Ever since White Sox General Manager Chris Getz took over control of the White Sox, he has tried to operate differently than Rick Hahn. Getz has invested significantly in analytics and has added a ton of different roles in the organization to help with player scouting and development, something Hahn seemed to shy away from.
Getz also has tried to bring in his own guys, as he has traded or let go a lot of Rick Hahn’s acquisitions, as there are no players left from the 2021 team that won the AL Central. This has rung true throughout the organization, as it has been no different in the minor leagues.
Since there are so many players in an organization, it is impossible to get rid of every player that Hahn acquired or drafted, but Getz has tried his best to leave his own mark on the White Sox. This showed up recently, as he let another former top-30 prospect from the Rick Hahn era walk.
According to Yankees Prospect Watch and the New York Yankees transactions page, they have signed former White Sox prospect DJ Gladney to a minor league deal.
Yankees have signed OF DJ Gladney to a minor league deal.
A former 16th rounder in 2019, Gladney slashed .235/.277/.368 in 100 games with the White Sox’s Double-A affiliate in 2025.
— Yankees Prospect Watch (@NYY_Prospects) January 8, 2026
This is an interesting development, as Gladney was drafted by Rick Hahn and the White Sox in the 19th round of the 2019 draft. He would make his debut in the Arizona Fall league that season and went on to play six minor league seasons with the White Sox. Gladney peaked on the White Sox top prospects list at #24 back in 2021.
Overall, Gladney owns a career .236/.300/.414 slash line in the White Sox organization. He spent 177 games with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, 163 games with the Winston-Salem Dash, and 140 games with the Birmingham Barons.
Gladney, an Illinois native, delivered the walk-off hit to win the Southern League Championship for the Birmingham Barons in 2024. At that point, Gladney was playing some of his best baseball, as he hit .278 with 6 homers and 18 RBIs in 24 games after his promotion to Birmingham.
DJ Gladney with the walk-off RBI single gives the Barons the 3-2 win over the Biscuits.
The Birmingham Barons are your 2024 Southern League Champions!#bhambarons pic.twitter.com/WOxLktU18d
— Birmingham Barons (@BhamBarons) September 25, 2024
Gladney would follow that up with an alright season with the Barons in 2025, as he slashed .235/.277/.368 adding 10 homeruns and 45 RBIs. This likely contributed to Getz allowing Gladney to leave in minor league free agency, on top of the fact that he was a draft pick from the old regime.
Now moving on to the Yankees system, Gladney will look to make his way through the minor leagues and find his way to the pros. We wish nothing but Gladney the best of luck moving forward.
