Where they are now: 2025 White Sox edition

Either the Mets have an idea of why Luis Robert Jr. hasn't been able to stay on the field, or they're delaying the inevitable.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Robert is among the Mets players who won't appear in spring training games immediately as they work on building up his lower half to avoid the sorts of leg and leg-adjacent issues that forced him to miss 114 games over the last two seasons.

"We’re going to be proactive, so I’ll throw that out there. He won’t be playing in games out of the gate," Mendoza said of Robert. "This is something that, when we traded for him, our trainers put their hands on him and identified some of the things, especially in the lower half, that needed to be straightened out. 

"He’s going through full workouts, he’s going to be getting live at-bats, but as far as putting him in game settings when he has to full go, whether it’s beating out a ground ball, we’re not going to put him [in games] out of the gate. He’s going to be on a progression."

It bears watching, whether because the Mets are onto something, or because of the hubris potential, as MLB Network host and SNY analyst Jim Duquette put forth:

"Actually, I like what the Mets are doing. The White Sox have not been a forward-thinking organization. They’ve been old-school, where the Mets have become very forward-thinking with this stuff. I wouldn’t be surprised if they get a good result from what they’re doing. It’s smart because Robert has incredible skill when he’s right. He just hasn’t been able to stay healthy.”

In the interim, the Mets doubled down on former White Sox outfielders with leg issues by signing Mike Tauchman to a minor league contract. The deal is pending a physical, and if it's some sort of split contract, such terms haven't been disclosed. Provided Tauchman is healthy after ending 2025 with surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, he has a pathway to playing time in Queens, and it'd be kind of incredible if a team with a $355 million payroll opened the season with two-thirds of the White Sox's Plan A outfield from the year before. (It helps that the remaining third is Juan Soto.)

Anyway, this development reminded me that it's about time to check in on where the other non-returning members of the 2025 White Sox had scattered. In alphabetical order:

Tyler Alexander: Signed with the Rangers for one year and $1.25 million guaranteed, with another $1.125 million possible through performance bonuses.

Dan Altavilla: Signed a minor league contract with the Twins.

Jacob Amaya: Signed a minor league contract with the Diamondbacks.

Cam Booser: Signed a minor league contract with the Rays.

Vinny Capra: Signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox.

Miguel Castro: He was reported to have signed a minor league deal with the Angels back in January, but the deal never was announced as official, and now looks to have recently joined the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He is coming off a season-ending tear of the patellar tendon in his right knee, so passing a physical would have been more than just a formality.

Aaron Civale: Signed with Athletics for one year and $6 million guaranteed, with an additional $1.5 million available via incentives.

Mike Clevinger: Signed a minor league contract with the Pirates shortly after Pittsburgh made some noise about its interest in Framber Valdez, which is a helluva booby prize.

Bobby Dalbec: Signed a one-year deal with the Yomiuri Giants, which could be his calling.

Fraser Ellard: Retired in November to focus on starting a family and the digital marketing company he owns with his brother.

Dominic Fletcher: Signed a minor league contract with the Pirates.

Yoendrys Gómez: Traded to Rays with Steven Wilson for Everson Pereira and Tanner Murray at the 40-man protection deadline in November.

Adrian Houser: Signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the San Francisco Giants, where he's inspiring the newest offshoot of analytics.

Bryan Hudson: Traded to the Mets for cash after he was designated for assignment to make room for Austin Hays.

Travis Jankowski: Retired; now the first base coach for Rangers.

Greg Jones: Signed a minor league contract with the Brewers.

Corey Julks: Signed a minor league contract with the Tigers.

Nick Maton: Free agent since White Sox released him in June.

Penn Murfee: Free agent since White Sox released him in August.

Omar Narváez: Free agent; last played on minor league deal with Rangers.

Ryan Noda: Finally cleared waivers and was outrighted by Orioles in December.

Joshua Palacios: Free agent.

Elvis Peguero: Free agent.

Martín Pérez: Signed a minor league contract with the Braves.

Bryan Ramos: Currently in DFA limbo with Cardinals, who claimed him off waivers from Orioles, who acquired him from the White Sox for cash when the Sox made roster room for Seranthony Domínguez.

Will Robertson: Finally cleared waivers and was outrighted by Orioles in January.

Josh Rojas: Signed a minor league contract with the Royals.

Jared Shuster: Signed a minor league contract with the Cardinals.

Austin Slater: Signed a minor league contract with the Tigers.

Mike Tauchman: Signed a minor league contract with the Mets.

Michael A. Taylor: Retired at the end of the 2025 season in front of an appreciative crowd in Washington, hired by the Twins as an outfield instructor.

Matt Thaiss: Signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox.

Andrew Vaughn: Avoided arbitration with the Brewers by agreeing to a one-year, $7.65 million contract.

Owen White: Signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Hanwha Eagles.

Bryse Wilson: Signed a minor league contract with the Phillies.

Steven Wilson: Traded with Yoendrys Gómez to the Rays for Everson Pereira and Tanner Murray; avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $1.52 million salary for 2026.

Gage Workman: Returned to Tigers per Rule 5 selection protocol in May.