2025 was a development and evaluation year for the White Sox under first-year skipper Will Venable. 62 different players appeared in at least one game for the team this season as the organization continues to look for long-term pieces moving forward. Some players took advantage of their opportunities and put themselves in a position to have a prominent role on next year's team. Others did not however, and now have a questionable hold on their roster spots moving forward.
Sean Burke
After a strong cup of coffee to end the 2024 season and the departure of Garrett Crochet in the offseason, Burke was somewhat surprisingly tabbed as the team's Opening Day starter. It felt like an opportunity for him to break out and establish himself in the starting rotation. And to start, it appeared he was well on his way to doing just that. He threw six scoreless innings in the opener against the Angels in an impressive performance.
Unfortunately, his season quickly went downhill. He struggled with consistency and command all season, pitching to a 4.29 ERA, 4.92 FIP, and 1.45 WHIP across 134.1 innings, walking 63 in that span. He was even sent down to Triple-A in mid-August before ending the season with the big league team. 2025 ended up being far from a breakout season for Burke, as he ranked below average in nearly every pitching category.
On the bright side, he showed much more promise as a "bulk" pitcher out of the bullpen. In six relief appearances covering 30.1 innings, he pitched to a much more respectable 3.26 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 11.3 K/9, including a ten strikeout performance in his final outing of the season. He will likely continue getting chances to start heading into next season, though his intrigue as a reliever could move him into the bullpen over the long haul if he can't establish consistency as a starter.
Jonathan Cannon
Cannon shared many parallels to Burke heading into 2025. He also showed some promise in 2024 and had the opportunity to earn a stable place in the starting rotation. Like Burke, he struggled significantly and ultimately spent some time in Triple-A. Across 103.2 MLB innings, Cannon struggled to a 5.82 ERA, 5.13 FIP, and 1.49 WHIP, allowing more hits than he had innings pitched.
He graded out even worse than Burke by the metrics, with his sinker in particular getting lit up by opposing hitters. He didn't fare much better at the Triple-A level, posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.67 WHIP across 31.2 innings. Cannon will likely get another opportunity to prove what he can do next season, but the results will have to show up quickly. He is starting to run out of time to prove he can be a viable MLB pitcher.
Cam Booser
The left-hander was far from a household name this offseason, but the White Sox thought highly enough of him to trade for him, sending promising pitching prospect Yhoiker Fajardo to the Red Sox last December in exchange for Booser's services. The hope was that he would cement himself as a go-to option from the left side in the White Sox bullpen.
The organization's vision did not pay dividends. Missing bats was not his issue, as he struck out 35 in 31 innings. However, he also walked 19 and allowed eight home runs in that span. All told, his 2025 season ended with an ugly 5.52 ERA, 6.27 FIP, and 1.52 WHIP at the MLB level. Meanwhile, Fajardo has a good season for the Red Sox Low-A affiliate and now ranks as their #25 prospect per MLB.com.
With the White Sox bullpen in flux, Booser will likely get a chance to redeem himself next spring training. But at 33 years old, the clock is ticking. If he doesn't show something early, the team could phase him out of their long-term plans.
Luis Robert Jr.
Even after a career-worst 2024 season, hopes were high for the former All-Star outfielder. He appeared to be fully healthy entering the season, and 2025 represented a clean slate. If he performed in the first half, it wasn't inconceivable that he could find himself playing for a contender come the playoffs.
Neither of those things happened. Robert Jr.'s 2025 slash line ended up being nearly identical to his 2024 season, and despite trade rumors, he ended up staying put yet again. His all-too-familiar injury issues further complicated the saga. He strained his left hamstring at the end of August and missed the rest of the season as a result.
By deciding not to trade him, the White Sox have essentially boxed themselves into a corner. They will have to pick up his $20 million team option for the 2026 season because if they don't, they will lose him for nothing. What once looked like an opportunity to cash in on another tradable asset is now a challenging dilemma for the White Sox front office. If there is one silver lining, he slashed a much more respectable .298/.352/.456 in 31 second-half games while providing his customary defense and speed. The team will likely roll the dice yet again on returning to form next year.
The Bullpen
The bullpen projected to be one of the weaker spots on the team entering the season, and the White Sox relief corps did nothing to prove otherwise. The team lost 50 games after leading at some point in the game and collectively blew 24 saves.
It wasn't entirely awful, however. Mike Vasil held his own, while Jordan Leasure also improved as the season went on. Rookies Grant Taylor and Wikelman González showed flashes of potential too. Still, the front office will have to make significant additions to the back end of the bullpen for the team to take the next step.
Final Word
As the team turns the page to 2026, the win-loss column will start to matter more. After three straight 100+ loss seasons, the worst of the rebuild should be in the rearview mirror. Those who stand on shaky ground entering spring training will have to prove they belong. Otherwise, they could be phased out sooner than later.
