With free agency set to open Monday and every club having to trim its roster to 40, the White Sox made a few notable moves as they worked through the crunch.
Chicago claimed infielder Graham Pauley off waivers from the Miami Marlins, then cleared space by outrighting left-hander Ky Bush and outfielder Junior Pérez to Triple-A. That leaves the White Sox with 39 players on the 40-man roster.
Pauley brings some infield flexibility to the mix. A 13th-round pick by the San Diego Padres in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Duke University, he reached the majors with San Diego in 2024 but saw limited action before landing in Miami in a trade that sent Jay Beshears, Adam Mazur, and Robby Snelling to the Marlins for Bryan Hoeing and Tanner Scott.
He crossed rookie limits in 2025 and hit .224/.311/.366 with four home runs and 11 runs driven in over 62 games. In 62 games in 2026, he posted a .211/.257/.373 line with four home runs and 25 runs driven in.
The White Sox have used Pauley at third base, first base, and second base, though third is his primary spot. He has started 94 career games there.
The move could simply be about adding another infield option for camp, but it also raises the possibility that utilityman Brooks Baldwin is still working back from internal brace surgery. Chicago had plenty to like in 2026, but it also lacked a clear utility presence on the bench.
Pauley now gets a shot to show he can fill that role.
Bush’s path has been much more complicated. The Angels took him in the second round in 2021, and Chicago acquired him with catcher Edgar Quero in the 2023 deal that sent Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López to Los Angeles.
Once viewed as a top prospect, Bush debuted in 2024 and started four games for the White Sox before Tommy John surgery ended his season. He then missed all of 2025 and 2026.
The roster move appears to be procedural, opening another 40-man spot, and Bush is expected to be in spring training competing for a place on the club.
Pérez, meanwhile, came to Chicago from the A’s and made his big league debut in 2026. In 22 games, he hit .171/.194/.429 with three home runs. He should also get a spring training invitation, though cracking the roster looks like a tough ask with the White Sox’s depth in the outfield.
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