Two more White Sox players are hitting the open market.
The team announced on Tuesday that infielder Nicky Lopez and left-handed pitcher Sammy Peralta have cleared waivers. Rather than accepting outright assignments, both players have elected free agency.
Lopez, who turns 30 in March, was one of five players traded to the White Sox in exchange for reliever Aaron Bummer last November. Never known for his bat, the Naperville hit .241/.312/.294 with a 77 wRC+ and 0.9 fWAR in 445 plate appearances this season. As in the past, Lopez made up for that lack of production in the field.
The Naperville native was named a Gold Glove Award finalist for AL second baseman last month. In 640.1 innings at the position, Lopez logged a .989 fielding percentage, -1 defensive runs saved, four outs above average, and a 1.4 on the SABR Defensive Index. These stats didn’t stack up favorably for Lopez, as Cleveland’s Andres Giménez ultimately took home the hardware.
| Player | Innings | Fielding % | DRS | OAA | SDI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicky Lopez | 640.1 | .989 | -1 | 4 | 1.4 |
| Marcus Semien | 1382.2 | .989 | 10 | 19 | 12.2 |
| Andres Giménez | 1331.0 | .986 | 20 | 20 | 12.5 |
The last White Sox second baseman to win a Gold Glove Award was Yolmer Sanchez back in 2019. Funny enough, the fan-favorite was outrighted shortly after when the White Sox did not offer him the $6.2 million he was projected in his final year of arbitration. Lopez was estimated to earn $5.1 million in arbitration this year, which was always unlikely to be matched with the team looking to cut payroll and already having infield options in both Brooks Baldwin and Lenyn Sosa.
Peralta, 26, was originally drafted by the White Sox in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He made several trips between Triple-A Charlotte and Chicago in 2024, posting a 3.80 ERA with a 15.3% strikeout rate and 11.2% walk rate in nine major league appearances.
Following the moves, the White Sox’s 40-man roster sits at 36.
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Featured Photo: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
