The White Sox have added shortstop Colson Montgomery and right-handed pitcher Juan Carela to their 40-man roster on Tuesday. The moves were made before the 5 p.m. CT deadline, protecting the prospects from being selected in this year’s Rule 5 Draft.
Montgomery, 22, requires protection much earlier than most in his class since he was 19 years old when the White Sox drafted him in 2021. Ranked as the organization’s second-best prospect and 37th overall by MLB Pipeline, the former 22nd overall pick spent the entire 2024 season with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights and went through some growing pains. Montgomery’s strikeout rate jumped to nearly 30%, and he was not able to raise his batting average above .200 for most of the season.
Colson Montgomery OVER THE BERM!
MLB's No. 37 prospect (@whitesox) absolutely destroys his second @MLBazFallLeague homer of the year. pic.twitter.com/O4HbU1ZUUB
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 23, 2024
Things looked more promising by season’s end as the shortstop hit .264/.357/.485 with four homers to close out September. Montgomery carried this over into the Arizona Fall League, where the White Sox ended his stint early after he hit .313/.511/.656 with a 1.167 OPS and three home runs. If he can continue this level of performance throughout the spring, Montgomery figures to be in the club’s 2025 plans.
Carela, who was acquired from the Yankees for reliever Keynan Middleton in 2023, was widely viewed as the prospect most at risk of being drafted after Montgomery. Ranked 26th in the White Sox organization according to MLB Pipeline, Carela strung together 74 solid innings at the High-A level before earning a promotion to Double-A in early August. With the Barons, he made seven starts and put up respectable numbers despite being younger than the average player at that level. In total, he logged 106.1 innings and held a respectable 3.71 ERA while striking out 114 batters.
Carela’s command still has room to improve, and it remains to be seen if he will stay in Double-A or begin the 2025 season with Triple-A Charlotte. However, he will likely serve as starting pitching depth for the White Sox this season and could make even make his major league debut at some point.
What a start for Juan Carela!
The @Yankees prospect carried a no-hitter into the sixth and struck out eight for the @HVRenegades: pic.twitter.com/s1UZtDaZYX
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 23, 2023
While neither of these moves was surprising, the most notable prospect left unprotected was Wilfred Veras. According to MLB Pipeline, the first baseman and outfielder is ranked as Chicago’s 25th-best prospect, spending the entire 2024 season at Double-A Birmingham. There, he slashed .267/.319/.424 with 16 home runs and 25 stolen bases at just 21 years old. Veras is far from a perfect prospect due to his overly aggressive approach at the plate and lack of a true defensive home, he possesses plenty of raw power and has the tools that could lead a team to take a chance on him.
The Rule 5 Draft allows for teams to select players with an eligible number of years in the minor leagues from their current team. The only stipulation is that they must remain on their new team’s 26-man roster for the entirety of the season, or else be returned to their original team. Hence, most teams will only select players they believe could potentially contribute in the majors for a full season.
Aside from Veras, the White Sox also have left the following players vulnerable to this year’s draft:
- Adisyn Coffey
- Andrew Dalquist
- DJ Gladney
- Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa
- Jared Kelley
- Gil Luna
- Trey McGough
- Terrell Tatum
Following Tuesday’s transactions, the White Sox 40-man roster increases to 38.
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Featured Photo: Laura Wolff/@MLBPipeline via X
