White Sox Lose Promising Player To Royals Amid Roster Moves

The White Sox have been busy as of late, as they made a series of intriguing roster moves yesterday. This is just the beginning of the roster shake up, as they will need to clear more space on the roster when they make more signings official.

Per White Sox, infielder Braden Shewmake was claimed off waivers by the Royals.

Also, outfielder Corey Julks cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte.

— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) January 8, 2025

In these moves, the White Sox lost a potentially promising player to their division rival, as Braden Shewmake was claimed by the Kansas City Royals. Shewmake was DFA'd last week when the White Sox acquired Tyler Gilbert from the Phillies. Shewmake was one of the main pieces in the deal that sent Aaron Bummer to the Braves last offseason, and the White Sox had high expectations for him going into the 2024 season.

BRADEN SHEWMAKE GETS HIS FIRST MLB HIT VIA THE HOMER 🥹 pic.twitter.com/46ZtpCHJ7Y

— Barstool Texas A&M (@BarstoolTexasAM) March 30, 2024

Those expectations did not go as planned, as he only hit .152 over 64 at-bats. However, Shewmake was able to show off his speed on the base paths, as he stole 5 bases in just 29 games. Unfortunately, Shewmake did not perform well in the field, as he made a few key errors in the beginning of the season, which was unusual for him, as he was touted as an above average defender. He was optioned to AAA after his 29 game stint and he never made it back up due to an injury.

While the performance wasn't enough to justify keeping him on the roster, I would have liked for him to slip through waivers unclaimed, as his speed could be useful in the future. He was a first round pick of the Braves just a few years ago, so he clearly has the talent. Additionally, he has shown he can hit 15+ homers a year in the minor leagues, so potentially with more development, that power could translate to the major leagues. While it is unlikely that he goes on to be an all-star for the Royals, he has some tools that could be very useful for a team, especially a contender who could use some speed and infield versatility off the bench.

That wasn't the only move that the White Sox made, as Corey Julks was able to clear waivers and be sent down to AAA. Thankfully he will still remain in the organization, as he showed that he could be a pretty good major leaguer, especially in a platoon. There is still a chance that he could get some playing time in Chicago, especially if he plays well in Spring Training.

The White Sox also made the signing for Josh Rojas official.

The Chicago White Sox have agreed to terms on a one-year, $3.5-million contract with infielder Josh Rojas. To make room for Rojas on the 40-man roster, the White Sox designated infielder Jake Amaya for assignment.

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) January 8, 2025

To make room for Rojas on the team, the White Sox designated Jacob Amaya for assignment. Amaya was a late season pick up for the White Sox, and had some moments in his limited role. He is known as a defensive first infielder, so he could be claimed by another team who is looking to add infield depth.

This was a busy day for Chris Getz, but it was good to see that Julks will remain with the organization. Unfortunately, Shewmake will make his way to the Royals, as he could be a valuable utility piece for them if he can figure some things out. We will find out soon if Amaya will clear waivers and go to AAA, but it is likely that another team puts in a claim for him.