White Sox officially announce hire of amateur scouting director Matt Roffe

The biggest offseason hire for the White Sox offseason up to this point has officially been made.

Matt Roffe (pronounced “ROW-fay”) has been named the club’s new director of amateur scouting; replacing Mike Shirley after he resigned in September. News of Roffe’s hire first broke last week.

The Sox ultimately stuck with the traditional title for the man tasked with running their drafts going forward. But the hire of a 30-year-old who most recently served as an assistant director of domestic scouting for the famously progressive and reigning World Series champion Brewers fit general manager Chris Getz’s comments in September about reimagining their draft process. Industry sources that spoke to the Sun-Times have praised Roffe for his creativity and willingness to explore new routes for uncovering talent.

“Matt brings a clear vision for how amateur scouting can continue to evolve, pairing the insight and conviction of our scouts with objective information and strong collaboration across the organization,” Getz said in a statement. “His experience with Milwaukee’s draft and player development processes will be valuable as we continue growing our own approach to consistently identifying and developing impact talent.”

On top of being younger than left-hander Anthony Kay, Roffe’s rise in the amateur scouting ranks really encompasses his last five years in Milwaukee, as he impressed on the professional scouting side of the business with the Diamondbacks for the two seasons prior, with a pair of internship years with the Padres and Brewers before that. That the Brewers hired Roffe back away from the Diamondbacks was viewed as a statement on the strength of his work as their intern.

“The draft is a collective organizational effort that requires strong communication, collaboration and the combined experience of everyone involved,” Roffe said in a statement. “Through the identification and acquisition of impact amateur players, we will work toward our shared goal of bringing another World Series championship to the South Side of Chicago.”

Marsh added to pitching depth

It’s not quite the offseason hot stove firing at maximum capacity, but the White Sox also announced the signing of 28-year-old right-hander Alec Marsh to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.

A former second-round pick of the Royals, Marsh’s last major-league action came in Kansas City in 2024, where he covered 129 innings in 26 appearances (25 starts) with a 4.53 ERA. Marsh has historically touted roughly average velocity while his breaking stuff earns the plaudits, but has been sidelined by shoulder impingement for the past two years, before he was outrighted by the Royals and elected free agency at the end of this season.

Marsh’s Royals tenure gives him past work experience with current White Sox pitching Zach Bove.

Silver Slugger finalists

The White Sox offense led the American League in runs scored this past season, and the fallout will extend beyond their assistant hitting coach getting hired away by the Cardinals.

Chase Meidroth (second base), Miguel Vargas (third base), Tristan Peters (outfield) and Sam Antonacci (utility player) have all been named finalists for Silver Slugger awards at their respective positions. Additionally, the Sox are one of four finalists for a team Silver Slugger award.