White Sox Claim Former Top-100 Prospect Off Waivers From Mets
In this story:
The White Sox on Thursday claimed catcher Drew Romo off waivers from the New York Mets. And to make room for him on the 40-man roster, the team designated infielder Ben Cowles for assignment. The 40-man roster remains at 40 after these transactions.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of this move is that the White Sox now have four catchers on the 40-man roster, a higher number than normal. That includes Romo, Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero and Korey Lee, with the latter three each appearing in major league games with the White Sox in 2025.
Teams typically carry two catchers on the active 26-man roster, but it's not entirely uncommon to carry three, especially if they're among the teams best hitters like Teel and Quero were last season. So given the uniqueness of having four catchers on the 40-man roster, it's a position to keep an eye on this offseason as moves continue to be made across the league.
Drew Romo's background
Romo, 24, made his MLB debut with the Rockies in 2024 and played three big-league games in 2025 after being on the injured list from March 12 to May 20. He has spent most of his professional career in the minor leagues after being selected in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of The Woodlands High School in Texas.
In 56 major league plate appearances across two seasons, the 6-foot-1 switch-hitter had a .167/.196/.222 slash line with zero home runs, three doubles, six RBI, zero stolen bases, two walks and 21 strikeouts. He put up better numbers in Triple-A Albuquerque this past season, slashing .264/.329/.409 with seven home runs, 11 doubles, 23 RBI, two stolen bases, 18 walks and 63 strikeouts.
Romo has been constantly on the move this offseason. He was claimed off waivers by Baltimore on December 5 and by the Mets on December 17. Now he joins the White Sox organization, which will try to revive the catcher who was ranked as high as No. 2 among Rockies prospects in 2022 by MLB.com and No. 84 overall in 2023.
Ben Cowles designated for assignment
Cowles' time with the White Sox organization was brief, as he was claimed off waivers from the Cubs on Sept. 3. He played just 15 games with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, slashing .220/.277/.288/.565 with zero home runs, two doubles, five RBI, two stolen bases five walks and 20 strikeouts.
Cowles, 25, was a 10th round pick by the New York Yankees in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Maryland, and he hasn't made his MLB debut.
Related stories on the Chicago White Sox
Jack Ankony is the beat writer for “Chicago White Sox on SI.” He has been with the Sports Illustrated network since 2022. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism in 2022. Follow Jack on Twitter @ankony_jack
Follow ankony_jack