Is it his time? Montgomery feels ready to take over as White Sox shortstop

The White Sox officially added 2021 first-round pick Colson Montgomery to the 40-man roster.

During a Zoom call with Chicago reporters on Wednesday, he set his sights much higher than a spring training invite, when asked if he expects to be the every day shortstop in 2025.

“Yes, I do envision myself doing that,” Montgomery said. “I just hope we have a really good year and kind of put the year we just had in the rearview mirror.”

MLB Pipeline has Montgomery ranked as the No. 37 overall prospect, third in the White Sox organization, behind left-handed pitchers Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith.

The southern Indiana native spent all of last season at Triple-A Charlotte but hit just .214 with an alarming 28% strikeout rate. Then he played in the Arizona Fall League and hit .313 with very few whiffs. So maybe that's the boost he needs for a good rookie season on the South Side.

“I felt sometimes I could get a little passive,” Montgomery said. “Once I got in there and I stepped in the box and I'm like, 'Throw it right here, I'm ready for it.' Once I started having that mentality and that mindset with it all, I just felt more in the hunt and attacking the pitches. Even if it was off-speed, I was ready for it.”

Shortstop is wide open for the Sox right now. Paul DeJong made the most starts at the position last season, but he was traded away at the deadline.

The White Sox also added right-handed pitcher Juan Carela to the 40-man roster. He was acquired in a trade with the Yankees in August 2023 and posted a 3.71 ERA this season at Winston-Salem and Birmingham.

The Sox also signed veteran outfielder Austin Slater as a free agent this week. He spent most of his career with the Giants.

Cubs trade for pitcher

The Cubs made two trades Wednesday. They added right-handed pitcher Eli Morgan from Cleveland in exchange for minor-league outfielder Alfonsin Rosario.

Rosario was a sixth-round draft pick who played at Single-A Myrtle Beach last season, which seems like a low price for a pitcher like Morgan, 28. He posted a 1.93 ERA in 42 innings for the Guardians and appeared in six postseason games. Based on recent history, the Cubs need all the bullpen depth they can find.

Two fun facts about Morgan: He has one of the slowest changeups in MLB at 78.9 mph, and his father, Dave, spent 20 years as deputy sports editor of the Los Angeles Times.

The Cubs' other deal was adding catcher Matt Thaiss from the Angels for cash considerations. Thaiss, 29, was a first-round draft pick in 2016, but his highest usage in the majors was 95 games in 2023. Last season he hit .204 in 57 games.

So is Thaiss the veteran catcher they plan to pair with Miguel Amaya next year? Hard to say, maybe not. According to Statcast, Thaiss doesn't rank any higher than Amaya in arm strength, but he did grade well in blocking pitches.

Roster maneuvers

This is the time of year when teams routinely add players to the 40-man roster and not risk losing them in the Rule 5 draft. The Cubs added outfielder Owen Caissie and infielder Ben Cowles this week. Caissie is the No. 2-rated prospect in the system. Cowles was acquired from the Yankees in the Mark Leiter Jr. trade and finished last season at Double-A Tennessee.

One of the biggest questions facing the Cubs is what they'll do with their glut of top-100 prospects, since their major-league lineup is basically locked in at every spot. Caissie is the team's only top-100 prospect who spent all of last season in Triple-A.

While adding Caissie, Cowles and Morgan, the Cubs designated Adbert Alzolay, Patrick Wisdom, Brennen Davis and right-handed pitcher Trey Wingenter for assignment. With the prospects moving up in the farm system, it seemed like veterans such as Wisdom and Mike Tauchman would have to move on. Wisdom did get some financial security this season following a long climb in the minors.

Alzolay might miss all of next season after having elbow surgery. Considering how much time he's spent in the organization, the Cubs seem likely to give him a chance at a comeback down the road if he wants it.

Davis was once the Cubs' top prospect and was named MVP of the Futures Game. He's missed a lot of time with a back injury and has struggled to find his old form, so this move wasn't a surprise, but it remains to be seen if another team gives him a chance.