The White Sox struggled to piece together a competitive outfield amid a 62-100 season in 2018. Several of those players will get a chance to earn a place moving forward, though with nothing guaranteed.
Daniel Palka, Adam Engel, Nicky Delmonico and Leury Garcia will all be part of the outfield mix this season. Palka made a strong impression with 27 home runs as a rookie in 2018, though he struggled in the on-base department at .294. He will likely see time as the designated hitter in addition to corner outfield duties. Engel was a Gold Glove finalist in center field but posted a slash line of .235/.279/.336.
Delmonico missed much of 2018 with a fracture in his right hand. He took a major step back, hitting .215 with a .669 OPS and posting a -0.3 WAR, per Fangraphs. Garcia has been a solid utility player for the White Sox and should see time as an infield and outfield reserve.
The White Sox are preparing for another highly anticipated big league debut in the form of 22-year-old Eloy Jimenez, the No. 3-ranked prospect by MLB.com whose arrival in Chicago could come sometime in the latter half of April. Service time consideration is the only reason he hasn't already reached the big leagues.
Jimenez had 22 home runs, 75 RBIs and a slash line of .337/.384/.577 in time split between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte in 2018. He was acquired by the White Sox as key return in the 2017 trade with the Cubs that sent left-hander Jose Quintana from the South Side to the North Side.
The White Sox also added a veteran piece by signing Jon Jay, who turns 34 in March. He has hit .285 with a .352 on-base percentage in his career and played with Kansas City and Arizona last season. Jay is capable of playing all three outfield positions and can fill any role the White Sox need.
Gone is veteran outfielder Avisail Garcia, who was non-tendered by the White Sox this offseason before being signed by the Rays.
With a handful of options in play, the regular makeup of the White Sox outfield is unclear as spring training nears.
Center field should be Engel's to open the season, though he needs to vastly improve at the plate in order to stick with the White Sox for the long term. He does bring elite defensive skills.
The presence of Jay provides the White Sox with an everyday option in center field should Engel falter. Early on, Jay figures to to play at a corner outfield spot a fair deal as Jimenez waits for his service time clock to tick to midnight. Jay primarily played right field in 2018 after spending most of his time in left field and center field earlier in his career.
Palka and Delmonico will be in the corner outfield rotation with Jay as well. Palka and Delmonico are somewhat redundant -- both are left-handed hitters who were below-average defensive players last season, per Fangraphs. Palka needs to prove himself as a more consistent on-base threat in order to stick as an everyday presence.
Jimenez will play nearly every day once he arrives. Leury Garcia will continue to be the utility man whom manager Rick Renteria has come to appreciate.
With prospects like Jimenez, Luis Robert, Blake Rutherford, Luis Alexander Basabe and Micker Adolfo still rising through the system, time is running out for the White Sox outfielders at the big league level to prove they fit in the rebuild. Avisail Garcia already ran out of time after receiving plenty of opportunity and doing little with it.
This season will be pivotal for Palka, Delmonico and Engel. Each must elevate his game -- specifically at the plate -- in order to secure a long-term role.
Jay's addition to the outfield mix signaled the team's aspiration to compete at a higher level. Jimenez's debut be the next step -- and also push a teammate into a minimal role or out of the picture.
The White Sox have been playing for their future, but that soon will be the present. It's time to see what's in this outfield.