White Sox Make Head Scratching Move On Opening Day Eve
This Spring Training was a bit different for the White Sox, as they had more set in stone going into February than the past few seasons. This led to less of a chance to make the squad for the non-roster invitees, but there were still some pretty intriguing names that were fighting for the last few spots.
Now, as we sit just one day before the White Sox open the season in Milwaukee against the Brewers, they announced their Opening Day roster.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 25, 2026
As you can see above, this is a much improved roster, as there are a ton of intriguing young players, specifically in the lineup. The White Sox have not been able to say that for a quite a long time. However, it was the players that didn’t make the roster that caught the attention of most White Sox fans.
It was reported a few days ago that Korey Lee wasn’t going to break camp with the team, so seeing him get DFA’d wasn’t surprising. However, seeing Curtis Mead get DFA’d was quite shocking.
This is kind of out of the blue, as Mead was the headliner in the Adrian Houser trade at last year’s trading deadline. This was due to the fact that he was a former top-100 prospect. Mead started out in AAA with the Charlotte Knights after the trade, but quickly made his way up to Chicago to make his debut for the White Sox.
Mead had a strong month of August for the White Sox, as he hit .258 with a .312 on-base percentage. He added seven RBIs and one stolen base. This was a solid start for him, as he hadn’t had much consistent playing time in the major leagues.
Mead continued his nice start into the first week of September, as he had nine hits over the first five games. Unfortunately, Mead hit a cold streak, as he only had six more hits from September 6th to September 28th. This tanked his average, as it fell to .220 in the month of September. However, Mead flashed his ability to be a productive major league player.
Mead had an alright Spring Training, as he hit .233 with a .258 OBP over 10 games, adding two homeruns, two doubles, and four RBIs. He struck out seven times compared to just one walk. However, Mead was productive in the World Baseball Classic, as he hit .357 with a homerun in four games.
AUS-SEE YA!
CURTIS MEAD TAKES THE LEAD FOR AUSTRALIA WITH A 3-RUN HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/cZXaxA4W8q
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 6, 2026
It is really surprising to see the White Sox cut ties with Mead so quickly, as he hasn’t gotten much of a chance to establish himself in the major leagues. Additionally, with his prospect pedigree, I would have liked for him to get more run with consistent at-bats.
Now, the White Sox will look for a trade partner, but if they can’t, any team can claim him on waivers. I would imagine teams would have some interest in trading for him, as there could be a few teams interested in letting him play everyday. If nobody trades for him, he will for sure be claimed on waivers.
This move is shocking for a lot of reasons, but when they chose to carry six outfielders, two of which were not originally projected to make the roster, it is even more head scratching. Hopefully the White Sox can find a way to keep him, as Mead could be a very good major league hitter. Otherwise, this seems like it could come back to haunt the White Sox.