White Sox prospect Colas could fill out the 2023 outfield

With spring training starting in just over two months, there's still plenty of time to add roster pieces.

For the White Sox, getting the outfield set up is tops on the priority list.

As it stands now, the only lock is Luis Robert in center field.

Eloy Jimenez is a left fielder by trade, but a string of injuries moved him to designated hitter for his final 29 starts of last season.

Jimenez is a reluctant DH, to put it mildly. His position status for 2023 is still up in the air.

"I haven't spoken to him about that," new Sox manager Pedro Grifol told reporters at last week's winter meetings. "He's a huge part of this ballclub. There are very few guys in this game that just want to be a DH. I don't expect my conversations with him to be, 'Hey, you're going to be a DH,' and it's like, 'Oh, yeah, great.' Very few players are like that.

"Players want to play, and I'm assuming he's going to want to do the same thing.

"So he's going to prepare to play the outfield. Obviously the DH role is a role that he can fill as well, but we've got to get him ready in spring training to be able to play some defense as well."

With AJ Pollock opting to walk away from a $13 million contract for 2023, take a $5 million buyout and test the free-agent market, the White Sox have a hole in right field.

Don't be surprised if Oscar Colas fills it.

Debuting this season at high Class A Winston-Salem after signing with the Sox in late January, Colas advanced to AA Birmingham and finished up the year at AAA Charlotte.

The 24-year-old Colas combined to hit .314/.371/.524 with 23 home runs and 79 RBI in 117 games and is now ranked No. 91 on Baseball America's Top 100 list.

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Colas is a legitimate option to be in right field on Opening Day.

"I don't think it's necessarily too much of an ask," Hahn said. "We'll head to camp and see where we're at. He impressed us last year and is on a real good trajectory to contribute in a meaningful way as soon as next year."

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Colas is a left-handed bat with power potential, a big need for the Sox.

He has also played at high levels in his native Cuba and Japan and is not as raw as most prospects.

"The acclimation period is behind him," Hahn said. "Now, it's just a matter of showing that he's ready and belongs in the big leagues. We believe in this kid. We think a lot of Oscar Colas."

Adam Engel was non-tendered last month, so it's currently Gavin Sheets and Leury Garcia as depth pieces.

The White Sox have reportedly added to the mix by signing Victor Reyes to a minor-league contract.

While playing all three outfield spots for the Tigers the last five years, Reyes hit .264/.294/.379 with 16 homers and 107 RBI in 394 games.