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Home , Carlos Lee, Chris Beck (baseball), Dane Dunning, Dan Jennings (pitcher), Ian Clarkin, Luis Alexander Basabe

WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF NOVEMBER 21, 2017 “Thome joins Hall hopefuls in 1st time on ballot” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Sox add top prospect Jimenez to 40-man” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “The youngest coach in manages some of the White Sox top minor leaguers” … Chuck Garfien, NBC Sports Chicago “Potential first-ballot guy and Blackout Game hero Jim Thome headlines group of former White Sox on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot” … Vinnie Duber, NBC Sports Chicago “White Sox adjust 40-man roster – including adding Eloy Jimenez – ahead of deadline” … Vinnie Duber, NBC Sports Chicago “Three months till baseball’s back as White Sox announce spring training schedule” … Vinnie Duber, NBC Sports Chicago “Eloy Jimenez among players added to White Sox 40-man roster” … Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune “White Sox release 32-game spring training schedule” … Mark Gonzales, Chicago Tribune “Omar Vizquel in line to manage White Sox’s Class-A team” … Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune “White Sox add Eloy Jimenez to 40-man roster” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “White Sox’ spring-training schedule announced” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Which ex-Cubs and White Sox could make the Hall of Fame?” … Staff, The Athletic “White Sox add Eloy Jimenez, others to 40-man roster in advance of Rule 5 Draft” … Staff, CBS Chicago “Cubs, White Sox announce Spring Training schedules” … Staff, CBS Chicago “Omar Vizquel to manage White Sox’s Class-A Affiliate” … Staff, CBS Chicago “White Sox tab Vizquel to manage Winston-Salem” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “White Sox release 2018 spring training schedule” … Staff, Daily Herald Thome joins Hall hopefuls in 1st time on ballot Slugger among 7 players with White Sox ties to appear on 2018 list By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | Nov. 20, 2017

CHICAGO -- Joe Crede played alongside Jim Thome during three of the slugger's four seasons with the White Sox.

Aaron Rowand was traded to Philadelphia for Thome following the White Sox 2005 World Series championship season. But if Crede and Rowand -- two accomplished players in their own right -- had their way, Thome would have long ago been specially inducted into the Hall of Fame prior to waiting the requisite five years after his retirement and making his first appearance on the 2018 Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot as announced Monday.

Their thought process centered more upon Thome as a teammate and human being, rather than his impressive statistics amassed over more than two decades.

"He's the epitome of a baseball player," said Crede in a 2015 interview of Thome, who was one of seven players on this year's ballot with some sort of White Sox connection . "Just the greatest dude ever," said Rowand in that same interview.

Manny Ramirez (second appearance) and (sixth) represent the returning players on the Hall of Fame ballot who once suited up for the White Sox. Joining Thome for the first time with White Sox ties are , Omar Vizquel, Carlos Lee and Orlando Hudson.

Lee had the longest White Sox tenure from this group, knocking out 152 of his 358 home runs and 957 of his 2,273 hits during six years on Chicago's South Side from 1999-2004. Ramirez had the shortest stint, playing 24 games in 2010 and hitting just one of his 555 career homers after being claimed off waivers from the Dodgers.

Thome had the greatest impact of the group. He finished with 612 homers overall, joining with Sosa as two of nine players to surpass the 600 plateau. Thome's resume also featured 1,699 RBIs, 1,583 runs scored, a .402 on-base percentage, a .554 , 2,328 hits and 1,747 walks during a 22-year career, statistics that should stand up as a strong first-ballot Hall of Fame case with an induction announcement coming on Jan. 24 at 5 p.m. CT on MLB Network. Thome, who joined the White Sox front office on July 2, 2013, as a special assistant to general manager Rick Hahn, produced 134 home runs, 369 RBIs, a .933 OPS and a 138 OPS+ over four years with the White Sox.

9/16/07: Jim Thome hits the 500th home of his Major League career, a walk-off winner for the White Sox Thome's 500th came at U.S. Cellular Field in walk-off fashion against the Angels in 2007. His solo home run off of Minnesota's Nick Blackburn provided the lone run in arguably the most exciting single game in franchise history, a 1-0 White Sox victory over the Twins in a 2008 Central tiebreaker to decide the division title, known as the Blackout Game.

9/30/08: Jim Thome crushes a solo homer to center field to give the White Sox the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning

Being elected to the Hall of Fame was referred to by Thome as a "special thing" during a 2016 interview after he was inducted into the Indians Hall of Fame and the Phillies Wall of Fame. But it was not all-consuming for the humble and affable individual.

"Winning a World Series, I've always said, is the pinnacle for every player to try to accomplish," Thome said. "And then that honor to go in that great fraternity is through longevity and playing a long time. Just having somebody recognize you for what you've done for the game, it would be very cool."

Sox add top prospect Jimenez to 40-man Team also protects Gillaspie, Adolfo, Basabe and Clarkin from Rule 5 Draft By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | Nov. 20, 2017

CHICAGO -- Eloy Jimenez, the White Sox No. 1 prospect per MLBPipeline.com and No. 4 overall, was one of five players added to the White Sox 40-man roster with their contracts purchased Monday.

Major League Baseball had a 7 p.m. CT deadline to add players to the 40-man and avoid their exposure to Rule 5 Draft selection on Dec. 14 at the Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (No. 11 White Sox prospect), Micker Adolfo (No. 14), outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe (No. 17) and left-handed Ian Clarkin (No. 21) also were added.

Right-handed Tyler Danish and Chris Beck were outrighted off the 40-man roster to -A Charlotte, leaving the White Sox 40-man at 39.

Jimenez, who turns 21 on Nov. 27, recently finished action in the Dominican Winter League with a .368 average, five doubles, four home runs and 21 RBIs. He completed the 2017 season with three home runs and seven RBIs for -A Birmingham, following a promotion from Class A Winston-Salem, and figures to start the '18 season with the Barons. With continued offensive prowess, Jimenez could force his way to the big leagues at some point during the upcoming campaign after being acquired on July 13 from the Cubs as the centerpiece of the five-player Jose Quintana deal.

Adolfo, 21, turned in his best performance as part of the White Sox by hitting .264 with 16 home runs, 28 doubles and 68 RBIs for Class A Kannapolis. Gillaspie, 24, had six home runs and 18 RBIs for Triple-A Charlotte after coming over from the Rays in the trade, but might figure into the '18 White Sox plans.

The switch-hitting Basabe, 21, came to the White Sox as part of the deal and .221 with five homers, 36 RBIs, five triples and 17 stolen bases for Winston-Salem. Clarkin, 22, becomes the fourth player added Monday from an in-season White Sox trade after the southpaw, acquired from the Yankees in a seven-player deal, had a solid and healthy Instructional League.

Danish, 23, was the team's second-round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft out of Plant City, Fla. He picked up Major League victory No. 1 during his lone start for the White Sox in '17, striking out six and walking six over five innings, and made three relief appearances in '16. Danish finished 4-14 with a 5.47 ERA over 26 games and 25 starts for the Knights, and survived a car accident in Jacksonville, Fla., with minor injuries after his car was hit by a semi on his way home following the '17 Minor League season.

Beck, 27, was a second-round pick in the 2012 Draft. He has a career 6.38 ERA over 83 career appearances with the White Sox, while posting a 3.79 ERA over the first half of this past season but finishing with a 9.63 ERA over his final 24 games.

The youngest coach in baseball manages some of the White Sox top minor leaguers By Chuck Garfien / NBC Sports Chicago | Nov. 20, 2017

Most minor league managers have graying sideburns, wrinkled skin and a birth date well before 1980.

They’ve been through the battles of baseball and life, placed in rural dugouts across the country to teach the younger generation how to play the game.

But in a town outside Charlotte, North Carolina, the White Sox are bucking this trend with a fresh-faced millennial who one day could be sitting in a major league manager’s office with his name on it.

Justin Jirschele is the manager of the Kannapolis Intimidators, the White Sox Class-A affiliate. At 27 years old, he is the youngest manager in all of .

Jirschele (pronounced JIRSH-ah-lee) goes by “Jirsh” to those who know him and who play for him, which last season included top prospects like Jake Burger, Alec Hansen, Dane Dunning and Dylan Cease.

When Jirschele played the game, he was a guy every team would have wanted.

Not for his speed: He never stole more than four bases in a season during his minor league career. Not for his power: He didn't hit a single home run in 622 career at-bats.

But because he treated every game like it could be his last.

“I never took a play off. I never took an at-bat off,” he said.

This was his mindset even in his very last minor league at-bat for the in 2015.

“I remember walking up and I said out loud to myself, ‘This is it. Do something.’ I’m getting the chills right now thinking about it.”

Jirschele knew his playing days were over. So did the White Sox. They signed him out of the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point in 2012 as an undrafted free agent. Nobody else wanted him. Over the next four seasons, he played for five White Sox minor league teams. The results on the field were overwhelmingly average.

Then one day, Nick Capra, then the White Sox Director of Player Development, came to Jirschele with an idea and an offer that would change his life.

“He asked, ‘Are you ready to start coaching yet?’ Jirschele recalled. ‘And I looked at him and went, ‘What do you mean?’”

The White Sox offered Jirschele a job to be the hitting coach for the Grand Falls Voyagers, the team’s rookie league affiliate.

“I was in shock. It was the end of May, the season was still young. I was at three different levels. I started at Winston- Salem, went to Charlotte and came back to Birmingham. It was a whirlwind. When he first said it, my first feeling was excitement. That kind of told me right there that it was the right time to do it.”

So Jirschele took the job.

He was 25 years old.

Then he went out and took that final minor league at-bat for Birmingham, which turned out to be a fitting conclusion to his playing career.

“I think it was the second pitch, right down the middle and I was tardy, hit it off my fist, a dribbler to the shortstop and I bet you I ran as hard as I had in my entire life. It wasn’t that I was fast, but I was running as hard as I possibly could to first and I don’t think there even was a throw I hit it so soft, perfectly past the pitcher. I just said to myself, that’s it right there.”

An infield dribbler for a base hit to close his playing career.

Coaching made sense for Jirschele. His father, Mike, is the third base coach for the . He won a World Series in 2015. His older brother, Jeremy, is the head baseball coach back at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Pretty soon, the younger Jirschele would be leading a team of his own.

In 2017, the White Sox gave him the managerial job with Kannapolis. Sure, some of his players would be around the same age, but the White Sox looked past the birth date on his driver’s license and recognized a person who was wise beyond his years.

“It was identified early on that he has the leadership qualities we look for in a manager regardless of his age,” said Chris Getz, White Sox Director of Player Development. “He has good baseball knowledge, good communication skills, a willingness to learn and adapt, and carries out a consistent message. We feel lucky to have him and think he has a bright future ahead.”

Although the ages of the Intimidators players ranged from 19 to 25 years old, it didn’t matter that their manager was slighty older than them.

“Never once had an issue with the age thing,” Jirschele said about his players. “I think from Day 1 when I showed them the respect like I’m not going to be the guy that’s two years older than you hammering things down your throat, I’m going to have that respect and you’re going to show it back.”

While the White Sox prospects spent the season developing their playing skills, Jirschele was honing his managing skills, which go beyond what happens on the field. A big part of the job is handling issues that arise off of it.

“It’s a long grind season and there are so many things that are going to come up non-baseball related to where you might be in that clubhouse and you might feel alone,” Jirschele explained. “You might feel like you’re on an island all by yourself even if you’ve got three best friends that are going to stand up in your wedding one day, you might not feel comfortable talking to those guys about that. Come on in, we’ll talk about it at 12:30 in the afternoon or 7:30 at night or midnight. I tell the guys you’ve got my phone number. Call or text no matter what time if you need to talk.”

Following his thirst for managing knowledge, Jirschele often reaches out to his dad for late-night phone calls, rehashing the game that night. He’ll even text an opposing manager, like Patrick Anderson, a friend who has managed the , the Nationals Class-A affiliate for the last four seasons.

“He’s a guy I could pick his brain about things," he said. "Once the series was over I’d send him a text and ask, ‘Why did you do this?’ At the end of the day we’re all in it together and first and foremost it’s all for these players and making them better each and every day and doing whatever we can to get them to the top. But at the same time we’re developing ourselves as well along the way.

“I’m sure I annoy a lot of people of asking questions but that’s how you learn. I was brought up that way.”

Jirschele’s impressions of some White Sox top prospects he managed last season:

Alec Hansen: “When he takes the ball, you feel like you have one of the best chances in the country to get a win that night in . His stuff is just off the charts.”

Dane Dunning: “It would be the 8th inning, he wanted that complete game and he wouldn’t be too pleased with me coming out there to take him out, but you want that. You want that out of a competitor on the mound every 5 days. He’s definitely a guy you want in the foxhole with you, no doubt.”

Micker Adolfo: “He has a special, special arm. I don’t know if there’s a better one right now.”

Jake Burger: “Looking forward, the ceiling is unbelievably high for him. 100 percent no doubt in my mind, someday he will be a captain in the big leagues.”

Like many of his players, Jirschele left an impression with the White Sox in his first season as manager. He helped lead the Intimidators to their first playoff berth since 2009 and their first trip to the championship since 2005.

Earlier this month, the White Sox named him their Minor League Coach of the Year.

“First and foremost, it means we had good players this year. It’s those guys between the lines,” he said. “As coaches, we can’t go out there and pitch. We were fortunate to have a great group of guys. We came up a little short (winning the championship), but we got there and it was fun.”

Once upon a time, Jirschele’s dream was to make it to the majors. That dream still exists. Just now instead of having his own baseball card, he wants to get to the big leagues holding a lineup card.

“I think I’d be lying to you if I said it wasn’t a goal, but at the same time I don’t worry about it. I know I’m 27 years old," he said. "I’m just fortunate to have the job I do right now with the White Sox. I go out and do my job every single day and the rest will just take care of itself.”

Potential first-ballot guy and Blackout Game hero Jim Thome headlines group of former White Sox on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot By Vinnie Duber / NBC Sports Chicago | Nov. 20, 2017

White Sox fans have seen a couple of their team's all-time greats go into the Hall of Fame in recent years, with Frank Thomas inducted in 2014 and inducted earlier this year.

Seven former White Sox are on this year's Hall of Fame ballot, even if only a couple of them made a big impact on the South Side.

Jim Thome is on the ballot for the first time. While more famously a member of those great teams of the 1990s, Thome spent four seasons in a White Sox uniform, playing in 529 games and belting 134 of his 612 career home runs with the South Siders.

A Peoria native currently working as a member of the organization, Thome was a beloved part of four White Sox teams, including the last one to reach the postseason in 2008. He smacked a solo homer to drive in the lone run in the legendary Blackout Game, a 1-0 win over the that gave the White Sox the crown in the 163rd game of the 2008 regular season.

Thome ranks second in White Sox history in slugging percentage and OPS, trailing only Thomas in both categories. He's No. 7 on the franchise leaderboard in on-base percentage and No. 13 on the home run list.

Given that he ranks eighth on baseball's all-time home run list, Thome could very well be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Also on this year's ballot is Carlos Lee, a power-hitting outfielder who spent the first six seasons of his major league career with the White Sox. El Caballo hit 152 homers and drove in 552 runs in 880 games with the White Sox, finishing 18th in AL MVP voting in 2003 after he slashed .291/.331/.499 with 31 homers. His numbers were even better in 2004, his final season with the White Sox.

Lee ranks ninth on the team's all-time home run list and 11th on the franchise leaderboard in slugging percentage.

Lee did an awful lot of damage in six seasons with the , as well, and earned three All-Star nods in his post- Sox career.

Five others to play for the White Sox are on this year's ballot. Sammy Sosa, more noteworthy for what he did with the Cubs, spent parts of three seasons on the South Side. Omar Vizquel, another Indians great like Thome, played for the White Sox in 2010 and 2011. Andruw Jones, better known for his defensive highlights with the , played 107 games with the White Sox in 2010. Orlando Hudson played in 51 games for the White Sox in 2012. And Manny Ramirez, the legendary Indians and Red Sox slugger, played 24 games with the White Sox in 2010.

In order to qualify for election into the Hall of Fame, a player must appear on 75 of ballots submitted by voters.

White Sox adjust 40-man roster – including adding Eloy Jimenez – ahead of Rule 5 Draft deadline By Vince Duber / NBC Sports Chicago | Nov. 20, 2017

The White Sox made some adjustments to their 40-man roster ahead of Monday's deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft.

Rules stipulate that a player who signed when he was 18 or younger and has played five seasons of professional baseball is eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft if he is not on his team's 40-man roster. Because of that, the White Sox — like the rest of the teams in the league — made some moves Monday to protect certain players.

The White Sox announced Monday afternoon that they purchased the contracts of infielder Casey Gillaspie from Triple-A Charlotte, outfielder Eloy Jimenez from Double-A Birmingham, outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe and pitcher Ian Clarkin from Class-A Winston-Salem and outfielder Micker Adolfo from Class-A Kannapolis.

Simultaneously, pitchers Chris Beck and Tyler Danish were outrighted to Charlotte.

The most notable name on the list is of course Jimenez, the highly ranked outfielder acquired from the Cubs in July's trade that sent Jose Quintana to the North Side. Jimenez was a no-brainer to be protected after he slugged 19 homers and hit 22 doubles with 65 RBIs in his 89 games in the minors last season, splitting time between Birmingham and Winston-Salem in the White Sox system and Class-A Myrtle Beach in the Cubs' system. Jimenez is ranked as the White Sox No. 1 prospect by MLB.com.

Gillaspie was acquired in the trade that sent Dan Jennings to the . The brother of former White Sox infielder Conor Gillaspie, he hit 15 homers and 20 doubles in 125 games all at the Triple-A level. Gillaspie is ranked as the White Sox No. 11 prospect by MLB.com.

Basabe, the White Sox No. 17 prospect, was in last offseason's Chris Sale trade and hit .221 with five homers and 12 doubles at Winston-Salem. Adolfo, the White Sox No. 14 prospect, was signed as a free agent in 2013 and hit .264 with 16 homers and 28 doubles at Kannapolis. Clarkin, the White Sox No. 22 prospect, was acquired in the seven-player trade with the Yankees in July and posted a 2.60 ERA and 63 in 86.2 innings of work at the Class-A level.

The 27-year-old Beck posted a very high 6.40 ERA in 64.2 innings out of the White Sox bullpen last season. Danish made just one appearance with the big league club last season, getting his first major league win in the second game of a against the .

Three months till baseball’s back as White Sox announce spring training schedule By Vinnie Duber / NBC Sports Chicago | Nov. 20, 2017

Only three more months till the White Sox are back in action.

The South Siders announced their spring training schedule Monday, with Cactus League play commencing Feb. 23 out in Arizona.

The White Sox have the unenviable task of opening the exhibition schedule against the defending National League champions, the playing hosts to the Pale Hose in Glendale. The White Sox will be the visitors, though they share the Camelback Ranch facility with the Dodgers, so they'll still be in their home ballpark. Their first official home game comes two days later, in a Feb. 25 matchup against the .

The White Sox will face off against the Cubs in three "Cactus Crosstown" games on Feb. 27 and March 10 in Mesa and on March 16 in Glendale.

And in a cool wrap to the preseason, the White Sox will square off against their own Triple-A affiliate March 26 in Charlotte. The game against the Knights should be a fun watch considering all the future White Sox expected to make their way to the big leagues over the next couple seasons. The Knights' roster could be loaded with highly ranked prospects depending on how things shake out.

Eloy Jimenez among players added to White Sox 40-man roster By Chris Kuc / Chicago Tribune | Nov. 20, 2017

With the Rule 5 Draft roster deadline approaching Monday night, the White Sox went about protecting some their top young prospects with several moves.

The Sox purchased the contracts of Casey Gillaspie, Eloy Jimenez, Luis Alexander Basabe, Ian Clarkin and Micker Adolfo to add them to the team’s 40-man roster. Meanwhile, the Sox outrighted pitchers Chris Beck and Tyler Danish to Triple-A Charlotte to leave the roster sitting at 39 players.

It is no surprise that the Sox added top-ranked prospect Jimenez to the roster. After being acquired from the Cubs in the July 13 trade that sent Jose Quintana from the South to the North Side, Jimenez first tore up Class A pitching while playing for Winston-Salem and then following a promotion did the same with Double-A Birmingham. Overall, Jimenez combined to hit .312 with 22 doubles, 19 home runs, 65 RBIs, 54 runs scored and a .568 slugging percentage over 89 games in the minors in 2017.

The 20-year-old Jimenez then raked during a stint in the Dominican Winter League, hitting .368 with four home runs, 21 RBIs and a .676 slugging percentage. Jimenez will look to impress the Sox hierarchy during spring training but is likely to start the season at Birmingham.

“For Eloy with a month above A-Ball, I don’t see him breaking with this club in 2018,” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said last week at the GM Meetings in Orlando. “Him spending the full year in Double-A would be a fine development year but my guess is that he ends up forcing the issue a little bit at some point. But I don’t expect it to be in Glendale (at spring training).”

Gillaspie, who was acquired in a trade with the Rays last season, hit a combined .223 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI over 125 games between Triple-A Durham in the Tampa organization and the Sox’s Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte. According to MLB.com, the 24-year-old Gillaspie is the Sox’s No. 11 prospect.

The 21-year-old Basabe hit .221 with five home runs, 36 RBIs, 17 stolen bases and 52 runs scored in 107 games with Winston-Salem and is considered the Sox’s 17th-ranked prospect.

Left-hander Clarkin, 22, combined to go 4-5 with a 2.60 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 18 appearances between Class-A Tampa in the Yankees organization and Winston-Salem.

Adolfo, who was named the White Sox Minor League Player of the Month for June, hit .264 with 28 doubles, 16 homers, 68 RBIs and 60 runs scored over 112 games with Class A Kannapolis this season.

Beck went 2-1 with a 6.40 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 57 relief appearances with the Sox in ’17.

Danish made one start for the Sox and earned his first major-league win with five scoreless innings against the Tigers on May 27.

The Rule 5 Draft is set for Dec. 14 at the Winter Meetings in Orlando.

White Sox release 32-game spring training schedule By Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune | Nov. 20, 2017

The released their 32-game spring training schedule, which features consecutive home games March 16-17 against the rival Cubs and National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch.

The White Sox open their spring schedule Feb. 23 against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch, where they will play their spring home two days later against Cincinnati.

The White Sox will conclude their spring home schedule on March 25 against Milwaukee before traveling to Charlotte to play their Triple-A affiliate the following day.

Omar Vizquel in line to manage White Sox’s Class-A team By Chris Kuc / Chicago Tribune | Nov. 20, 2017

Former White Sox shortstop Omar Vizquel is set to be named manager of the organization’s Class-A minor-league affiliate in Winston-Salem.

While not yet official, a source said the 50-year-old Vizquel is in line to to replace Willie Harris as the Dash’s manager. Vizquel, who played 24 seasons in the majors, including two with the Sox from 2010-11, had been the Tigers’ first-base coach the last four seasons. He reportedly interviewed for the Tigers’ managerial opening that eventually went to Ron Gardenhire.

Vizquel was a three-time All-Star and 11-time Gold Glove winner while playing with the Mariners, Indians, Giants, Rangers, Sox and Blue Jays during his career and was among 19 newcomers listed on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot that was released Monday.

White Sox add Eloy Jimenez to 40-man roster By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | Nov. 20, 2017

The White Sox added Eloy Jimenez, Micker Adolfo and Luis Alexander Basabe, first baseman Casey Gillaspie and left-hander Ian Clarkin to the 40-man roster on Monday, protecting those prospects in advance of the Rule 5 Draft next month.

The Sox also outrighted right-handers Chris Beck and Tyler Danish, who cleared waivers, to Class AAA Charlotte. The seven roster moves puts their 40-man roster at 39.

Any player not on a club’s 40-man roster and approaching his fourth year Rule 5 Draft (for players signed at age 19) or fifth year Rule 5 Draft (for players signed at 18 or younger) since signing a contract can be taken by another club. The player joins the selecting team’s 25-man roster and must stay on it for the entire 2018 season or be offered back to the original team.

Jiménez, 20, is ranked by MLB.com as the No. 4 prospect in baseball. He combined to hit .312 with 22 doubles, 19 home runs, 65 RBI, 54 runs scored, a .379 on-base percentage and .568 slugging percentage over 89 games in 2017 between Class AA Birmingham and Class A Winston-Salem. He was acquired by the Sox in the Jose Quintana trade with the Cubs.

Basabe, 21, batted .221 with 12 doubles, five triples, five home runs, 36 RBI, 17 stolen bases and 52 runs scored in 107 games this season with Winston-Salem. The Sox’ No. 17 prospect according to MLB.com, he acquired from the Red Sox in the Chris Sale trade.

Gillaspie, 24, hit a combined .223 with 15 home runs and 62 RBI over 125 games between Class AAA Durham in the Rays organization and Charlotte. He is the White Sox No. 11 prospect according to MLB.com. He was acquired on July 27 from the Rays in exchange for left-hander Dan Jennings.

Clarkin, 22, combined to go 4-5 with a 2.60 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 18 appearances (17 starts) in 2017 between Class A Tampa in the Yankees organization and Winston-Salem. Clarkin, ranked by MLB.com as the Sox’ No. 22 prospect, was acquired from the Yankees in July.

Adolfo, 21, hit .264 with 28 doubles, 16 homers, 68 RBI and 60 runs scored over 112 games with Class A Kannapolis this season.

White Sox’ spring-training schedule announced By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | Nov. 20, 2017

The White Sox open their Cactus League season with a traditional matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, Feb. 23 at Camelback Ranch. The Sox will be the visitors against the defending National League champions, with whom they share their spring training complex.

The Sox will be the visitors in the opener and will play their first official home game Feb. 25 against the Reds. All Sox home games are scheduled for 1:05 p.m. AZT, except for a 12:05 p.m. start on March 25 against the Brewers, their final Cactus League game.

The Sox play the Cubs three times, including March 16 in Glendale. The Sox play the Cubs in Mesa on Feb. 27 and March 10.

The Sox close out their spring schedule on March 26 (6:05 p.m. ET) with an exhibition game against the , their Class AAA affiliate, at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte, N.C.

This will be the 10th season for the White Sox and Dodgers at Camelback Ranch.

Which ex-Cubs and White Sox could make the Hall of Fame? By Staff / The Athletic | Nov. 21, 2017

The Baseball Hall of Fame eligibility list came out on Monday and there were nine players who suited up for the Cubs and/or White Sox on the list for eligible members of the Baseball Writers Association of America to vote on for induction next summer.

Most of these players have no shot of being enshrined in Cooperstown this summer — really, only Jim Thome does and he won't go in with a White Sox hat — but they all deserve their due from our writers. The players are listed with the least likely first.

Jim Thome and the Gang

By James Fegan

Orlando Hudson — I’m a large Hall guy, partly because I’m a no-good millennial with no respect for the standards of long- standing institutions, but mostly because I’m sentimental and think taking a moment to honor a longtime player for their accomplishments is rarely a mistake. I’m writing this instead of arguing Orlando Hudson’s Hall of Fame case, because there is none. Hudson was a solid starting in this league for seven years. He was a vacuum on that 2010 AL Central-winning Twins team, and about two years after that run of effectiveness had ended, he played for the White Sox.

Carlos Lee — Poor Carlos Lee got 12 career postseason plate appearances in the White Sox's three-game sweep at the hands of the Mariners as a 24-year-old in the year 2000, and then never played October baseball again. He was a good, sometimes great hitter for a 14-year run, but consistently made his team wonder if the pop in his bat was worth his defense. He deserves a day at Guaranteed Rate Field in his honor for his Crosstown Classic heroics alone, but the Sox fan base probably sees trading him as the catalyst to the 2005 World Series run, and they might not be wrong.

Andruw Jones — The rare case of someone whose post-prime White Sox season might have helped his case rather than hurt it. Jones’ case is hampered by his precociousness; if he broke into the league at age 24 and began an 11-season run as an elite defensive center fielder — 10 Gold Gloves! — with big-time power and occasional on-base struggles before running out of gas at 35 and living on as a platoon guy, it would be easier to reconcile his run. Instead, we have to figure out how someone who was out of shape and unplayable by the age of 31 is a Hall of Famer. Should a fringe Hall of Fame case be discredited because everyone who watched him thinks he should have been a no-doubter? As a large Hall guy, I say let’s enshrine Jones’ 1997-2007 run for future generations to admire, but he has himself to blame if that’s not enough to get him in.

Omar Vizquel — Is Vizquel the Jim Thome of shortstop defense? That’s essentially the standard he needs to meet, as his shortcomings with the bat mirrored what Thome gave back with his glove. Vizquel was a below-average hitter for all but two of his 24 seasons, and was almost exclusively No. 9 hitter-worthy until he was 29. It’s a cop-out to say that we need to lean on those who watched him in his prime to assess whether he was an Ozzie Smith-level glove at shortstop, but defensive metrics are hardly suitable for real analysis now, let alone retroactively applied to the 1990s. I would lean against Omar, but wouldn’t rule out a convincing argument from his contemporaries. After all, I don’t want to poison the waters with the new manager of the Winston-Salem Dash.

Manny Ramirez — Getting busted for PEDs on multiple occasions after playing through an era where every major slugger is suspected of indulging in steroids will likely not do wonders for his case, nor will his blasé attitude toward everything that wasn’t mashing the baseball now that his offensive production is under scrutiny. But I don’t think the Hall should make a habit of excluding generational talents, or guys that had a 14-year run where they OPS’d over 1.000 and smacked over 500 home runs. I’ve never seen someone stare at strike three as often as Ramirez did on the South Side, but he already had a Hall of Fame career before that.

Jim Thome — He wasn’t much of a defender, but that’s about the only demerit I can offer. Thome mashed for two-straight decades, hit 612 home runs, finished his career with a .276/.402/.554 batting line, is by all accounts the nicest human being on Earth, and never gave up on Matt Davidson. He just needs to pick out what hat he’s going to wear to Cooperstown. It'll probably be Cleveland since the team built a statue of his likeness, but props to him if he elects to twist the knife from the 2010 AL Central race again by wearing a Twins cap.

Will Sammy get in…vited to Cubs Convention anytime soon?

By Sahadev Sharma

Kerry Wood — Wood isn’t headed to the Hall, that’s clear, but careers like his are the types that I love highlighting. No one will forget Wood because of the 20 Houston Astros he struck out as a rookie on May 6, 1998. His 33.3 percent rate that season was the third-highest ever at the time, behind a pair of seasons. Wood never lived up to the hype that season built as he missed all of the 1999 season due to Tommy John surgery. He still managed to make an All-Star game as a starting pitcher in 2003, a season in which he led baseball with 266 strikeouts and joined Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling and Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers to post multiple seasons with a 30 percent or greater strikeout rate.

Wood’s postseason performances with the Cubs are likely marred by his poor performance in a the fateful Game 7 in the 2003 NLCS against the Florida Marlins. But prior to that, he’d looked quite stout as an October performer, including his eight innings of one-run ball against the Atlanta Braves to close out the 2003 NLDS and give the Cubs their first postseason series victory in 95 years.

Eventually injuries forced Wood to the bullpen, where he carved out a solid career as a closer and high-leverage reliever, including one more All-Star appearance in that role. Some would see Wood’s career as a disappointment, and perhaps if we only look at what he could have been, it is. But 14 years in the big leagues, including two All-Star appearances and one of the most compelling and dominating starts ever seen is nothing to sneeze at.

Carlos Zambrano — If we’re talking about interesting careers, it’s hard to encapsulate all that happened to Zambrano. When healthy, in shape and on his game, Zambrano was one of the best in the game during his short run of dominance. He finished in the top five in Cy Young voting three times and made three All-Star teams. From 2003-07 he was a horse for the Cubs as only four starters tallied more innings than he did during that span and only eight starters in the majors beat his 3.30 ERA. Zambrano is forever etched in Cubs lore with his 2008 no-hitter in Miller Park against the Houston Astros, the first for the Cubs in 36 years. A year earlier, he was pulled after just six innings of one-run ball in Game 1 of the NLDS. Manager Lou Piniella stated after the game, which the Cubs lost 3-1, that he wanted to make sure Zambrano had enough for Game 4 on three days' rest. It was a start Zambrano would never make as the Cubs were swept out of the playoffs.

It’s hard to talk about Zambrano’s Cubs career without talking about his explosive personality. The fiery competitor often let his emotions get the better of him as he had numerous run-ins with umpires, coaches, players — both the opposition and teammates — the media and even innocent Gatorade machines. There was the fight with catcher Michael Barrett that carried on into the clubhouse. The time he made glasses signs at an umpire as he walked off the field following one of numerous ejections. His “We stinks” quote after a particularly tough loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011 stands out as a classic. There was his awkward stint as a reliever, the time he was suspended for yelling at the usually mild Derrek Lee in the dugout at the Cell. And oh yeah, the time he said he quit in Atlanta and promptly got suspended for the rest of his Cubs career.

As much as the rocky end of his career with the Cubs stands out, Zambrano shouldn’t be shortchanged for the quality years he delivered on the mound, especially early on. His light faded quickly — he’s younger than two dozen pitchers who appeared last season — but he was a big part of the Cubs teams that were good during the 2000s. And he was one of the few compelling people when those teams were bad as well.

Sammy Sosa — Two decades ago, Sosa’s induction wasn't even a debate, but we’re in a new era of Hall of Fame voting now. Not only does Sosa have the shadow of PED use lingering over his career, but some now even believe that he’s borderline on stats alone. In his career, Sosa hit for a ton of power, slugging 609 homers. During his five-year peak from 1998-2002, he slashed .306/.397/.649. Sosa is probably be deserving if you’re willing to look past the PED allegations, but a crowded ballot has led to him being left off numerous ballots and falling to 8.6 percent in last year’s vote.

As he heads into his sixth year on the ballot, Sosa may end up falling off due to low vote total rather than hitting the 10- year mark. Seeing Sosa embraced by the Ricketts and Cubs organization is likelier to happen than a Hall enshrinement. Considering a celebration of a century of Wrigley Field didn’t spark a reunion in 2014 and a year-long party after their World Series win couldn’t either, the former isn’t close to happening anytime soon either.

White Sox add Eloy Jimenez, others to 40-man roster in advance of Rule 5 Draft By Staff / CBS Chicago | Nov. 20, 2017

(CBS) The White Sox made a series of roster moves Monday with the Rule 5 Draft in mind.

The White Sox have purchased the contracts of Triple-A infielder Casey Gillaspie, Double-A outfielder Eloy Jimenez, Double-A outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe, Class-A left-hander Ian Clarkin and Class-A outfielder Micker Adolfo. By adding these players to the 40-man roster, each is protected in the Rule 5 Draft, which will take place at the Winter Meetings in December.

Players who sign a contract with a team at 18 or younger and then play five seasons of professional baseball are eligible for other teams to grab in the Rule 5 Draft if they’re not protected by being placed on the 40-man roster. In additional moves, the White Sox outrighted right-hander Chris Beck and right-hander Tyler Danish to Triple-A Charlotte.

Jimenez, 20, is the most high-profile of the White Sox prospects to be added to the 40-man roster. He’s rated as a top-five prospect in baseball, and he hit .312 with 19 homers, 65 RBIs and a .568 slugging percentage in 89 games at Triple-A in 2017, when he was the headliner acquired by the White Sox in the Jose Quintana trade with the Cubs in July. He’ll report to the White Sox’s big league camp in February. While he’s not expected at this time to make the Opening Day roster, general manager Rick Hahn has admitted premier talent has a way of forcing teams to move their timelines up.

Gillaspie, 24, hit .223 with 15 homers and 62 RBis in 125 games at Triple-A last season. The White Sox acquired him from the Rays in exchange for lefty reliever Dan Jennings in July.

Basabe, 21, hit .221 with five homers, 36 RBIs, 17 stolen bases and 52 runs in 107 games at Class-A Winston-Salem. He came to Chicago as part of the Chris Sale trade with Boston last December.

Clarkin, 22, was 4-5 with a 2.60 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 86 2/3 innings at the Class-A level. He was acquired from the Yankees in a trade that sent David Robertson, and to New York in July.

Adolfo, 21, hit .264 with 16 homers, 68 RBIs and 60 runs in 112 games at Class-A Kannapolis.

Beck, 27, had a 6.40 ERA in 64 2/3 innings with the White Sox in 2017. Danish, 23, made one big league appearance for the White Sox in 2017 and otherwise spent the rest of the season at Triple-A Charlotte, where he was 4-14 with a 5.47 ERA.

The White Sox’s 40-man roster now stands at 39 players.

Cubs, White Sox announce Spring Training schedules By Staff / CBS Chicago | Nov. 20, 2017

(CBS) The Cubs and White Sox each released their 2018 spring training schedules Monday, and they’ll meet three times.

The teams will square off at the Cubs’ home of Sloan Park in Mesa on Feb. 27 and March 10. They’ll play at the White Sox’s facility of Camelback Ranch in Glendale on March 16.

The Cubs’ first Cactus League game is Feb. 23 against the Brewers in Maryvale. The White Sox open play the same day against the Dodgers in Glendale.

The Cubs are coming off a 92-win season in which they won the National League Central and lost in five games to the Dodger in the NL Championship Series. In the first year of their rebuild, the White Sox went 67-95 and missed the playoffs.

Omar Vizquel to manage White Sox’s Class-A Affiliate By Staff / CBS Chicago | Nov. 20, 2017

(CBS) Omar Vizquel has joined the White Sox organization.

Vizquel, 50, will manage Class-A Winston-Salem, the Sun-Times reported Monday. He takes over for Willie Harris, who spent one season as manager there and is leaving for a role with a different organization, according to the Sun-Times.

Vizquel is an 11-time Gold Glove winner and three-time All-Star who played 24 big league seasons, including 2010 and 2011 with the White Sox. He spent the past four seasons as the first-base coach for the Tigers, who let manager Brad Ausmus go at season’s end and replaced him with Rob Gardenhire. Vizquel interviewed for the Tigers’ managerial position.

This is his first full-time managing job. Vizquel managed the Venezuelan national team in the earlier this year.

White Sox tab Vizquel to manage Class A Winston-Salem By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | Nov. 20, 2017

Late in the 2010 season, his first of two as an aging infielder playing for the Chicago White Sox, the subject came up.

Omar Vizquel was asked if he wanted to manage when his playing days ended.

"I do," he said. "I think that's one of my goals after I retire. I want to apply all the knowledge that I have about the game. I think there are a lot of guys that play a lot of years in the big leagues that have the same feeling of wanting to have the final word to make a decision.

"To change a pitcher or make a play, and have the power to decide. A lot of us know a lot about the game, and we know how important it is to make a decision at the right time."

Vizquel played for the in 2012 before calling it a career.

He moved right into coaching, spending the 2013 season as the ' minor-league roving infield instructor. From 2014-17, Vizquel was the Detroit Tigers' first base/infield/baserunning coach.

He also managed Team Venezuela in last spring's World Baseball Classic.

While it has not been confirmed yet, the 50-year-old Vizquel is back in the White Sox's organization and he'll manage high Class A Winston-Salem next season.

With top prospects Luis Robert, Jake Burger, and Dylan Cease likely to spend time with Winston-Salem in 2018, Vizquel has a chance to make a major impact.

Vizquel replaces former Sox outfielder Willie Harris, who was 56-84 in his lone season as Winston-Salem manager.

Roster moves:

Needing to adjust the roster by Monday evening to protect qualified players from being exposed to the upcoming Rule 5 draft, the White Sox purchased the contracts of five players -- outfielders Eloy Jimenez, Micker Adolfo and Luis Basabe, infielder Casey Gillaspie and left-handed pitcher Ian Clarkin.

Jimenez is the Sox's top prospect. Acquired from the Cubs in the Jose Quintana trade, the 20-year-old outfielder batted a combined .312 with 22 doubles, 19 home runs and 65 RBI in 89 games with Class AA Birmingham and A Winston-Salem in the White Sox's system and A Myrtle Beach in the Cubs' organization.

The Sox outrighted pitchers Tyler Danish and Chris Beck to Class AAA Charlotte.

Hall-eligible:

For the first time, Jim Thome and Omar Vizquel are eligible for Hall of Fame induction. Both players spent the majority of their careers with the Cleveland Indians before joining the White Sox.

In four seasons with the Sox (2006-09), Thome batted .265 with 134 home runs and 369 RBI in 529 games. The left- handed slugger has been a special assistant to White Sox general manager Rick Hahn since midway through the 2013 season.

Vizquel played two seasons for the Sox (2010-11) and batted .268 in 166 games.

White Sox release 2018 spring training schedule By Staff / Daily Herald | Nov. 20, 2017

The Chicago White Sox will open their 2018 spring training schedule in February with two away games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and , then host their home opener Feb. 25 in Glendale, Ariz., against the Cincinnati Reds.

The White Sox will meet their crosstown rivals, the Cubs, three times in Cactus League play, with two games at Sloan Park and one in Glendale.

Single game tickets to White Sox Spring Training at Camelback Ranch-Glendale will be available in early January.

White Sox spring training schedule

All start times listed in Arizona time and still subject to change. Split squad games are denoted with an (ss).

DATE: OPPONENT, TIME, SITE

Friday, Feb. 23: L.A. Dodgers, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Saturday, Feb. 24: Seattle, 1:10 p.m., Peoria

Sunday, Feb. 25: Cincinnati, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Monday, Feb. 26: Oakland, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Tuesday, Feb. 27: Cubs, 1:05 p.m., Sloan Park

Wednesday, Feb. 28: Texas, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Thursday, March 1: Cincinnati, 1:05 p.m., Goodyear

Friday, March 2: L.A. Dodgers, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Saturday, March 3: Kansas City, 1:05 p.m., Surprise

Sunday, March 4: San Diego, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Monday, March 5: Oakland, 1:05 p.m., Hohokam

Tuesday, March 6: Milwaukee, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Wednesday, March 7: Cincinnati, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Thursday, March 8 (ss): Kansas City, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Thursday, March 8 (ss): Texas, 1:05 p.m., Surprise

Friday, March 9: San Diego, 1:10 p.m., Peoria

Saturday, March 10: Cubs, 1:05 p.m., Sloan Park

Sunday, March 11: Arizona, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Monday, March 12: Seattle, 6:40 p.m., Peoria

Wednesday, March 14: Milwaukee, 1:05 p.m., Maryvale

Thursday, March 15: L.A. Angels, 6:10 p.m., Tempe

Friday, March 16: Cubs, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Saturday, March 17: L.A. Dodgers, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Sunday, March 18: Oakland, 1:05 p.m., Hohokam

Monday, March 19: Arizona, 1:10 p.m., Salt River Fields

Tuesday, March 20: Texas, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Wednesday, March 21: San Diego, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Thursday, March 22: Arizona, 6:40 p.m., Salt River Fields

Friday, March 23: Seattle, 1:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Saturday, March 24: L.A. Dodgers, 12:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Sunday, March 25: Milwaukee, 12:05 p.m., Camelback Ranch

Monday, March 26: Charlotte (exhibition game), 5:05 p.m., BB&T Ballpark