Manager Robin Ventura has said Laroche will have to "earn" his at-bats this season, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Ventura also acknowledged the Sox do not necessarily have anyone pushing LaRoche for at-bats.

EDGE Analysis

LaRoche's first season with the White Sox was one of the worst of his career, as his average hovered near .200 for much of the year and he managed a meager 12 home runs despite the move to a power-friendly home park. Part of the decline could be the "DH effect" (that is, he was removed from the defensive part of the game for the first time), and part of the decline could be age. The size of LaRoche's contract should ensure him a fair amount of slack heading into 2016.