PREAMBLE
The young nucleus remains unproven, so this roster was created with the expectation of another 90-plus loss season.
COACHING STAFF
- Hitting coach: Chase Headley
- Pitching coach: Jake Peavy
Headley was a teammate of Will Venable in San Diego. Good hitter, played corner IF; might be a good mentor for young players. Peavy is a former Venable teammate, and also pitched five seasons with the White Sox. Peavy has been serving as a "consultant" for the Padres of late, so might have some good insights on working with pitchers. Having two World Series rings and a Cy Young would give him gravitas in the clubhouse.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Mike Tauchman: Tender
- Steven Wilson: Tender
- Derek Hill: Non-tender
Tauchman was very good offensively although limited by injuries to 93 games. He could serve as good trade bait with a strong first half. Wilson is a solid reliever and the price is right. Regarding Derek Hill: Who is he?
CLUB OPTIONS
- Luis Robert Jr.: Exercise $20 million contract
- Martín Perez: Buy out for $1.5 million
I think you have to roll the dice on Robert in center field because there is no good option in the farm system, and like Tauchman, he could yield strong returns in trade. Perez is too risky from a health standpoint.
FREE AGENTS
No. 1: Jose Quintana (1 year, $3.4 million). Fairly reliable innings eater and left-hander who might like to end his career where it started.
No. 2: German Marquez (2 years, $3.25 million per year with many incentives). One-time standout in Colorado, this would be his second season removed from Tommy John surgery. Still has a 95 mph fastball, and only 31 years old in 2026.
No. 3: Leodys Taveras (1 year, $3.75 million). Taveras was the primary center fielder on the 2023 world champion Rangers, and would be reunited with Venable. Taveras is a switch-hitter who has regressed since 2023; this would be an opportunity for Venable to revive his career.
No. 4: Lewin Diaz (1 year, MLB minimum with ST invite). Left-handed hitting first baseman hit 50 homers in the KBO this year. Former Marlins farmhand who had cups of coffee in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Would be age 29 in the 2026 season. Could help at AAA with Tim Elko's injury.
TRADES
No. 1: Trade Lenyn Sosa to the Rockies for Zac Veen. Sosa's occasional power doesn't offset his defensive shortcomings and low baseball IQ. Veen is a 6-foot-3 left-handed hitting outfielder who was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 draft. The Rockies could use an upgrade at 2B, while Veen could provide a long-term corner outfield solution for the White Sox.
SUMMARY
I'm not sure what the final payroll will be with this group, but I'm confident it's well under the $90 million limit. The goal with this roster is to win 70-72 games (the 2025 club should have finished 71-91, according to Pythagorian W-L).
My rationale behind this roster included (a) the importance of determining if Montgomery, Vargas, Teel, Quero and Meidroth are truly the nucleus of the team going forward (I'm still skeptical); (b) obtaining two veteran innings eaters at reasonable prices in Quintana and Marquez who can be dealt if successful; (c) a potential KBO success story with Diaz who, if he works out, could provide much needed left-handed power at 1B; and (d) a backup in CF, in case Robert gets traded during the season.
Mead is only on the roster because he is out of options. I could easily see him being designated/released if Braden Montgomery impresses during spring training.
I realize the bullpen is essentially the same as the crew that contributed to 50 blown leads and a 15-36 record in one-run games. But relievers tend to be a variable lot from year to year, so I am willing to roll the dice with this group one more time.
ROSTER
Catchers (2): Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero
Infielders (7): Colson Montgomery, Miguel Vargas, Chase Meidroth, Bryan Ramos, Lewin Diaz, Brooks Baldwin, Curtis Mead
Outfielders (5): Luis Robert Jr., Mike Tauchman, Zac Veen, Andrew Benintendi (DH primarily), Leodys Taveras
Starting Pitchers (5): Shane Smith, Davis Martin, Jose Quintana, German Marquez, Sean Burke
Relievers (7): Mike Vasil, Steven Wilson, Grant Taylor, Wikelman Gonzalez, Tyler Gilbert, Brandon Eisert, Fraser Ellard
