OOTP final roster: White Sox

Yes, in lieu of actual baseball, SBN has partnered with Out of the Park baseball to simulate the 2020 season. I will be running the games, and thus have made the final roster decisions.

Nick Madrigal will start the season with the White Sox, as the starting second baseman. Leury García will sub in at second and at all three outfield positions; depending on how Madrigal starts, García may also take on the toughest righties. Danny Mendick also makes the club, subbing at short, third, and left field. Adam Engel will be platooning in right field with Nomar Mazara, as well as subbing at the other outfield positions. And completing the bench is James McCann, catching once a week, DHing once a week.

Cheslor Cuthbert had to be DFA’d for not making the team. Not sure if he will be claimed or not. Yermín Mercedes is going to get catching reps at Charlotte (three-headed catcher hydra there) and is likely the first call-up in case of injury to a thumper bat.

The pitching rotation will run out as Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, Reynaldo López, Gio González and Dylan Cease. (I don’t believe the game will pay much attention to the fact that González hadn’t yet pitched this spring, and ditto Jace Fry, thus we can roll out a rotation as imagined back in the offseason.) Michael Kopech will start in Charlotte, to stretch out. He is likely to have a call-up at the earliest opportunity, at which time the White Sox may shift to a six-man rotation.

The bullpen is also about what you’d expect, except I have designated Alex Colomé and Aaron Bummer as co-closers. Colomé will get the early nods as the incumbent, but the leash is short. Others include Kelvin Herrera, Jace Fry, Steve Cishek, Jimmy Cordero, Carson Fulmer and Evan Marshall.

I am new to the OOTP, so I admit I did start the first few innings of the game already, to get a feel for how it all works. So, a spoiler alert for tomorrow’s recap: The White Sox got off to a good start on a 36-degree home opener.

Full details tomorrow.