O’Hare today, gone tomorrow: Tim Elko heads back to Charlotte, and fellow first baseman Andrew Vaughn joins him in a perplexing roster shuffle

It’s another week and another masterclass in White Soxian logic

The Chicago White Sox, ever a representation of organizational clarity and functionality, have once again graced us with a series of roster moves that one can only describe as… well, peak White Sox.

First, let’s look at the tale of Tim Elko. For at least a month, the denizens of White Sox Twitter were clamoring for the promotion of the Triple-A slugger. Elko was absolutely mashing in Charlotte. Eventually, the South Siders obliged in a moment of unexpected compliance and with what almost felt like a direct blessing from Pope Leo XIV.

And then, in less than two weeks, Elko was demoted back to the Knights, but not before they sent him out to O’Hare Airport yesterday for a PR stunt.

It’s almost as if the entire O’Hare spectacle was a cruel, elaborate prank designed to maximize the collective groan of the South Side faithful. Did they really need to trot him out if they weren’t committed to giving him a real shot? Did they tell him to pack his bags before he left so he could hop on a plane to Charlotte when the shoot was over?

But while Elko’s ascent and rapid descent provided a moment of fleeting amusement, the real meat of this week’s roster shake-up lies in the long-overdue demotion of Andrew Vaughn. And for that, we raise a glass, albeit a slightly sarcastic one.

AV. The third overall pick in the 2019 draft. The “future of the franchise.” The man who was going to anchor the middle of the White Sox lineup for years to come. And what a future it has been! Four-plus years in the big leagues, and his career WAR has plummeted to a stunning -0.3. At this point, a cardboard cutout of a first baseman would provide more value.

However, Vaughn has outdone himself this season, slashing a putrid .189/.218/.314 with a .532 OPS. Forget “struggling”; this is an archaeological dig of offensive futility. And yet, the White Sox saw fit to, voluntarily, sign him to a one-year, $5.85 million deal for 2025. For a player whose bat has been colder than a Chicago January and whose defensive value on the field is, by all metrics, detrimental. It’s the kind of contractual commitment that makes you question if a particularly enthusiastic toddler with a calculator runs the team’s accounting department.

Fans have been pleading for something to be done regarding Vaughn for weeks now. Send him down to rediscover his swing, to simply get out of the big leagues and stop being a black hole in the lineup. Of course, we know optics are in play here because what team wants to admit that after four years, their No. 3 prospect can’t cut it, especially after giving him anew almost $6 million of their precious cash?

So, while Elko’s brief cameo was a hilarious example of the White Sox’s uncanny ability to make a good move and then quickly screw it up, Vaughn’s demotion is a celebration of a different kind. Even the most baffling decisions sometimes have to give way to what’s right in front of your eyes. Here’s hoping that this move regarding Vaughn is not just a temporary fix but a long-term acknowledgment that SOMETHING, ANYTHING, needs to change. Though most of us have been Sox fans long enough to know we shouldn’t hold our breath.