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White Sox Utilize Underused MLB Roster Rule
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- White Sox Utilize Underused MLB Roster Rule
The taxi squad . A piece of baseball terminology that became commonplace during the COVID-19-riddled 2020 season.
The thought behind MLB's formal taxi-squad provision was a simple one. What happens if a team suddenly loses a player to injury or COVID in the middle of a road trip?
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The Minor League Baseball season was completely canceled in 2020, and every MLB organization instead operated an alternate training site, generally located at a nearby facility or minor league ballpark.
A pool of players would get regular work at those sites, including participation in intrasquad games, to continue developing and remain ready if their number was called. A select few would even travel with the MLB team as members of the taxi squad.
Initially, three extra players from each team's 60-man player pool could accompany the club on road trips. If all three spots were used, at least one had to be a catcher.
These taxi-squad players were not on the active roster, but they traveled with the team, stayed at the team hotel, worked out with the team and remained nearby as emergency options. They didn't accrue MLB service time or receive an MLB salary simply for being on the taxi squad, but they got much of the MLB experience while remaining immediately available if a roster move became necessary.
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One thing many fans might not realize, however, is that the term "taxi squad" hasn't disappeared in the years since the COVID-shortened season.
In fact, it's something the Chicago White Sox have been using down the stretch in 2026.
The taxi squad is a bit different now. It's no longer the same formal COVID-era mechanism with a specific number of spots and rules governing how those spots are used. Instead, MLB teams can keep minor league players with or near the big-league club as immediate depth in case a quick roster move becomes necessary.
Those players still aren't members of the active roster and can't appear in a game unless the appropriate roster transaction is made. But rather than having a potential replacement hundreds of miles away with a minor league affiliate, a team can have that player physically nearby and ready if needed.
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It's not uncommon to see a player join his team a day or two before being placed on the active roster. But what about a guy who's freshly optioned to the minor leagues and still sticks around?
That's what the White Sox are currently doing with catcher Drew Romo .
When Kyle Teel was activated off the IL last weekend, Romo was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. But the White Sox chose to keep him with the team as a member of the taxi squad.
Chicago feels that Romo brings something of value to its pitchers' meetings. So rather than have him finish out the regular season by playing a few weeks in Charlotte, the White Sox believe he has more value staying with the MLB club, even if his job doesn't include playing in games.
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When veteran outfielder Tommy Pham landed on the IL , the White Sox recalled Edgar Quero from Triple-A Charlotte and still chose to leave Romo on the taxi squad. That's now Teel, Quero and Jake Rogers on the active roster, with Romo on standby and Joey Bart on the IL. The White Sox essentially have five catchers around the team on a daily basis, even if two of them aren't currently on the active roster.
And this is hardly a one-off.
Huascar Brazobán , a trade acquisition by the White Sox at the deadline, landed on the IL with a lat strain on August 25. By September 2, he was on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte. While he hasn't been activated from the IL, the White Sox have since reported Brazobán as healthy and have kept him with the team as a member of the taxi squad .
Should the White Sox need another right-handed relief pitcher, Brazobán is already there as a potential option.
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The bigger question is how much confidence the White Sox currently have in him and whether they see a place for Brazobán in their bullpen down the stretch after his difficult start with the organization.
The fact that he's healthy but hasn't been activated suggests the White Sox currently prefer other options in their bullpen. At the same time, keeping Brazobán with the team gives Chicago another arm to turn to quickly if a need arises, without occupying an active-roster spot in the meantime.
It's an underused practice by MLB teams today, or at the very least one that isn't talked about very often. But as the 2026 regular season winds down and the White Sox look to finish the job in the AL Central, it's all hands on deck. And for Chicago, that apparently includes a few players who aren't even on the active roster.
