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Unlocking the Farm: White Sox Prospects Dominate July 27
White Sox Shuffle Minor League Roster: Promotions, Trades, and Releases Explained
ELI5 Alert: The "minor leagues" are like baseball’s school system. Players start in the lower "grades" (rookie ball) and move up to higher levels (A, AA, AAA) as they get better. The highest minor league level (AAA) is just one step below the Major Leagues (the big show you see on TV).
What’s Happening? The Big Picture
The Chicago White Sox are in a quiet period between "Farm Fortnights" (think of this as a scheduled break in the minor league calendar). But with a new "bridge league" (a short extra season for some players) starting Thursday, the team needed to make room on their rosters for newly drafted players.
So, they made a flurry of moves: promoting players who are doing well, trading for a veteran pitcher, releasing players who aren’t progressing, and dealing with injuries.
Position Player Moves
Ryan Burrowes: Big Promotion After a Sensational July
The Move: Promoted from Winston-Salem (High-A) → Birmingham (Double-A)
Why It Matters: Double-A is the first "real test" where players face near-Major League quality pitching. Doing well here means you might actually be a future big leaguer.
His July Stats (94 plate appearances):
- Batting Average: .325 (got a hit ~1/3 of the time)
- On-Base %: .441 (reached base almost half the time!)
- Slugging %: .636 (hit for lots of power)
- Walks (14) vs. Strikeouts (15): Incredible discipline—he barely chases bad pitches
- Stolen Bases: 34 in 43 attempts (tied for most in the whole organization!)
Why This Is Exciting:
- He’s only 21 (young for Double-A)
- He’s been in the system for 4 years but this is the first time he’s really popped
- Super versatile: Played 2nd, SS, 3rd, LF, and CF this year. His manager thinks he’s best on the "left side" of the infield (3rd/SS), but other good players blocked him there.
The Test Ahead: The South Atlantic League (where he just played) is known as a "hitter’s paradise"—the ball flies far. Double-A will show if his improvement is real or just the stadiums.
Javier Mogollón: Moving Up After Bad Injury Luck
The Move: Promoted from Kannapolis (Low-A) → Winston-Salem (High-A)
The Story:
- He’s spent 1.5 seasons at Low-A but only played 108 games total (missed huge chunks with leg injuries)
- This year: 57 games, .257/.357/.442, 23 steals in 28 tries
- The Red Flag: 31% strikeout rate (up 6% from last year). He’s swinging and missing too much.
The Goal: Can he cut the strikeouts against better pitching in High-A? That will decide if he keeps climbing.
Jurdrick Profar & Arxy Hernández: Released
What "Released" Means: The team cut ties completely. The player becomes a free agent and can sign with any other team.
| Player | Age | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Jurdrick Profar | 19 | Younger brother of MLB star Jurickson Profar. Signed for $660,000 in 2024. Hit only .190/.273/.391 in 88 games at Low-A. Playing time was shrinking even before the Sox drafted 3 new infielders. |
| Arxy Hernández | — | No big signing bonus ("cachet"), but a true grinder: played 410 games over 6 years across 4 levels. Organization guy who just ran out of roster spots. |
Pitching Updates
Jose Urquidy: Veteran Starter Gets a Fresh Start in AAA
The Move: Acquired from Pittsburgh in a minor trade (sent reliever Felix Doroteo to Pirates). Assigned to Charlotte (Triple-A) rotation.
Who Is He?
- Age 31, former Houston Astros starter
- Key member of good Astros teams in 2021 & 2022 (middle of rotation)
- Derailment: Shoulder issues + Tommy John surgery (elbow ligament replacement) cost him 1.5+ seasons
The Pittsburgh Chapter:
- Signed with Pirates, pitched badly in 5 relief outings in April → sent to their AAA team (Indianapolis)
- Started terrible there too, then FLIPPED A SWITCH:
| Stretch | Innings | Hits | HR | Walks | K’s | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First 7 Games | 30.2 | 37 | 6 | 5 | 32 | 5.87 |
| Last 10 Games | 53.0 | 33 | 4 | 13 | 41 | 2.38 |
What Changed? (The "Kitchen Sink" Approach)
- No big velocity jump (fastball still ~92 mph)
- Subtle tweaks: Throwing sinker & sweeper less; curveball & changeup more; arm slot dropped slightly
- Durability: Threw 6+ innings in 6 of 10 starts, 7 innings three times. Gives the AAA manager a reliable "workhorse."
Why Trade for Him? He has a track record of MLB success. The Sox think the "old Urquidy" might be back, and AAA is the perfect place to prove it without pressure.
Blake Larson: Tough Luck Continues
- 2023: Tommy John surgery (missed whole year)
- 2024: Made only 3 appearances in Rookie ball (ACL) → Shut down 3 weeks early with a lat strain (side/back muscle)
- Total since draft (68th overall, 2022): 4⅔ innings in 2+ seasons
- Context: Acquired in the Gregory Santos trade with Seattle. High draft pick, zero innings to show for it. Brutal.
Other Notable News
James Taussig: The Undrafted "Mountain" Crushing the Ball
- Age 23, Undrafted (signed as a free agent), Corner Outfielder (big guy, lefty power)
- Won South Atlantic League Player of the Week: 10-for-23, 2 HR, 3 2B
- Since promotion to High-A (37 games): .294/.388/.657 (video game numbers)
- The Catch: ~30% Strikeout rate & older than top prospects (e.g., Braden Montgomery)
- The Vibe: "Ungodly left-handed juice" (raw power). Proves chasing draft slot numbers is a "fool’s errand"—talent finds a way.
Juan Carela & The "Tommy John Class of 2023" Tracker
The Move: Juan Carela (Birmingham/AA) placed on Injured List (retroactive to July 23).
The Context: Last year, 6 White Sox prospects had Tommy John surgery. Here’s the scorecard:
| Pitcher | Status |
|---|---|
| Mason Adams | ONLY ONE with zero setbacks so far |
| Drew Thorpe | Active (pitching well in MLB/AAA) |
| Prelander Berroa | Pulled from 1st game back (May 13) |
| Ky Bush | Has not pitched yet |
| Juan Carela | Now on IL |
| (6th pitcher) | (Implied: also struggling/injured) |
The Reality Check: Tommy John recovery is not a guarantee. Even for a whole group of prospects, the attrition rate is high. Mason Adams is the lone "clean" recovery so far.
DSL Game Recap: Walk-Off Walk Chaos!
DSL White Sox 8, DSL Blue Jays Blue 7 (7 Innings)
DSL = Dominican Summer League. The very first step for teenage international signees (usually 16-18 years old). Games are 7 innings.
Key Performances:
- Fernando Graterol: 4-for-4 (4 singles)
- Sebastian Romero: HR, Single, 2 K’s
- Felix Lebron: 1-for-3, Double, Walk, Caught Stealing
- Carlos Vielma: 0-for-3, Walk, 2 K’s
- Samuel Luis: 0-for-2, Walk, Hit-by-Pitch, K
The Wild Ending:
THE DSL SPECIAL: The Sox won on a WALK-OFF WALK.
Even crazier: It was the 4th CONSECUTIVE WALK of the inning.
Only in the DSL, folks. Only in the DSL.
IMPORTANT POINTS: KEY TAKEAWAYS
Roster Churn is Normal: Between seasons/breaks, teams must move players to make room for new draftees. Promotions, releases, and trades are just "roster management."
Burrowes is the Headline: A 21-year-old with 34 steals, elite plate discipline (BB≈K), and positional versatility forcing a promotion to the "prove it" level (AA). Watch him closely.
Urquidy is a Low-Risk Lottery Ticket: Former legit MLB starter, recent dominant AAA stretch, costs almost nothing (minor trade). If he’s fixed, he’s trade bait or rotation depth. If not, he’s just AAA filler.
The Tommy John "Class" is Struggling: Only 1 of 6 pitchers (Mason Adams) has had a clean recovery. This highlights the extreme risk of pitching prospects.
Taussig Proves Scouting > Draft Slot: Undrafted, older, high K-rate… but massive power production. Never ignore the "undrafted free agent" bin.
SUMMARY
The White Sox used a schedule break to reset their minor league rosters ahead of a "bridge league" and new draft picks arriving.
The Winners:
- Ryan Burrowes (earned AA promotion with elite July)
- Javier Mogollón (gets fresh start in High-A if he can fix K-rate)
- James Taussig (undrafted slugger forcing his way onto the map)
The Losers:
- Jurdrick Profar & Arxy Hernández (released, careers at crossroads)
- Blake Larson (another lost season to injury)
- Juan Carela & most of the 2023 Tommy John class (injury bug persists)
The Wild Card:
- Jose Urquidy (veteran trying to reclaim MLB form in Charlotte)
And the DSL provided its usual dose of chaotic, walk-heavy, teenage baseball entertainment.
FAQ: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
1. What do "High-A," "Double-A," and "Triple-A" actually mean?
Think of them as grades in school:
- Low-A / High-A: Freshman/Sophomore year. Learning to play pro ball.
- Double-A (AA): Junior year. The first real test. Pitchers throw harder, have better off-speed stuff, and command the zone. Hitters can’t cheat anymore.
- Triple-A (AAA): Senior year / Grad school. One step from MLB. Mix of prospects almost ready and veterans waiting for a call-up.
2. Why was Jurdrick Profar released if he got a $660k bonus?
A signing bonus is a sunk cost—money already spent. Teams don’t keep players just because they paid them once. At 19, hitting .190 in Low-A with rising strikeouts and no defensive home (blocked by new draftees) means the "return on investment" projection turned negative. They cut losses to free a roster spot.
3. What is "Tommy John Surgery" and why does it derail so many pitchers?
It reconstructs the Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) in the elbow using a tendon from elsewhere in the body (or a cadaver).
- Recovery: 12-18+ months.
- Risk: Not everyone comes back the same. Command, velocity, or "feel" can be lost. The White Sox 2023 class (1 of 6 clean) shows the brutal attrition rate.
4. What is a "Bridge League"?
It’s a short, secondary season (often in fall or late summer) for specific players—usually those who missed time due to injury, are new draftees needing more at-bats/innings, or players the org wants to evaluate further before the offseason. It’s "extra credit" games.
5. Why trade for Jose Urquidy instead of just signing a free agent?
- Control: By trading (even for a nothing prospect like Doroteo), the Sox keep Urquidy’s contract rights. If he pitches well, they can keep him, trade him, or promote him. A minor league free agent can leave anytime.
- Cost: Minor league trades involve players not on the 40-man roster—essentially "free" currency.
- Data: They saw his last 10 starts (2.38 ERA, 6-7 IP/start) and bet on the recent version, not the injured version.
