PEORIA, Ariz. — Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable likes the way shortstop prospect Colson Montgomery carried himself in big-league camp.
“He’s got a really good head on his shoulder,” Venable said Tuesday at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz. “He looks like a big-leaguer, he walks like a big-leaguer, he talks the talk. You get the sense that he’s a really good player, and we expect him to be that.”
Montgomery’s development will continue in the minors after the Sox optioned their 2021 first-round pick to Triple-A Charlotte.
“He’s a very mature kid and he handled (the move) like a pro,” general manager Chris Getz said. “We explained to him how important he is to this organization and the future of the White Sox. Through that, you make decisions like this in the best interest of Colson and certainly the Chicago White Sox.
“But most importantly, we want the front end of the year to be one that (he) goes out there and (is) just really productive, lock in what he’s working on.”
Montgomery, 23, spent 2024 with the Knights. He set career highs in games (130), hits (104), doubles (21), home runs (18), RBIs (63), runs (66) and walks (69), but his .214 batting average, .329 on-base percentage and .710 OPS were the lowest of his career. He also had a career-high 164 strikeouts.
He performed well down the stretch last season and during the Arizona Fall League and entered spring training vying for a spot on the 26-man roster. Montgomery is 1-for-9 with one home run and two RBIs in four Cactus League games, missing time with back spasms.
“He had a hiccup in camp with health that made spring training a little less smooth than he would have liked,” Getz said. “However, I know he’s working hard. I was very impressed with his defense. He was great with the routine play.
“And now he’s going to go down to the minor leagues. Minor-league camp is in full go, they are starting to play. He can get consistent at-bats. And I look forward to watching the rest of spring play out for him, and I think we all know that he will be in Chicago before we know it.”
Montgomery was scratched before a Feb. 27 game because of the back spasms and returned to the lineup Sunday.
“We also were very conservative on it,” Getz said of the recovery process. “We wanted to make sure that it wasn’t something that was going to linger. And most importantly he’s really healthy and ready to go right now.”
Venable described the time out of the lineup as a “speed bump” for Montgomery.
“Ultimately it remains the same that to be able to get him the at-bats he needs and the good start we want him to have, doing it in Triple A is the best way to go about it,” Venable said.
As for which direction the Sox will go at shortstop, Getz said they have “a handful of options.”
“We’ve got Chase Meidroth, Jacob Amaya (who is day to day with left hip tightness), (Josh) Rojas over there a little bit,” Getz said. “We feel like we have a very versatile group that can handle multiple positions, including shortstop. Look forward to seeing how it plays out the rest of the way.”
Asked what the Sox are looking for in a shortstop, Getz said: “Someone that can handle the position, make the routine plays, is a well-rounded player. The beauty of it is that we have versatility. It doesn’t have to be one person playing every day at shortstop. We have right-handed options, we have left-handed options. We have guys who can play all over.
“It’s going to take a team effort. We have guys who are capable, and Colson will be in Triple A and up in Chicago before we know it.”
Getz said the Sox are thinking long term when it comes to Montgomery.
“We are talking about someone who is going to be vital for the future and the success of this place,” Getz said. “He’s a competitor. All competitors want to put their best foot forward and get that nod on opening day.
“But he’s going to get to work. That’s what he does. That’s what makes Colson so special.”
In addition to Montgomery, the Sox optioned pitchers Nick Nastrini and Owen White to Charlotte and reassigned first baseman Tim Elko to minor-league camp.
Nastrini has a 3.52 ERA in three spring outings, allowing three earned runs in 7 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and two walks. White has pitched one scoreless inning. Elko is 1-for-11 with one home run, one RBI and four walks in 10 games.
