White Sox Trim 13 From Camp

It’s getting nearer the break of camp, and some of the last “easy” cuts of spring arrived postgame on Tuesday.

WHITE SOX ANNOUNCE ROSTER MOVES

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Following today’s game at San Diego, the Chicago White Sox made the following 13 roster moves:

· Optioned RHPs Zack Burdi, Tyler Johnson, Jimmy Lambert and Jonathan Stiever, LHP Bernardo Flores Jr., OF Blake Rutherford, INF Gavin Sheets and C Seby Zavala to Class AAA Charlotte;

· Optioned OF Micker Adolfo and INF Jake Burger to Class AA Birmingham;

· Reassigned RHPs Félix Paulino and Mike Wright and LHP Kodi Medeiros to the club’s minicamp.

With the moves, the White Sox have 42 players remaining in camp: 20 pitchers, four catchers, 11 infielders and seven outfielders.

The catcher competition heats up a touch, with Zavala gone; however, Seby was getting little time compared to Zack Collins, Yermín Mercedes and Jonathan Lucroy, so the demotion to Charlotte is not a surprise.

Burdi, Lambert and Flores all had longshot hopes of making the White Sox bullpen, but none overperformed in early spring play — and frankly, there’s no room, as at this point a 13-pitcher staff can’t even include both Jimmy Cordero and Reynaldo López.

The Knights assignments all seem sensible, with perhaps one twist being Blake Rutherford heading to Charlotte and Micker Adolfo going back to Birmingham. Presumably, Luis González will join Rutherford in Charlotte’s outfield.

Jake Burger’s promotion to Birmingham was less a surprise than it was validation of the incredible amount of work he’s put in to even get a baseball uniform back on. If the now-lithe third baseman can conquer the offense-deflating characteristics of Regions Field, the power bat should see Charlotte this season.