prospect in MLB. The White Sox first-round pick in 2024, Smith made a cup of coffee with the A+ Winston-Salem Dash last season and threw three scoreless innings this spring. Like Schultz, Smith was never going to make the Opening Day roster. He will likely begin the season in Winston-Salem’s starting rotation and should move fast through the minors. Given their age and skill level, Schultz and Smith are on similar development timelines. Fans should expect both in Chicago by sometime in 2026 at the latest.
More White Sox Roster Cuts Coming
The White Sox now have 66 players left in camp, including 31 pitchers, six catchers, 18 infielders, and 11 outfielders. They will have to trim the roster to 26 players by opening day, so we will see many more cuts and roster moves over the coming weeks.
