Chicago White Sox Non-Tender Slugger Gavin Sheets as Roster Demolition Continues

Gavin Sheets showed promise when he first broke into the big leagues in 2021, but the Chicago White Sox were ready to send him into free agency following his third straight lackluster season.

Aug 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Chicago White Sox designated hitter Gavin Sheets (32) hits a single during the fourth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Chicago White Sox are non-tendering outfielder/first baseman Gavin Sheets, FanSided's Robert Murray and others reported Friday evening.

The deadline to non-tender players was scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Friday, giving teams the chance to cut ties with players without guaranteed contracts or adequate service time. The White Sox elected to take that route with Sheets, a 28-year-old slugger who had three years of club control remaining.

MLB Trade Rumors projected Sheets would make $2.6 million in arbitration heading into 2025, while Spotrac had him pegged for $2.0 million.

Instead of collecting that pay check, Sheets will enter free agency fresh off another lackluster season in Chicago.

Sheets hit .233 with 10 home runs, 45 RBI, a .660 OPS and a -0.8 WAR across 139 games in 2024. That was technically a step up compared to Sheets' 2023 campaign, when he hit .203 with 10 home runs, 43 RBI, a .599 OPS and a -1.5 WAR in 118 games.

A few years earlier, it seemed like Sheets could become an intriguing power bat for the White Sox, considering he hit .250 with 11 home runs, 34 RBI, an .830 OPS and a 0.2 WAR in 54 games as a rookie in 2021. He entered that season as the No. 13 prospect in Chicago's farm system, and he finished it by batting .333 with one home run and a 1.000 OPS in the ALDS.

Sheets finished each of the next three campaigns with a negative WAR, though, as well as an OPS+ under 100.

The White Sox's trajectory as a team tailed off as well, losing or ditching key lineup pieces in José Abreu, Tim Anderson, Eloy Jiménez, Yasmani Grandal, Jake Burger and Nick Madrigal – plus pitchers Carlos Rodón, Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech, Liam Hendriks and Reynaldo López. The team lost a record-breaking 121 games in 2024, spurring them to move onto their sixth manager in six years.

The Will Venable era is officially underway, and it began with Chicago getting off of Sheets and Yoán Moncada alike. Up-and-coming ace Garrett Crochet and All-Star outfielder Luis Robert Jr. could get dealt away this winter as well, further tearing the roster down to its studs.

Sheets will now hit free agency, able to sign with any team. The White Sox, on the other hand, could be left with Andrew Benintendi, Dominic Fletcher and recent free agent addition Austin Slater as their starting outfielders and Andrew Vaughn as their everyday first baseman.

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