Former White Sox players in the 2025 MLB Postseason

The 2025 MLB Postseason is underway and will dominate the headlines for the next month. While the White Sox are far removed on this 17th anniversary of the 2008 Blackout Game, they still have many former players on the teams involved.

Let’s break down some familiar faces you can expect to see playing in October, starting with the American League from East to West:

American League

Boston Red Sox

Garrett Crochet (LHP): The former White Sox ace highlights several players with South Side connections on the Red Sox’s roster. Crochet will start Game 1 of the Wild Card Series for Boston in the Bronx and figures to be the team’s go-to starter for as long as their run lasts. The southpaw has gone 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA this season, and still owns a 0.00 ERA postseason ERA thanks to three scoreless frames in the 2021 ALDS for the other Sox.
Romy Gonzalez (INF): The utilityman continues to be a valuable part of Boston’s roster. Gonzalez, who played three seasons in Chicago (2021-23), has hit .305/.343/.483 with nine homers and a 123 wRC+ in 96 games during the regular season. Fans should expect to see him in the lineup depending on the matchups, especially given his excellent numbers against lefties (.331/.378/.600 in 143 plate appearances).
Lucas Giolito (RHP): Another former starter, Giolito will miss at least the Wild Card Series against the Yankees due to a lingering discomfort in his right elbow, and his October outlook doesn’t look great. The righty has a 3.41 ERA across 145 innings this season, which likely would’ve earned him the Game 3 nod had he been healthy. Now, manager Alex Cora is preparing for a run without him as it appears increasingly likely that he will miss the rest of the postseason.
Liam Hendriks (RHP): Sidelined since May, Hendriks ended his injury-plagued Red Sox tenure without having a chance of making the postseason. The soon-to-be free agent just underwent elbow surgery on Monday, more specifically, right elbow ulnar nerve transposition with posterior interosseous nerve release. There’s still a $12 million mutual option on his contract for 2026, but Boston will decline that and pay him a $2 million buyout as he looks for a new opportunity.

New York Yankees

Carlos Rodón (LHP): Scheduled to start Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, Rodón went 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA over 195.1 innings thrown for the Yankees. This will mark his fourth different playoff run and second in New York. After surrendering three World Series home runs to the Dodgers in his last playoff start, he’ll look to build off what many are hoping to be a dominant Game 1 outing by Max Fried.
Tim Hill (LHP): His 5.97 ERA as part of the White Sox bullpen makes Hill an easy name to forget, but don’t count him out for New York. The southpaw has surprisingly had great success in the Bronx since joining them two days after his release from the South Side in 2024. He owns a 0.68 ERA in 13.1 innings over three playoff runs, two with the Padres and one with the Yankees last year.
Austin Slater (OF): The Yankees acquired Slater at this year’s trade deadline with hopes that he could be a solid platoon option against lefty pitching. Unfortunately, Slater almost immediately suffered a hamstring strain and finished the second half hitting .120 (3-for-25). He is not on the Wild Card roster and might be a long shot to appear in future series unless injuries become a factor.

Toronto Blue Jays

Chris Bassitt (RHP): The first pitcher listed alphabetically on the Jays’ 40-man roster just so happens to be an old friend. Bassit, who the White Sox drafted in the 16th round of the 2011 MLB Draft, is the only active player with ties to the franchise. His lone Major League season in Chicago came in 2014, where he posted a 3.94 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 29.2 innings. He was later traded to the A’s along with Marcus Semien, Rangel Ravelo, and Josh Phegley in exchange for starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija that offseason.
Ryan Burr (RHP, 60-Day IL): Though he certainly has Chicago ties, Burr never had a chance of appearing this postseason. The reliever battled shoulder issues that led to season-ending surgery in July to address a capsule injury in his throwing shoulder.

Detroit Tigers

Tommy Kahnle (RHP): Once a reliever on the 2016-17 White Sox teams, Kahnle returns to the postseason for the fifth time – this time with a division rival. He has three other playoff runs with the Yankees (2017, 2019, 2024) and one with the Dodgers (2022) already under his belt.

National League

Philadelphia Phillies

Tanner Banks (LHP): A member of the White Sox for parts of three seasons (2022-24), Banks has been doing it all since getting traded to the Phillies at last year’s deadline. He’s opened, closed, and worked in between to the tune of a 3.07 ERA over 67.1 innings this season. Banks’ playoff debut came with an appearance against the Mets in 2024. He lasted just one inning, surrendering one earned run on two hits.
David Robertson (RHP): Shifting to the right-hander, Robertson is no stranger to the big moments. He closed on the South Side for three seasons and now serves in a bullpen that was bolstered thanks to the trade deadline acquisition Jhoan Duran. Robertson, who signed with the team in late July, has been shaky as of late and might provide Philly with more questions than answers if he enters the game.

Chicago Cubs

Aaron Civale (RHP): The former starter was claimed off waivers by the Cubs in August and has entered their bullpen mix as a long reliever. He quietly put up a 2.08 ERA over 13.0 innings and made the cut for the Wild Card series.
Brad Keller (RHP): Fans can resume one of their favorite hate watches this postseason. It’s still hard to believe Keller falls under the list of former players, but the long-time Royal has now become a key piece of the Cubs’ bullpen. He owns a 2.07 ERA and 2.94 FIP over 69.2 innings this season, and will likely be called upon in big moments.
Michael Soroka (RHP): Thought of as rotation depth, Soroka has also found himself working mainly out of the bullpen after an IL stint from shoulder discomfort. Like Civale, Soroka has found success by posting a 1.08 ERA over six appearances, one of which was a start.
Reese McGuire (C): The only former White Sox position player on the team, McGuire has offered Carson Kelly a hand as the backup catcher. He slashed .226/.245/.444 with nine home runs and 24 RBI in 44 regular-season games. He, too, has made the Wild Card roster.

Milwaukee Brewers

Andrew Vaughn (1B): If you’re reading this article, then you’ve probably heard about the impact of “King Vaughn” on the Brewers this summer. Even though he had his ups and downs, Vaugh finished the regular season hitting .308/.375/.493 with nine homers and 14 doubles over 64 games for Milwaukee. If the Cubs make it out of their Wild Card Series, Vaughn has the chance to inflict some further damage on the Crosstown foe.
Jose Quintana (LHP): Speaking of Chicago’s other team, they may also have a chance to face one of their former pitchers. Quintana has been battling a calf injury, but should be ready by the start of next week’s NLDS. The lefty has been steady as always, posting a 3.96 ERA over 131.2 innings spread across 24 starts this season.

San Diego Padres

Dylan Cease (RHP): The Padres are turning to Cease as their Game 2 starter at Wrigley in the Wild Card Series. His previous three postseason starts have all been forgettable, as he owns a combined 14.85 ERA (11 ER/6.2 IP) and 7.37 FIP. Can he finally find some success against his original team?
Gavin Sheets (OF): Friend of Sox on 35th, Sheets put together a solid campaign out West. He hit .252/.317/.429 with 19 home runs, 28 doubles, and 71 RBI in a career-high 145 games.
Fernando Tatis Jr. (RF, SS): We all know Tatis Jr.’s ties to the South Side. No need to get into it here, though.
Martin Maldonado (C): This is a surprising name, but Maldonado made the Wild Card roster as a backup catcher. Released in August and re-signed towards the end of the month, Maldonaldo offers the Padres an emergency option. He hasn’t been called upon in Major League action since July, so don’t expect to see the former White Sox catcher unless deemed necessary.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Michael Kopech (RHP): The former flamethrower is currently a giant question mark for the reigning World Series champions. Kopech is currently on the IL with right knee inflammation, though manager Dave Roberts said the righty is dealing “with a couple different things right now,” where the team didn’t know what to put on the official IL announcement. Since returning from a previous IL stint on September 1, Kopech struggled with a 6.75 ERA and nine walks in six appearances. While not on the Wild Card roster, we’ll see if the Dodgers offer him a spot for the NLDS if they advance.
Alex Call (OF): Our list ends with a member of the organization who never played for the Major League club. A third-round draft pick by the White Sox in 2016, Call was traded to the Guardians in the 2018 trade to land Yonder Alonso. The Dodgers mark Call’s fourth big-league team, where he will serve as the team’s fourth outfielder this postseason.

Teams like the Guardians, Reds, and Mariners don’t have any former players on their active rosters. Seattle does have Danny Farquhar on their coaching staff, though, so we’ll give him a special shoutout!

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Featured Photo: David Butler II-Imagn Images