White Sox Minor Keys: All 2021 draft picks aboard

Southridge’s Colson Montgomery (2) hits a homer as the Southridge Raiders play the Mt. Vernon Wildcats in Mt. Vernon, Ind., Thursday evening, May 13, 2021. MACABE BROWN / Courier & Press via Imagn Content Services, LLC

With the draft fluctuating between 40, five and 20 rounds over the last three years, it’s made the idea of signability a little unclear. Back when the draft was two scores deep, there were usually at least a couple of third-day longshots who probably weren’t going to sign for bonuses in the low six figures. In the year you could count all the selections on one hand, it seemed dumb to waste a pick on somebody who couldn’t be landed.

At least for the White Sox, a 20-round draft resembles 2020 in terms of success rate. The Sox announced the signings of all of their picks on Monday, as well as five undrafted free agents. Per the Baseball America Draft Database, here’s the ledger.

RoundPlayerPositionSlotBonus
1Colson MontgomerySS$3.027M$3.027M
2Wes Kath3B$1.2436M$1.8M
3Sean BurkeLHP$618,200$900K
4Brooks GossweinLHP$460K$200K
5Tanner McDougalRHP$340K$850K
6Taylor BroadwayRHP$261,600$30K
7Theo DenlingerRHP$204,800$10K
8Fraser EllardLHP$167,800$20K
9Gil LunaLHP$152K$10K
10Tommy SommerLHP$143,600$20K
11Christian EdwardsRHP$150K
12Johnny RayRHP$150K
13Colby SmelleyC$125K
14Noah OwenRHP$125K
15Cam ButlerOF$150K
16Terrell TatumOF$125K
17Jayson Gonzalez3B$125K
18Adam HackenbergC$125K
19Shawn GoosenbergSS$125K
20Haylen GreenLHP$20K

One thing that stands out: Nine of the 10 third-day picks received the third-day maximum bonus of $125,000 or higher (overages count agrainst teams’ pools). That’s about the same number of picks who’d receive six figures after the 10th round in a normal year, but here they’re condensed into a 10-round span, rather than being dispersed among 30 rounds.

ACL Indians 12, ACL White Sox 8

  • Wilber Sanchez went 1-for-6 with a strikeout.
  • Misael Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with a homer, double, two walks and a stolen base.
  • Wilfred Veras was 0-for-3 with two walks.
  • Jefferson Mendoza went 1-for-3 with a walk and an HBP.
  • Elijah Tatis was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.
  • Benyamin Bailey went 2-for-5 with a homer and two strikeouts.

DSL Blue Jays 5, DSL White Sox 1

  • Randel Mondesi went 0-for-3 with a K.
  • Carlos Jimenez, 0-for-3.
  • Carlos Hinestroza: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

(Photo of Colson Montgomery by Macabe Brown / Courier & Press via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

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ParisSox

I hate no MILB Mondays. Bad idea. I need a daily fix of upper levels.

Flitcraft

For the shadow of the off day: Birmingham went into Chatanooga last week three games in back of the first-place Lookouts. The Barons took five-of-six and now sit atop the division by a full game.

While I don’t live and die with the affiliates — it’s about the individual players, and they come and go — I will say it’s more fun when the teams win. By that measure, the only big fun to be had this year is at Double-A.

So ‘Go Barons!’

Last edited 2 years ago by Flitcraft
MrStealYoBase

The willingness to spend up past the bonus pool and to the limit of the overage tax territory during the draft makes it more confusing that they have consistently spent a relatively low percentage of their international pool space.

Is there something that I’m missing here or is the philosophy as inconsistent as it appears? International pool has a better ROI from what I remember.

jorgefabregas

International signings are usually contingent on deals made with agents when players are 14 and 15 years old, and often require relationships with the agents. There seems to be some combination of the White Sox not having the necessary relationships with Dominican agents and setting aside money for potential Cuban defections (where they do have the relationships), which are more unpredictable in terms of when they become available. If they don’t get enough Cuban signees, then they’re left with a half full dance card.

jorgefabregas

White Sox also seem to do well, in terms of quantity of signings, with relatives of major leaguers. I’m not sure if that speaks to a lack of imagination or a lack of relationships with agents, such that they can more easily connect with players via their relatives.

asinwreck

You want a minor-league update? This, this is a minor-league update.

Foulkelore

Awesome! If he spends the same amount of time that Eloy did in AAA, his return may be by August 9th, for the start of the Minnesota series.

soxygen

Off topic, Yelich and Jace Peterson both on the COVID IL, with Yelich showing symptoms in spite of being fully vaccinated.

I hope none of our Sox were fraternizing with the enemy this past weekend.