This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin’s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Colson Montgomery had just launched a 409-foot home run with a 105 mph exit velocity, according to Statcast, helping to corral Most Valuable Player honors during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park on Sunday night.

His performance was buzzworthy enough, but my brief postgame line of questioning dealt strictly with Tim Anderson, the talented shortstop and the face of the White Sox who had his $14 million team option declined Saturday (with a $1 million buyout). The 21-year-old Montgomery, who turns 22 on Feb. 27, smiled and understood the focus as the White Sox No. 1 prospect and No. 17 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and the organization’s next big thing at shortstop.

“I don’t really know what to say about all that,” Montgomery said. “I’ve been asked a whole bunch, what do I think, and I still have to go perform.

“That spot they have there, it’s up for grabs now. They are going to give it to somebody who earns it. I have to go to work and do what I have to do.”

Nobody is anointing Montgomery the Opening Day shortstop for the White Sox, and Montgomery isn’t pushing aside a player in Anderson who won a batting title in 2019, started at shortstop for the American League in the 2022 All-Star Game and played for Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Anderson’s bravado and passion for the game thrust the White Sox into national prominence.

Montgomery didn’t spend an abundance of time around Anderson, but he learned quite a bit through their work and conversations during Spring Training.

“He would always call me 'young buck' or 'youngster,' and he’s still young,” Montgomery said with a laugh. “My biggest takeaway from him was just being you and don’t try to be anybody you are not -- because you get in trouble when you try to be someone you are not on the field.

“When you see him on the field, he’s being him. He’s not trying to be somebody he’s not. I’m very happy with the time I had with him. I learned a lot about how hard he plays and just how much he loves the game.”

A chance exists for Anderson and Montgomery to play together again with the White Sox, although Anderson certainly will explore every free agent avenue at shortstop. Montgomery has a polished approach at the plate beyond his years, but also only has 179 at-bats at Double-A Birmingham.

General manager Chris Getz has preached to White Sox players at every level about approaching 2024 Spring Training with the mindset of making the team. That mindset still doesn’t guarantee Montgomery facing the Tigers on Opening Day next year in Chicago.

“Me and the White Sox have a good understanding of where I’m at,” Montgomery said. “They have a good idea of where I’m at with a lot of things. I don’t think they are rushing things. The time is right, the time is right. 

“They all have a plan for everything. If I go into camp, and the spot is there, if everything goes the right way and I do get the spot, it’s going to be awesome. If I don’t, there’s going to be a reason. All that stuff is out of my control. Only thing I can do is focus on playing.”