Sox notes: Hamilton among non-roster players invited to Glendale; Benetti, Stone will return
The White Sox on Thursday announced 26 non-roster players have been invited to spring training, which begins next month at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz.
Nine free agents agreed to minor-league contracts; outfielders Billy Hamilton and Jake Marisnick and infielder Hanser Alberto are the notable names.
Hamilton is a 32-year-old veteran who played for the Sox in 2021 and quickly became a fan favorite.
Last season, Hamilton combined to hit .050/.136/.050 with 10 stolen bases in 37 games with the Marlins and Twins.
Marisnick, 31, is a 10-year veteran. He played for the Cubs in 2021 and slashed .234/.272/.390 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI last year in 31 games with the Pirates.
Alberto, 30, played for the Dodgers last season and hit .244/.258/.365 with 2 homers and 15 RBI in 73 games.
Top White Sox prospects Colson Montgomery, Oscar Colas and Sean Burke also received spring training invites.
Montgomery, a 20-year-old shortstop, is rated No. 39 overall in Baseball America'a Top 100 prospects rankings. He's expected to open the 2023 season with Class AA Birmingham.
The 24-year-old Colas, who heads into camp with a shot at winning the starting job in right field, is rated No. 89 by Baseball America. The left-hander hit a combined 23 home runs in 117 games with high Class A Winston-Salem, Birmingham and AAA Charlotte last season.
Broadcast news:
Jason Benetti and Steve Stone are returning to the Sox TV booth this season and beyond.
On Thursday, the White Sox picked up Benetti's multiyear contract option. He's entering his eighth season after replacing Hall of Famer Ken "Hawk" Harrelson.
Stone, who is entering his 16th season, agreed to a multiyear extension.
Peters dead at 85:
Gary Peters, who pitched for the White Sox from 1959-69, has died at the age of 85.
The left-hander's first full season was 1963 and Peters was voted American League Rookie of the Year after going 19-8 with a 2.33 ERA.
Peters was a 20-game winner the following year and he led the AL with a 1.98 ERA in 1966.
Over his 11-year career with the Sox, Peters was 91-78 with a 2.92 ERA.
International haul:
After signing six players from the Dominican Republic and one from Cuba last week, the White Sox added 11 international players from Venezuela on Thursday.
At $500,000, Angelo Hernandez received the highest signing bonus.
The 17-year-old Hernandez is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound catcher from Maracay, Venezuela.