On paper, it's a better team than last season, when the Sox finished 81-81. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow traded for lefthander Garrett Crochet to front the rotation then signed righthander Walker Buehler, a two-time All-Star who helped the Dodgers win two World Series.
But Breslow stopped there, so far failing to obtain a righthanded hitter with power to balance the lineup, something he has acknowledged is a need.
The Sox still have time to make a trade or sign a free agent, but for this exercise, we'll stick with who they actually have on the roster.
It's also important to remember the Sox will make moves with the intent of keeping as many players as possible under team control. For a player not the 40-man roster, a strong camp may not be enough. That is particularly true for relief pitchers.
With that, here is our first projection:
Rotation (6): RHP Tanner Houck, LHP Garrett Crochet, RHP Walker Buehler, RHP Brayan Bello, RHP Lucas Giolito, RHP Kutter Crawford.
The Sox are scheduled to open the season with 20 games in 21 days and 36 in the first 39. A six-man rotation makes plenty of sense given that Giolito didn't pitch last season, Buehler made 20 starts (counting the postseason) coming off surgery, and Crochet was limited to 146 innings as he transitioned to the White Sox rotation from the bullpen.
Houck, an All-Star last season, could be the Opening Day starter.
Bullpen (7): LHP Aroldis Chapman, RHP Cooper Criswell, RHP Luis Guerrero, RHP Liam Hendriks, RHP Justin Slaten, LHP Justin Wilson, RHP Josh Winckowski.
Look for the Sox to be cautious with Garrett Whitlock as he comes off elbow surgery. He's a candidate to open the season on the injured list, even if only for a minimum stay.
With a six-man rotation, Criswell is needed as a multi-inning reliever.
Hendriks is the favorite to close, but he has to earn it in camp. If not, the job could fall to Slaten. Guerrero made a rapid rise in the organization after being selected in the 17th round of the 2021 draft out of a junior college. He struck out 79 in 54⅓ innings for Triple A Worcester last season.
If not Guerrero, Zack Kelly and Greg Weissert are good candidates to break camp with the team. That Breslow signed Chapman and Wilson doesn't bode well for lefties Brennan Bernardino and Zach Penrod.
The cast of characters invited to camp as non-roster pitchers includes 31-year-old major league veteran Michael Fulmer, perennial underachieving prospect Bryan Mata, well-traveled Robert Stock, and former Middleboro High lefty Sean Newcomb.
Infielders (5): 2B Kristian Campbell, 1B Triston Casas, 3B Rafael Devers, 2B-SS David Hamilton, SS Trevor Story.
Here's where it gets complicated. The Sox have not had a regular second baseman since Story had the job in 2022. Campbell represents a chance to finally fill that void.
Campbell has the ability to play other positions, but for the sake of defensive continuity, they need to establish somebody at second base.
This is a huge spring training for Vaughn Grissom, who played only 31 games and hit .190 last season after being acquired for Chris Sale. But he would not be as valuable off the bench as Hamilton, who stole 33 bases last season.
Outfielders (4): Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Rob Refsnyder.
An outfield of Duran, Rafaela, and Abreu would save a lot of runs. Abreu won a Gold Glove last season and Duran was a finalist in center field.
You could make a good case that Rafaela is the best defender in the group, but he played only 631⅓ innings in center field because the Sox also needed him to play shortstop. That shouldn't be a problem this season.
Where's Roman Anthony, you ask? The 20-year-old top prospect would have to show he is ready to play every day to make the team. Having him come off the bench wouldn't make sense in his development. He could start the season in the minors and force his way into the mix by the trade deadline, if not before.
Yoshida does not want to DH, but there's no room for him in the outfield. He has been an above-average hitter over two seasons -- he has a 111 adjusted OPS (100 is league average) in 248 games -- and perhaps his power will return after shoulder surgery.
With three years and $55.8 million remaining on his contract, the Sox would seem to have little choice but to give Yoshida a chance.
Catchers (2): Connor Wong, Carlos Narváez.
Catching is an organizational weakness after Kyle Teel was included in the trade for Crochet.
Wong has been roughly a league-average hitter for two seasons since taking over for Christian Vázquez. His blocking and framing skills are below average, according to public metrics, which is partially a product of working with a dizzying array of starting pitchers.
The Sox had coaches working with Wong this winter and believe there will be improvement. Narváez, who was acquired from the Yankees, is a stout defender who hit well in Triple A.
Seby Zavala also will be in camp. He has 194 games of major league experience with three teams.
Utility (1): 1B-SS-2B-3B-OF Romy Gonzalez.
He started games at five positions and played at two others last season. That Gonzalez hits righthanded with occasional pop also is a plus for this team.