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White Sox Minors Notebook: Stars Erupt July 27
White Sox Minor League Shuffle: New Faces, Big Moves, and What It All Means
Welcome to the Farm System Update
Hey there, baseball fans! Imagine a big league team like the Chicago White Sox is like a school. The Major League team is the varsity squad you see on TV. But before players get there, they go through "school" in the Minor Leagues (often called "the Farm System").
Every few weeks, the White Sox do a "Farm Fortnight" — a check-in on how their students are doing. We’re between those check-ins right now, but the team has been super busy moving players around to make room for their newest draft picks (brand-new graduates joining the system). Let’s break down all the moves in simple terms!
The Big Promotions: Moving Up a Grade
Ryan Burrowes: The Super-Utility Star Gets a Promotion
From: Winston-Salem (High-A) → To: Birmingham (Double-A)
Think of Double-A as the "junior year of college" — one step away from the big leagues. Burrowes, 21, just crushed his "final exams" in July:
- July stats: .325 batting average / .441 on-base / .636 slugging (that’s video game numbers)
- Walk-to-strikeout ratio: 14 walks vs. only 15 strikeouts in 94 plate appearances (super disciplined!)
- Speed demon: Tied for the org lead with 34 stolen bases in 43 attempts
Important Point: Burrowes is like a Swiss Army knife — he’s played 2nd base, shortstop, 3rd base, left field, AND center field this year. His manager loves him best on the left side of the infield (3rd/short), but he’s so versatile he fills in everywhere.
Why this matters: The South Atlantic League (where he was playing) is known for being hitter-friendly. Double-A will test if his skills are real or just a product of the environment.
Javier Mogollón: The Comeback Kid Moves Up
From: Kannapolis (Low-A) → To: Winston-Salem (High-A)
Mogollón, 22, has had bad luck with injuries:
- 2024: Hamstring injury → only 51 games
- 2025: Leg issue → only 57 games so far
- Total Low-A games: Just 108 over 1.5 seasons
His stats when healthy: .257/.357/.442 with 23 steals in 28 attempts (great speed!)
Concern: His strikeout rate jumped to 31% (up 6% from last year). He made great progress reducing strikeouts last season, so this is a step backward he’ll need to fix at the higher level.
The Departures: Releasing Players
Jurdrick Profar — The High-Profile Release
- Age: 19 (from Curaçao, younger brother of MLB star Jurickson Profar)
- Signed for: $660,000 in 2024 (big investment!)
- Performance: .190/.273/.391 in 88 games at Kannapolis
- Context: Was shifting to 1st base, but then the Sox drafted three infielders with their top picks. No room left.
Arxy Hernández — The Journeyman
- No big signing bonus, but played 410 games over 6 years across 4 levels
- A true "organization soldier" who gave everything he had
The Pitching Moves: Arms for Charlotte (Triple-A)
Jose Urquidy: The Veteran Gamble
Trade: White Sox got him from Pittsburgh for minor leaguer Felix Doroteo
Who is he? A 31-year-old who was a solid mid-rotation starter for the great Houston Astros teams (2021-2022).
The injury history (the "slog"):
- Shoulder issues
- Tommy John surgery (elbow ligament replacement) → missed half of 2023 + most of 2024
- Signed with Pittsburgh, struggled in bullpen (5 ugly outings)
- Sent to Triple-A Indianapolis, struggled at first… THEN FLIPPED A SWITCH!
| Period | Innings | Hits | HR | Walks | Ks | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First 7 starts | 30.2 | 37 | 6 | 5 | 32 | 5.87 |
| Last 10 starts | 53 | 33 | 4 | 13 | 41 | 2.38 |
What changed? Small tweaks — throwing fewer sinkers/sweepers, more curveballs/changeups, slightly lower arm angle. Fastball still 92 mph. No huge velocity jump like we saw with Adrian Houser earlier this year.
Why this matters: In his last 10 starts, he threw 6+ innings in 6 games, and 7 innings THREE TIMES. That means he gives Charlotte manager Chad Pinder a reliable, deep-starting pitcher — something Triple-A teams desperately need.
Blake Larson: The Unlucky Prospect
- Drafted: 68th overall (from Mariners in Gregory Santos trade)
- Last 2+ seasons: Only 4⅔ innings pitched total!
- Year 1: Tommy John surgery
- Year 2: Lat strain (shut down 3 weeks early, only 3 appearances in rookie ball)
- Tough break for a high draft pick.
The Hidden Gems & Other Notes
James Taussig: "Undrafted but Undeniable"
- Age: 23 (older than top prospect Braden Montgomery)
- Status: Undrafted free agent (signed after no team picked him)
- Just won: South Atlantic League Player of the Week!
- Performance: 10-for-23 with 2 HRs, 3 doubles vs. Greensboro
- Season slash: .294/.388/.657 in 37 games since midseason promotion
- Concern: ~30% strikeout rate, but the left-handed power is "ungodly"
Lesson: "Chasing draft capital is a fool’s errand" — sometimes the best players weren’t drafted at all!
Juan Carela: Injury Bug Bites Again
- Placed on Birmingham’s injured list (retroactive to July 23)
- He was one of six Tommy John surgery rehab guys from last year
- Only Mason Adams has avoided a setback so far
- Others: Drew Thorpe (active), Prelander Berroa (pulled after 1 outing May 13), Ky Bush (hasn’t pitched yet)
DSL Action: Baby Sox Walk It Off!
DSL White Sox 8, DSL Blue Jays Blue 7 (7 innings)
The Dominican Summer League (DSL) is where 16-19 year olds start their pro journey. Check out this chaos:
Offensive stars:
- Fernando Graterol: 4-for-4 (four singles!)
- Sebastian Romero: HR + single + 2 Ks
- Felix Lebron: 1-for-3, double, walk, caught stealing
The ending: Walk-off walk! And get this — it was the FOURTH CONSECUTIVE WALK to end the game. Only in the DSL, folks!
Pitching: Ronald Kelly struggled (0.2 IP, 5 runs), but the offense bailed him out.
Summary: What Just Happened?
| Player | Move | Level Change | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Burrowes | Promoted | High-A → Double-A | Versatile, hot bat, speed — real test coming |
| Javier Mogollón | Promoted | Low-A → High-A | Healthy? Good. Strikeouts? Bad. |
| Jurdrick Profar | Released | — | $660K investment didn’t pan out; roster crunch |
| Arxy Hernández | Released | — | 6-year org guy, no room |
| Jose Urquidy | Traded for | MLB/AAA → Triple-A | Veteran starter, recent dominance, depth piece |
| Blake Larson | Shut down | — | 2nd major injury in 2 years, only 4.2 IP since draft |
| James Taussig | Hot streak | — | Undrafted gem mashing in High-A |
| Juan Carela | Injured List | — | 5 of 6 TJ rehab guys have had setbacks |
FAQ: Your Questions Answered
1. What do all these "A" levels mean? (Low-A, High-A, Double-A, Triple-A)
Think of it like school grades:
- Low-A (Kannapolis): Freshman year
- High-A (Winston-Salem): Sophomore year
- Double-A (Birmingham): Junior year — big jump in talent
- Triple-A (Charlotte): Senior year — one step from MLB
- DSL: Preschool/Kindergarten (teenage international players)
2. Why release a 19-year-old you paid $660K for? (Profar)
Baseball is a numbers game. The Sox drafted three infielders with their top picks. Profar was moving to 1st base (less valuable), hitting .190, and at 19, he’s old for Low-A. They cut losses to free up a roster spot for new talent.
3. Is Jose Urquidy washed up at 31?
Not necessarily! He was good for a World Series contender (Astros) two years ago. Injuries derailed him. His last 10 starts in Triple-A (2.38 ERA, deep into games) suggest he might have found something. Low risk, potential high reward for Charlotte’s rotation.
4. What’s "Tommy John surgery" and why does it keep coming up?
It’s elbow ligament replacement surgery (named after the first pitcher to have it). Recovery takes 12-18 months. The Sox had six pitchers get it last year — only one (Mason Adams) has come back clean so far. It’s a brutal injury with no guarantees.
5. How can an undrafted player (Taussig) be better than high draft picks?
The draft is 50 rounds of guessing. Teams miss on players all the time (signability issues, late bloomers, small schools). Taussig is 23 (older), has massive raw power, and is proving it against pros. "Draft capital" ≠ "Future value."
Final Thought
The White Sox farm system is churning — promoting guys who earn it, cutting ties with those who don’t, adding veteran depth (Urquidy), and uncovering hidden gems (Taussig). Between the draft picks arriving and these moves, the "school" just got a lot more interesting.
Next Farm Fortnight: We’ll see how Burrowes handles Double-A, if Mogollón fixes the strikeouts, and whether Urquidy can be a rotation anchor for Charlotte. Stay tuned!
Words like "slash line" (.261/.379/.421) = Batting Avg / On-Base % / Slugging %. "Plate appearance" = every time a batter comes up (not just official at-bats). "Org" = organization (the whole White Sox system).
