WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF JANUARY 11, 2018 “White Sox add infielder Rondon from Padres”… Oliver Macklin, MLB.com “Which White Sox prospects will be in Chicago in 2018?” … Tony Andracki, NBC Sports Chicago “White Sox biggest roster mystery for Opening Day: Who will round out the starting rotation?”…Vinnie Duber, NBC Sports Chicago “White Sox add minor league infielder Jose Rondon in trade with Padres”…Vinnie Duber, NBC Sports Chicago “Meet the Prospects: ”…Vinnie Duber, NBC Sports “The White Sox need another starter, and other observations of their pitching depth”…James Fegan, The Athletic “White Sox fill out 40-man with addition of former top prospect”…James Fegan, The Athletic “White Sox acquire minor-league infielder Jose Rondon from Padres”…Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune “White Sox acquire shortstop José Rondón from Padres organization”…Madeline Kenney, Chicago Sun- Times White Sox add infielder Rondon from Padres By Oliver Macklin/ MLB.com/ Jan. 10, 2018

The White Sox acquired infielder Jose Rondon from the Padres in exchange for cash considerations, the club announced Wednesday.

Rondon batted .293/.343/.433 with four home runs and 28 RBIs in 51 games for Double-A San Antonio last season before hitting .282/.330/.412 with one homer and 14 RBIs in 22 games for Triple-A El Paso.

San Diego designated the 23-year-old for assignment on Saturday.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Rondon is a career .290/.340/.395 hitter over seven Minor League seasons. He was a All-Star in 2016 and played eight games at the Major League level that year. He also represented the World Team at the 2014 All-Star Futures Game.

The White Sox 40-man roster is now full. Which White Sox prospects will be in Chicago in 2018? By Tony Andracki /NBC Sports Chicago/ Jan. 10, 2018

When the White Sox break camp in a little under three months, how many prospects will be in tow?

What about as the 2018 season progresses?

Chuck Garfien and Chris Kamka believe eight White Sox prospects are destined to hit Chicago in the coming season, though not all at once:

Thyago Vieira and Charlie Tilson may make the big-league team out of and and Ryan Cordell may not be far behind. But what about ? Eloy Jimenez? ? ? White Sox biggest roster mystery for Opening Day: Who will round out the starting rotation? By Vinnie Duber,/NBC Sports Chicago/ Jan. 10, 2018

While projecting the White Sox 2020 roster has become a favorite pastime of South Side fans, finalizing the 2018 roster is a much different exercise. Most of that group is somewhat locked into place as carryovers from 2017. Welington Castillo, the lone position player added so far this offseason, figures to have brought the everyday lineup into focus, joining

Jose Abreu, , and Yolmer Sanchez on the infield. The outfield looks to shake out like this: Avisail Garcia in right field, Leury Garcia in center field and Nicky Delmonico seeming likely to get the first crack in left field.

Rick Hahn has already added four guys to the mix out in the bullpen: Joakim Soria, Luis Avilan, Thyago Vieira and Jose Ruiz. They’ll join the likes of , Danny Farquhar, , Gregory Infante, Nate Jones and Juan Minaya in competing for those relief spots.

Three starting-rotation spots seem set with James Shields, and Reynaldo Lopez all back from last season. And Hahn said at the Winter Meetings that pending any further additions would likely be a part of that five-man unit, as well. With Carlos Rodon’s health status up in the air, however, that last spot in the starting rotation is a bit of a mystery.

So here are five guys who might round out the starting rotation:

Carlos Rodon

As referenced, Rodon's return date is unknown at this point as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery. According to Hahn both in September and last month at the Winter Meetings, Rodon might be ready by Opening Day or he might not be ready until June. It's yet to be determined when he'll be back on a big league mound.

If Rodon can recover in time for the season-opener, great. The fifth-starter mystery is solved. Not only would that best-case scenario go a long way in alleviating some of the long-term questions about Rodon's health — it’d be much better optically than a second straight year of missing the first two months of the season — but it would give the White Sox the top-of-the-rotation they think Rodon can be from Day 1 of the season.

Rodon showed flashes of brilliance when healthy last season. He recorded double-digit in three of his 12 starts, including an 11- performance in four innings against the Cubs. And coming off of that game, he posted a 3.00 ERA over his final seven starts before getting shut down with the injury.

But that injury also has the potential to keep him out well into the season. He made his 2017 debut on June 28, and it seems that could repeat itself in 2018. If he’s healthy, he’ll 100-percent be a part of the rotation. But at this point, Rodon being healthy by the start of the season is anything but 100 percent.

Michael Kopech

While the White Sox will likely let Kopech continue to develop at Triple-A Charlotte to start 2018, what if the guy who was baseball’s top pitching prospect at one point last season blows the competition away in spring training? Can he crack the 25-man roster out of camp?

Such a performance wouldn’t necessarily be surprising after the jaw-dropping numbers he put up in the minors last season. In 22 starts with Double-A Birmingham, Kopech turned in a 2.87 ERA and struck out 155 hitters in 119.1 innings of work. He jumped up to Charlotte at season’s end and struck out 17 guys in three starts there.

Though Hahn & Co. surely have a plan in place for Kopech, it’s well within the realm of possibility that the guy who shattered that plan for 2017 could do so again in 2018, have a dynamite spring and make the team.

Heck, it doesn’t sound at all crazy to suggest that Kopech could right now be the best pitcher at any level in the White Sox organization. So why not give him a shot? The answer, of course, is that there’s no rush — both from developmental and financial standpoints. But if he’s good enough, he could force the White Sox to change their timeline, as he's done already since joining the team last winter.

Dylan Covey

The internal options get a little less exciting from here. Covey was not great last season. He posted a 7.71 ERA over his 70 big league innings, obviously not what he and the White Sox wanted in his first year in the majors.

Covey started in 12 of his 18 appearances, but his numbers weren’t drastically different as a starter and a reliever: 7.76 ERA as a starter, 8.04 ERA as a reliever.

Thing is, there's not much else to choose from on the active roster, and if the White Sox head to Glendale with what they've got — and decide to keep Kopech in the minors and Rodon's not healthy yet — Covey seems to be a logical option.

That being said, he might have shown all he can show at this point. In his last four starts of 2017, he was repeatedly tagged for runs by opposing lineups, combining to give up 16 runs in 21 innings for a 6.86 ERA. Even if the White Sox are planning on the bulk of their future rotation to still be developing in the minors this season, performances like that — seen far too often from the likes of Derek Holland and Mike Pelfrey last year — will have damaging effects on the rest of the pitching staff, impacting the bullpen safety net for guys like Giolito and Lopez, who still have some developing to do at the major league level.

Someone else

This seems to be the likeliest option.

The free-agent market has been ridiculously, unbelievably slow this winter, meaning there's been little indication of which guys will be available for the White Sox come the later stages of the offseason. But signing a veteran starting pitcher with the option to trade him later in the season makes too much sense for a rebuilding team like the White Sox. They tried it last year with Holland and Pelfrey, and their performances made midseason trades impossible. Remember, though, that the White Sox did flip Miguel Gonzalez, a move they could make with a veteran starter sometime this summer if everything pans out.

Obviously, with so few free agents signed across baseball, there are tons of options. During the Winter Meetings, I made up a list of 15 guys who fit the bill. Well, only two of those guys, Jhoulys Chacin and Yovani Gallardo, have signed since. That leaves Clay Buchholz, Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, Scott Feldman, Jaime Garcia, the aforementioned Gonzalez, John Lackey, Francisco Liriano, Ricky Nolasco, Anibal Sanchez, Hector Santiago, Chris Tillman and Jason Vargas all available, not to mention plenty of others not on that list.

Like they did with Holland and Pelfrey in 2017, the White Sox could sign a couple veterans, bring them to spring training and insert them into the rotation. The best-case scenario is a strong few months that makes the veteran an attractive trade candidate and could fetch Hahn another piece or two the further the rebuild. The middle-case scenario is the veteran eats up innings, keeping the bullpen healthy enough to support still-developing like Giolito and Lopez. The worst-case scenario is the veteran pitches like Holland and Pelfrey did last season but does so during a campaign in which the White Sox aren't expected to compete for a championship, keeping the seat warm for one of the many young arms developing in the minor leagues.

Again, going that route seems to make too much sense for the White Sox not to do it. But the winter freeze on the hot stove needs to thaw before we find out who that veteran starter is.

White Sox add minor league infielder Jose Rondon in trade with Padres By Vinnie Duber,/NBC Sports Chicago/ Jan. 10, 2018

The White Sox made another trade Wednesday, adding a minor league infielder to bring the 40-man roster to, well, 40.

Jose Rondon is the newest member of the White Sox after the South Siders shipped cash considerations to the San Diego Padres. Rondon, who was designated for assignment earlier this month, split time between Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso in the Padres' system last season.

In 78 games total in the minors last year, Rondon slashed .293/.347/.442 with seven homers and 49 RBIs. He also hit 20 doubles and walked 26 times compared to 62 strikeouts.

Rondon played second base, shortstop and third base in the minors last season.

He has been up to the bigs before, playing in eight games with the Padres in 2016. He got 26 plate appearances in that handful of games, getting three hits.

A native of Venezuela, Rondon was the Rookie of the Year and played in the Futures Game in 2014, and he was named a Texas League All Star in 2016.

Meet the Prospects: Jake Burger By Vinnie Duber,/NBC Sports Chicago/ Jan. 10, 2018

Burger, the 21-year-old third baseman, was the White Sox first-round draft pick last year.

A Missouri native, Burger was selected with the No. 11 pick out of Missouri State.

Burger played in a total of 51 minor league games after being drafted last summer, with 47 of those coming at Kannapolis. During his time with the Intimidators, he slashed .271/.335/.409 with nine doubles, four home runs, 27 RBIs and 13 walks compared to 28 strikeouts.

And it looks like Burger is doing work this winter to get ready for the 2018 season.

As of their most recent rankings, MLB Pipeline had Burger rated as the No. 10 prospect in the White Sox organization

The White Sox need another starter, and other observations of their pitching depth By James Fegan/The Athletic/ Jan. 11, 2018

Last year, the White Sox used 31 different pitchers — including an inning from Rob Brantly. Thirteen of those 31 were starters. This total was seemingly inflated by trading away seven members of the pitching staff, yet the Sox only clocked in slightly above the average of 28 pitchers used by American League teams in 2017. Seattle using 40 pitchers would be beyond comprehension…if I hadn't watched two series of Mariners pitching in 2017.

The White Sox could probably cut down on the number of starters used by not trading two of them midseason (they likely won't trade more than…two, again), or by having fewer starters who are placeholders for the inevitable promotion of prospects. As it stands, this would be their preferred Opening Day five, in absolutely no particular order:

Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, James Shields, Carson Fulmer

Shading optimistic toward Rodon being back by Opening Day rather than June is fine, but as an organizational plan, it's reckless. Consider the list of prospects the Sox have who could figure to eat up some starts in 2018:

Michael Kopech, Spencer Adams, Jordan Stephens, Dylan Covey, Tyler Danish, Jordan Guerrero, Alec Hansen,

Of that list, there are possibly three names that would be worth considering starting the season in the majors in 2018. Kopech certainly has the capability to dominate in spring and look very worthy of a job, but beyond service time reasons, could use refinement in his command, his two-seam fastball and his changeup in Charlotte. Danish will be repeating Triple-A and could certainly push his name up with a strong spring of his own, but doubts linger after a difficult 2017. Covey offers the most major league experience, but given that he recorded one quality start in 12 attempts, most of that experience signaled strongly that he would better off figuring out his plan of attack in the minors if not for the constraints of the Rule 5 draft. Or in the bullpen, where he has real potential to be good, but we'll that for when the Sox decide to go down that route.

Because of the status of those three, because of Rodon, and because the idea of Fulmer as someone worth even trying to stick in the 2018 rotation is a concept that only emerged in September, the Sox need another starter. But striking a balance between someone who will reliably eat innings so that the strain to go deep into games isn't pushed on a young rotation, and someone who can be pushed out of the rotation to make way for Rodon and Kopech, is difficult.

The White Sox have no reason to rush Michael Kopech to the majors, despite a potential hole in the starting rotation. (USA TODAY Sports photo) Rick Hahn sounded very comfortable waiting out a slow free agent market at the winter meetings. It's a role that is all about short-term functionality and not at all about long-term usefulness. So the prospect of a veteran getting antsy about not knowing which camp they're driving to next month and accepting less than the $6 million the Sox signed Derek Holland last year, or the Tigers committed to Mike Fiers this year, has to be appealing. Cash considerations don't grow on trees, after all.

“It’s certainly been an offseason where things have moved a little more slowly it seems then in recent years,” Hahn said last week. “So, while normally as we sit some six weeks from spring training, you would be more in the mode of potentially filling out a roster, I think given the slower pace of this offseason, you certainly can’t rule out any other larger deals as the next few weeks unfold.”

The Sox bullpen doesn't have the same, immediate exciting potential of their rotation — mostly because Zack Burdi is hurt — but looks more ready to start a season right now with their top seven guys:

Nate Jones, Joakim Soria, Juan Minaya, Gregory Infante, Luis Avilan, Aaron Bummer, Danny Farquhar

As imposing as a healthy Nate Jones is, I would hold off on penciling in a guy who hasn't pitched since April to assume the top dog role in the bullpen. But Hahn didn't hesitate to mention him when asked if Soria might have a claim to the closer job. “We are expecting Nate to be back healthy as well,” Hahn said. “Obviously Juan Minaya did a nice job in the limited opportunities he got to close. Any time you can add more additional late inning options, guys who are used to pitching in high leverage situations, it can only make the choices that the manager has stronger and make his job a little bit easier over the course of the summer.”

Of this group, Minaya, Farquhar and Bummer had the worst 2017 statistics, but Minaya's loud stuff and big strikeout numbers got him closer opportunities last summer, and Farquhar is a reliable veteran on a guaranteed deal. That leaves Bummer and his many remaining minor league options as the most likely victim if the Sox become enamored with T.J. House, or another minor league free agent they've thrown — or will throw — into the mix…

Thyago Vieira, T.J. House, Jace Fry, Brian Clark, Zack Burdi, Rob Scahill, Matt Tomshaw, Connor Walsh, Michael Ynoa, Chris Beck, Brad Goldberg, , Ian Hamilton, Thad Lowry, Jose Ruiz, Robinson Leyer, anyone whose stuff takes a leap and throws 30 dominant innings

The Sox also used 21 relievers in 2017. Tommy Kahnle got the first call-up on April 6 last year, and the Charlotte-to-Chicago stream stayed steady from then until October. This second group will probably get very familiar, very quickly.

Vieira is already on the 40-man, made his major league debut last season and is seen as many as a sleeper to make the team or have a shot at a late-inning role in the near future. As is anyone who routinely sits triple digits, he's intriguing, but he really needs to have a major step forward with a breaking pitch before any of that comes to fruition. Fry struggled mightily in the majors last year but also fits the bill for an early promotion if needed. Aside from Burdi, who is a mystery until he's pitching in games again, Burr and Hamilton would be my picks for prospects who follow the Bummer path and shoot through the system and make their debut by dominating.

Overall, it's a relief group they could go to Glendale with and be fine, but probably shouldn't be satisfied with. Their first seven guys are all deserving, but it's light on proven studs, and guys who are out of options, so the Sox have every reason to keep stacking candidates to be the next .

The White Sox 40-man roster is now full. White Sox fill out 40-man with addition of former top prospect By James Fegan /The Athletic / Jan. 10, 2018

Six days ago, the White Sox traded a utility infielder — Jake Peter — who probably couldn't be relied upon to cover shortstop, but might be able to hit a little bit, and got two relievers in the process.

On Wednesday, they traded for a utility infielder who can definitely play shortstop, but probably can't be relied upon for offensive impact. Life is an incredible cycle.

Four days before that, Jose Rondon was designated for assignment by the Padres, setting this whole crazy series of events in motion. Now, in exchange for the eternal “cash considerations,” the White Sox have filled the last open spot on their 40-man roster by trading for Rondon.

Before the 2016 season, Rondon was a consensus top-10 prospect in the Padres farm system. His smooth actions and soft hands on defense provided assurance he would stick at shortstop for the long haul, and many claim he was the reason San Diego was willing to part with in a trade they probably grew to regret before Rondon's prospect shine began to dim.

As much as citing the high-water mark of the 23-year-old Rondon's upside and potential is probably overstating the level of excitement this trade brings, stating that Rondon has a career major league batting line of .120/.154/.120 is probably overstating his offensive struggles. After getting that bitter cup of coffee in 2016, Rondon hit a combined .293/.347/.442 in 78 games across Double and Triple-A in the Padres system last year. The meager 17.9 percent strikeout rate he posted last season was the highest of his career, and his bat-to-ball skills have earned him interest throughout his ascent through the minors, even if it was always apparent that his swing and frame were not geared for much power.

Yet the Padres traded Rondon because they were on the verge of releasing him, and they were going to release him because they needed room for newly signed reliever Craig Stammen — the Padres aren't exactly expected to be engaged in a lot of bullpenning this postseason. San Diego is not in a position where it would be giving up on Rondon if it expected him to compete with Tim Anderson for playing time, or even push Yolmer Sanchez, Tyler Saladino or Leury Garcia for a roster spot.

Jose Rondon appeared in eight games for the Padres in 2016, his only MLB experience. (Andy Hayt/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) Rondon's is likely best fit to start at shortstop for the Triple-A and see whether he can develop the plate approach that has eluded him while he was dealing with hamstring issues last season and a fractured elbow in 2015. He has a minor league option left to allow that to happen, and he's young enough for some offensive maturation to still take place. A lack of power tends to become a bigger issue in the majors with pitchers who can exploit it when there's not punishment waiting for them in the strike zone. Omar Narvaez gets by, but Rondon doesn't have the elite batting eye to compensate with, so there's only so much upside, even if a 90 wRC+ is just fine for a solid glove man at short.

“Competent but not super rangy shortstop defense” doesn't leap off the page of a scouting report like slugging over .500 in Triple-A does, so you can be forgiven for finding Peter a bit more interesting than Rondon. Yet he's probably a better fit for the Sox system at this point, especially considering the Sox aren't well-equipped to find major league opportunities for either one.

In the meantime, the Sox got those two relievers. They have to pay those relievers, and they sent cash considerations to the Padres, but that's about the only value the White Sox have lost this offseason. White Sox acquire minor-league infielder Jose Rondon from Padres By Chris Kuc /Chicago Tribune/ Jan. 10, 2018

General manager Rick Hahn continued to shape the White Sox’s 40-man roster, acquiring minor-league infielder Jose Rondon from the Padres on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations.

Rondon, 23, hit a combined .293 with 20 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 49 RBIs and 44 runs scored last season between Double-A San Antonio, Triple-A El Paso and the Arizona Leaguelast season. The Padres designated him for assignment Saturday.

Rondon should provide infield depth at Triple-A Charlotte following last week’s trade of second baseman Jake Peter to the Dodgers as part of the deal that brought relievers Joakim Soria and Luis Avilan to the Sox from the Royals.

Rondon is a career .290 hitter over parts of seven minor-league seasons and was a Texas League All- Star in 2016. He made his major-league debut with the Padres in 2016, going 3-for-25 over eight games.

The Villa de Cura, Venezuela, native originally signed with the Angels as a free agent Jan. 13, 2011, before he was traded to the Padres on July 18, 2014, as part of a six-player deal that included pitcher Huston Street.

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

In the meantime, the Sox got those two relievers. They have to pay those relievers, and they sent cash considerations to the Padres, but that's about the only value the White Sox have lost this offseason. White Sox acquire shortstop José Rondón from Padres organization By Madeline Kenney /Chicago Sun-Times/ Jan. 10, 2018 The White Sox announced Wednesday that they have acquired minor-league shortstop José Rondón from the Padres in exchange for cash considerations. The Padres previously designated Rondón for assignment on Saturday.

Rondón adds organizational depth a shortstop for the Sox, who last week traded Class AAA infielder Jake Peter in a three-team trade to acquire relief pitchers Joakim Soria and Luis Avilan.

Rondón, a native of Villa de Cura, Venezuela, combined to hit .293/.347/.442 (93-317) with 20 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 49 RBI and 44 runs scored last season between Class AA San Antonio, Class AAA El Paso and the Arizona League Padres. He’s a career .290 hitter over his seven minor- league seasons.

Rondón played eight games in the major league in 2016. He went 3-25 (.120) with the Padres.