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White Sox Shake Up Battery, Land German Márquez in Busy Roster Day

By PJ Bishop – Chicago White Sox Franchise Report

The calendar flipped to May and the White Sox wasted no time sending a clear message: the status quo wasn’t good enough. Sitting at 13–18 and last in the AL Central, Chicago overhauled its pitching staff and catching situation Friday, highlighted by the acquisition of veteran right-hander Germán Márquez and the long-awaited promotion of top catching prospect Edgar Quero.

Cannon Down, Schweitzer Up

The first move of the day saw right-hander Jonathan Cannon optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. Cannon flashed good stuff in April but never quite found his footing, carrying an ERA north of six in his first six big-league starts and often struggling to put hitters away the second time through the order.

Taking his place is left-hander Tyler Schweitzer, whose contract was selected from Charlotte. Schweitzer, 24, has been one of the Knights’ steadiest arms to open 2025. Across his first handful of AAA starts he’s logged quality innings nearly every time out, working into the sixth or seventh and limiting hard contact. His April line – three wins, an ERA in the mid-3s and more strikeouts than innings – earned him a serious look; the trade of Martin Pérez (more on that in a moment) and Cannon’s demotion opened the door all the way.

Schweitzer doesn’t come with frontline stuff, but he throws strikes with four pitches, features a solid fastball/slider combo from the left side, and holds his velocity deep into games. He’ll slide directly into the back of the rotation and give manager Pedro Grifol a different look against the left-heavy lineups around the league.

Blockbuster with Colorado: Márquez Comes to the South Side

The headline move of the day was a significant trade with the Colorado Rockies:

White Sox receive

RHP Germán Márquez (30)

Rockies receive

C Korey Lee (26)

LHP Martin Pérez (34)

RHP prospect Pierce George (21)

Márquez, 30, instantly becomes one of the most accomplished arms on the staff. A classic power pitcher, he brings mid-90s velocity with a sharp breaking ball and the track record of a workhorse. Even coming off his Tommy John recovery in this universe, his 2025 start with Colorado has been encouraging: around 40 innings of above-average run prevention, solid strikeout totals and his usual low walk rate.

Scouting grades in the Sox system peg Márquez as a 50-overall starter with plus movement and command, the kind of profile that should play even better away from the thin air of Denver. He slots near the top of a reworked rotation that now features Márquez, Mike Vasil, Shane Smith, Davis Martin and newcomer Tyler Schweitzer, with Jared Shuster and Tyler Gilbert providing depth.

To get that stability, Chicago paid a real price.

Korey Lee had emerged as the club’s primary catcher, bringing a strong arm and some pop, but the bat never fully clicked on the South Side. With top prospects Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero knocking on the door, the front office chose to cash in Lee’s value as a near-everyday defender.

Martin Pérez struggled badly in his brief stint as a back-end starter for Chicago, posting an ERA over 10.00 despite providing innings. A move to Colorado offers him a fresh start.

Pierce George, a hard-throwing 21-year-old righty, gives the Rockies a lottery ticket relief prospect with premium velocity.

For the Sox, the deal is about stabilizing the rotation right now without touching the very top of their farm system.

The Edgar Quero Era Begins

With Lee headed west, the White Sox filled the catching void from within. Edgar Quero, 22, had his contract selected and will make his long-anticipated big-league debut.

Quero has been one of the organization’s crown jewels since arriving in the minors. A switch-hitter with advanced on-base skills and budding power, he’s coming off back-to-back strong seasons in the upper minors, including a standout year in Charlotte where he posted an OPS north of .800 while handling a full catching workload.

Scouting reports see a future middle-of-the-order catcher:

Above-average bat control and plate discipline

Gap power that’s beginning to translate into home run pop

Improving defense, with solid framing and an average-plus arm

Defensively he’s still polishing the finer points, but the Sox believe his receiving is ready for major-league pitching, especially paired with his offensive upside.

Quero will join fellow young backstop Kyle Teel, giving Chicago a dynamic, homegrown catching tandem. Teel’s athleticism and left-handed bat combined with Quero’s switch-hitting and on-base chops could turn a spot that was a question mark in April into a long-term strength.

A New Look for a Flawed but Intriguing Club

These moves come against the backdrop of a team that has been frustratingly inconsistent through the season’s first month. The Sox finished April 11–15 before dropping a series to Milwaukee to open May, leaving them 13–18 and five games back in the AL Central. Team stats tell the story: middle-of-the-pack offense, but a pitching staff that ranks near the bottom of the league in ERA and home runs allowed.

Friday’s flurry suggests the front office still believes this group can contend in a muddled division – provided the run prevention improves.

Márquez gives them a legitimate No. 2-type arm to pair with breakout right-hander Mike Vasil and steady Shane Smith.

Schweitzer offers a fresh lefty look and some innings-eating potential at the back end.

Quero’s promotion, along with Teel, signals a shift toward a younger core and a belief that better game-calling and offense from behind the plate can squeeze a few more wins from the pitching staff.

There’s risk everywhere: Márquez’s health history, Schweitzer’s lack of big-league experience, and the usual learning curve for a rookie catcher. But at 13–18, standing pat wasn’t an option.

The White Sox will get their first look at the new-look battery almost immediately as Márquez slots into the rotation during the upcoming homestand and Schweitzer lines up for his MLB debut. If things break right, May 2nd could be remembered as the day the 2025 White Sox stopped treading water and started pushing back toward contention.