White Sox Assign Bergolla, Smith to Triple-A; Montgomery Heads to Double-A

The Chicago White Sox sent left-hander Hagen Smith and infielder William Bergolla Jr. to Triple-A Charlotte to begin the 2026 season, while outfielder Braden Montgomery, the organization's top-rated prospect, heads to Double-A. The moves, part of a broader wave of reassignments from major league camp, position all three for potential mid-season promotions.

Smith, the club's No. 4 prospect and No. 72 overall on MLB Pipeline's rankings, is the centerpiece of the Charlotte pitching group. The White Sox are deliberately managing his workload after he logged 98⅔ innings last season in the Arizona Fall League. The plan calls for staggered outings early in Charlotte, with the organization hoping to preserve enough arm for Smith to finish 2026 making full-length starts. The end goal is direct: his final outings of the year are expected to come in Chicago. The Sox want to avoid the late-season tapering that forced Tanner McDougal, Christian Oppor and Shane Murphy into reduced roles in 2025.

Smith made two innings in major league camp before being reassigned Monday, March 16, as part of what Sox Machine's James Fegan described as a group of six players moved to minor league camp, all via reassignment rather than option. He will pitch in the Spring Breakout showcase, the only one from the White Sox group who will take the mound in that event. Charlotte's pitching corps will also include left-hander Noah Schultz, the club's No. 2 prospect and No. 49 overall, along with right-hander McDougal, ranked No. 6 in the system.

Montgomery's Double-A assignment comes despite his standing as the White Sox No. 1 prospect and No. 36 overall in MLB Pipeline's rankings, one of the more notable gaps between prospect pedigree and initial placement this spring.

Bergolla, ranked No. 11 in the Chicago system and No. 61 overall, lands in a Charlotte middle infield loaded with organizational talent. The shortstop and second baseman welcomed the competition directly. "We definitely have a strong group of middle infielders, and I think that's good," Bergolla said through interpreter Billy Russo. "That's going to push every one of us to try to do our best, to earn more game time. That's motivation too, because we all want to be the best."

The Charlotte roster also includes Caleb Bonemer at shortstop and third base, Billy Carlson at short, and Kyle Lodise at shortstop among the infield group.

The reassignments came as the White Sox also placed Rule 5 pick Alberto on waivers, a procedural step required when a club elects not to carry a Rule 5 selection on its 26-man roster. If Alberto clears waivers, the Tampa Bay Rays hold three options: reclaim Alberto by returning half of the $100,000 selection fee, allow the White Sox to send him to the minors by keeping the fee, or negotiate a trade. Fegan's reporting made the organizational intent plain: Alberto will not be on the Opening Day roster.