Roster Watch: Spring Injury Complicates Things For This Outfielder

This Spring Training is a bit different from the last few years, as there is a bit more set in stone on the 26-man roster. However, there are certainly still some key positional battles. For the first time in what seems like a very long time, there aren’t roster battles at practically every position, as the White Sox likely have their starting lineup locked up. However, there are still a few backup spots in the infield and outfield up for grabs, as well as a few spots in the bullpen.

As we get closer to the regular season, we will look at each fringe roster player and their chances to make the team out of Spring Training. The next player we will take a look at is outfielder Everson Pereira. Pereira, like Tanner Murray, was acquired in a November trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. In that trade, the White Sox sent Steven Wilson and Yoendrys Gomez to the Rays.

Pereira is a former top-100 prospect in all of baseball, as he had a ton of hype in the Yankees organization just a few years ago. Unfortunately for him, he hasn’t been that productive in his limited major league experience. In total, he’s only played in 50 games, getting 158 major league at-bats.

He made his debut with the New York Yankees in 2023, hitting .151 in 93 at-bats. He did not appear in a major league game in 2024, but played with the Tampa Bay Rays for 23 games in 2025. That season he hit .138, adding two home runs, eight RBIs, and two stolen bases. This wasn’t exactly what the Rays wanted to see out of Pereira.

However, he’s been very productive in the minor leagues in his career. Just last year, he hit .256 with 21 home runs and 57 RBIs in just 78 games in AAA. Those are impressive power numbers in a limited amount of action. Pereira has impressive power, which is why he was such a highly regarded prospect. That has yet to translate to the major leagues, but he is only 24 with 50 games of major league experience under his belt.

That is the main reason why the White Sox went out and acquired him this off-season, as they clearly think that they can tap into his power potential. However, Pereira is out of options, so he has to make the team out of Spring Training, or the White Sox are subject to losing him on waivers.

That shouldn’t be an issue, but Pereira has been dealing with a slight injury that has prevented him from getting in any games in Spring Training to this point. This is not ideal, as he likely needed to show some ability to break camp with the team. However, since Chris Getz made the conscious effort of acquiring him in a trade, I’d give him a leg up over the other outfielders. At this point, assuming he plays in at some point, I’d give it about a 95% chance that he makes a roster based on the fact he has no minor league options.

I think Pereira has a ton of talent and I loved the White Sox taking a chance on him. However, if he is injured, he won’t be able to prove why he should make the team. Pereira has a ton of potential, and hopefully the White Sox can unlock it with consistent at-bats this season.