When the minor league seasons ended back in August, dozens of prospects elected to continue to refine their craft in winter leagues all across the globe. The White Sox had prospects participate in leagues in Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, with all of those recently finishing their regular seasons (playoffs are underway now). So before we completely turn our attention to the impending return of White Sox baseball, let’s take a quick look back at how these Sox did in their offseason work.
If you’d like a primer on the winter leagues, FutureSox did a preview article back in October and also covered the Arizona Fall League extensively.
Please note that a few players who appear on the preview article never played for their respective teams and I will not be covering them in this article. This is a common practice, as some players are added to rosters in a reserve capacity or simply decide to not play. Conversely, there are players who were not in the preview article who popped up on roster through the season and I will be covering them here.
Liga Venezuela Beisbol Professional
White Sox utility infielder Carlos Sanchez hit an impressive .348/.362/.565 over eleven games as he gears up to compete for the a starting or utility job in Spring Training. Sanchez, a native of Venezuela, hit two home runs, two doubles, and a triple. Defensive specialist Cleuluis Rondon (another Venezuela native), hit a respectable .265/.336/.337 in an effort to revitalize his prospect stock for the upcoming season. Catcher Omar Narvaez, who played for the Winston-Salem Dash in 2015, hit .259/.333/.370 over thirteen games. Dominican Summer League products Yolberth Gideon and Victor Velasquez both appeared, but in very limited action.
20 year-old starter Luis Martinez pitched out the bullpen over 11 games for Navegantes del Magallanes, compiling a 1.59 ERA. Reliever Peter Tago was apparently unsatisfied with his ten games in the AFL and pitched another ten in Venezuela. Tago had a sparkling 2.03 ERA and struck out 15 batters over 13.1 innings while saving four games. Miguel Chalas, acquired from the Orioles in exchange for Alejandro De Aza in 2014, had a 1.08 ERA over seventeen games. Chalas pitched extremely well for Birmingham in 2015 but struggled when he was promoted to Charlotte. Manny Martinez, who was selected by the White Sox in the Rule V draft (minor league phase) this off-season, appeared in one game.
Liga de Beisbol Dominicana
Utility player Leury Garcia had a strong showing in the Dominican Winter League, slashing .312/.353/.431 over 109 at bats. Garcia will be vying for that last bench spot on the major league roster in Spring Training after a good year at Charlotte in 2015. Fellow utility player Steve Lombardozzi, signed by the Sox this off-season, will be competing with Garcia and appeared in just three games in the D.R.
The only pitcher representing the White Sox in the Dominican Republic was recently signed RHP Josh Wall. Wall, who was signed by the Sox on December 18th, struck out 21 batters over just 15.2 innings and had a 3.45 ERA.
Liga Mexicana del Pacifico
Charlotte pitcher Terance Marin played in the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico last off-season and did so again this year. Marin had a 2.76 ERA over 49 innings and eight starts for 
Charros de Jalisco.
Liga de Beisbol Professional Roberto Clemente
Outfielder Jason Coats played in seven games in Puerto Rico before he suffered a significant bicep strain which ended his off-season training prematurely. However, Coats has reported to FutureSox that he will be healthy in plenty of time for Spring Training.
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2 thoughts on “White Sox Winter Leagues Recap: Sanchez and relievers prepared for Spring Training”
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I like Jason Coats and think he could be a good fourth outfielder. Unfortunately he can’t play center. I like J.B. Schuck even better. I think he is the prototypical 4th outfielder and has proved that at the major league level. They just need a guy that can handle center in a reserve role. Right now I’m only seeing Leury Garcia in that role, but I like him too. He could be a super utility guy. Very valuable. I also think that Sanchez will hit much better this year. His track record is in his first year in a new league he struggles then dominates the next. I believe he will continue that trend. I just hope he has the arm and range for shortstop.
Sanchez could be our starter next year. In a way, it’s too bad the infield is clogged up right now. At least, there’s good backup. Who knows what will unfold next season?