Keep an eye on these prospects
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 15, 2025
Next up on our experts' division-by-division breakdown of prospects to watch -- the AL Central: https://t.co/9aLWHCBrOg pic.twitter.com/QU5vy18k4O
Another day, more additions to the Braden Montgomery fan club.
MLB Pipeline ranks the 22-year-old as the No. 38 overall prospect and No. 4 in the White Sox system. And on Thursday, speaking on the MLB Pipeline Podcast, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo weighed in on Montgomery as the took a look at who they determined to be intriguing prospects in the American League Central. Picking one from each team, they chose Montgomery for the White Sox.
He was one of the four top-level prospects the White Sox acquired from the Red Sox in the deal that sent ace Garrett Crochet to Boston. The No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Texas A&M, he began the season at Single-A Kannapolis, then was promoted to Double-A Winston-Salem.
For the week of May 6 to 11 – the week he made his home debut for Winston-Salem, Montgomery was named South Atlantic League Player of the Week. In the series, he batted .476 (10-for-21), hit three home runs and drove in 10 runs. He also had five multi-hit games and multiple RBIs in three games.
Here was Callis’ take on Montgomery on the podcast:
“Look, we knew Braden Montgomery was good. He was a guy who was in contention to maybe go number four overall in last year's draft to the A's before he had a bad slide in the super regionals at A&M and he broke his right ankle,” he said. “He wound up dropping all the way to the Red Sox at 12, and wasn't able to play last summer while he was recovering from the ankle. He gets traded in the Garrett Crochet deal to the White Sox at the Winter Meetings. How's the ankle going to affect him? … And he has looked tremendous.”
In his first 32 minor league games, Montgomery has seven homers, 32 RBIs and a batting line of .339/.423/.602 and an OPS of 1.024
The White Sox acquired Montgomery along with catcher Kyle Teel, infielder Chase Meidroth and right-hander Wikelman González. Will Mongtomery wind up being the cream of that crop? That remains to be seen.
More must-reads:
The Houston Astros are adding some versatility to their depth options as they near yet another postseason berth. On Friday the A's announced that recently DFA'd Logan Davidson has been claimed by Houston. Davidson was the A's first round pick in 2019 at No. 29 overall, and he finally made his MLB debut this season in late May after years of grinding in the minors and working on his versatility to get a shot at the roster. Despite being selected in 2019, he was still hanging around the A's top-30 prospect list this season, which feels uncommon for players after so many years. His debut was certainly not one that players dream of. He entered the game as a pinch-runner in the bottom of the tenth inning, replacing an injured Nick Kurtz at third base. On the first fly ball to the outfield, he tagged up and was thrown out at home as his first play in the big leagues. He'd make up for that in his first start the next day, going 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in the A's lone win during the 1-20 stretch in May and June. He received limited playing time in his stint with the A's, and went 3-for-20 (.150) with a .261 OBP. In the minors this season, Davidson has batted .263 with a .412 OBP and seven home runs across 73 games played with the Las Vegas Aviators. Now 27, Davidson is a versatile defender that can fill in at a number of positions, getting the most playing time at first and second in the minors this season, while also seeing time at third, shortstop and left field. While Davidson has been claimed, he was also optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land. The Astros also placed left-hander Brandon Walter on the 15-day IL with left elbow inflammation, and designated Nick Robertson for assignment. Robertson had been with the Dodgers, Red Sox, Cardinals and Blue Jays the past two seasons, racking up a 5.30 ERA across 27 appearances with a 1.57 WHIP between the two years, but he has yet to pitch for the Astros this season. The 27-year-old right-hander has been with the Space Cowboys all season, making 31 appearances out of the 'pen with a 4.68 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. In his 32 2/3 innings he'd struck out 36 batters, which is solid for an up-and-down guy, but he'd also walked 25 hitters and held a 17.2% walk rate. The question now is whether another club will scoop him up and add him to their own 40-man. He's kept the walks more under control in the past, so he may be worth taking a flier if there is roster flexibility.
Being the backup quarterback isn't necessarily the most exciting role for anyone, but for a team like the Miami Dolphins, where starter Tua Tagovailoa has suffered four concussions since entering the NFL in 2020, it could be vital. As of now, a clear battle for that spot has formed between rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers and veteran former first-round selection Zach Wilson as they go head-to-head. Of course, training camp is where these kinds of questions can be solved, and so far, it appears that Ewers has done a good job in putting his best foot forward. On Friday, David Furones of the Sun Sentinel gave a very positive update on the young quarterback, stating, "Dolphins rookie QB Quinn Ewers had a strong third practice of training camp. Made several impressive, big-time throws." The update sparked conversations among many fans, both supporting Ewers and a serious showing that there's interest in seeing who comes out on top. "Show ‘em, Quinn," said one comment. "He just does a lot of things (anticipatory throws, timing throws, MOTF accuracy, etc.) that fit this system much better than what Wilson does. I think with refinement and development we could have a backup in Miami that can operate the offense efficiently…finally," said another. "Love to hear it!" a third added. A fourth stated, "I'd be surprised if he's not the backup.." "I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Quinn Ewers has the physical tools to stick at the next level. It’s just a matter of shaping the rest," a fifth continued. "That’s QB2 potential QB1 in the future Glad we drafted Ewers," said another. Another big test for both Ewers and Wilson will be during the Dolphins' three preseason games, as the coaching staff will get a much better look at how these two perform during live matchups. Luckily for both, though, being the backup is all they're truly fighting for, as Kyle Crabbs of A to Z Sports predicts that each will make the final 53-man roster, with cuts needing to be made by Aug. 27.
The New York Rangers are adding to their forward depth ahead of their upcoming training camp. The Rangers are entering a new chapter of their organization under new head coach Mike Sullivan. After missing the postseason last year, the organization is trying to rebound and respond accordingly in 2025 and 2026. Former Stanley Cup champion forward Conor Sheary is the latest player to join the new-look Rangers. The veteran forward agreed to a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the club and will look to earn an NHL deal with his performance in training camp and the preseason. Sheary is a veteran of 593 NHL games. Originally an undrafted free agent, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins after completing his collegiate career. Following a year with the Penguins' AHL affiliate, he forced his way onto the NHL squad after posting 36 points in his first 30 games of the 2015-2016 season at the AHL level. His debut NHL season went better than ever expected, and he was a key part of the Penguins' lineup that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Sheary's coach at the time, both at the AHL and NHL levels, was Mike Sullivan. Now, he'll get the chance to reunite with the coach under whom he won two championships. In addition to playing for the Penguins, Sheary has played for three other NHL franchises. The Pens dealt him to the Buffalo Sabres before the 2018-2019 campaign, but he would return to Pittsburgh the following season at the trade deadline. After his second stint with the Penguins, he joined the Washington Capitals. He played three seasons in Washington, D.C. before landing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he spent the past two years. Over his 593 career games, he's compiled 124 goals and 143 assists for 267 points. His best NHL season came during the 2016-2017 campaign, his second in the league. He scored 23 goals and added 30 assists for 53 points in 61 regular-season games.
According to some, throw out the idea that the Edmonton Oilers should pursue Max Pacioretty. A veteran forward who has earned over $63 million over the course of his NHL career has yet to sign an NHL contract and was recently mentioned in a post by David Staples as a possible fit. In a recent post, the Journal noted, “All of the top NHL unrestricted free agents have already signed contracts, but there’s one big name player still available that makes good sense for the Edmonton Oilers to pursue.” Responses have been varied, with a few quite vocal about the Oilers not following Staples’ advice. “In what world does this make sense?????” writes a commenter on a recent post for The Hockey Writers. Another commenter wrote, “Pacioretty is a good journeyman player but he is injury prone now, late in his career. Oilers might be lucky to get 40 games out of him. They should look elsewhere instead of taking a chance on Patches.” Tyler Yaremchuk of Oilers Nation chimed in and said, “He scored five goals in 37 games last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can’t stay healthy, very old, very slow.” Yaremchuk then went on a rant, listing several Oilers forwards who would be better than Pacioretty. What About Pacioretty on a PTO? Is there any reason that a team that is looking to get younger and faster, and move out depth pieces that were older and less productive than expected, would revert back to last summer’s strategy? It seems like an odd choice on the surface. Something would have to happen that would make giving Pacioretty a look risk-free. That means only a PTO. Even at that point, should he agree, it would require him to be willing to sign a two-way contract for the league minimum.
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