CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- As they seek to reach the playoffs in a unique 60-game season, the White Sox may turn to some promising youngsters who aren't yet at the big league level to be contributors.
Chicago added 16 more individuals to its 60-person player pool Tuesday, sending 12 pitchers and four position players to Schaumburg to form its taxi squad. Afterward, White Sox director of player development Chris Getz spoke about that group and other top prospects who are already in big league camp at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Headlining the White Sox's next wave are their three most recent first-round draft picks: infielder Nick Madrigal (2018), first baseman Andrew Vaughn (2019) and left-hander Garrett Crochet (2020).
Madrigal and Vaughn are working in the White Sox's big league camp, and it's the 23-year-old Madrigal who's closest to making his presence felt on the club this season.
"We have been really happy with how Madrigal arrived in Chicago," Getz said. "Here recently when we got into intrasquad games, he has been putting together quality at-bats and making all of the plays on defense. There is certainly a benefit of having him here in a major league stadium for the first time. Playing against top competition is certainly a benefit. He is not too far from helping our major league club."
The expectation had been that Madrigal would open the season at Triple-A Charlotte before the coronavirus outbreak hit. Now, it's likely that he starts on the taxi squad and then joins the White Sox.
"He has skills that you need on a winning ballclub," Getz said. "We are very encouraged by what we are seeing from him. at the plate."
The cancellation of the minor league season has created a challenge on the player development front.
"We typically know that our players will get X amount of at-bats or pitches that they can throw somewhere," Getz said. "We have to simulate that at a taxi site. This is certainly uncharted, but we do our best to prepare our players to do so. For our players, the development never stops. Adjustment needs to be made at all levels. We will make those adjustments."
The 21-year-old Crochet, whom the White Sox drafted out of Tennessee at No. 11 overall in the amateur draft in June, was included on the 16-player taxi squad and could be a surprise addition to the big league team's bullpen later this season.
"When we put together the 60-man player pool, we wanted to be sure we had proper depth," Getz said. "This was done this year to help our major league club. We want to see how players are reacting to things that are happening in our world right now. We are also seeing how they respond to a quicker ramp-up for a season. The majority of those candidates on the taxi squad were put together to help our major league club if the need arises."
With Crochet, the White Sox plan to "build him up appropriately," Getz said.
"We also want to get him comfortable being a White Sox player," Getz said. "We will start him with one inning and tack on two innings. We want to help him with some pitch development things with Garrett. He does have major league quality stuff."
Getz left the door open for Crochet to join the White Sox's bullpen later in the season.
"In an environment like this, it's tough to rule anything out," he said. "Garrett is a talented player, but the focus here is to get his foot in the door and get him around our guys. But with talented players like him, I hesitate to rule that out."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
