PREAMBLE
I think the White Sox were ahead of schedule last year, and that is just how Jerry likes it. Good baseball on the cheap. While he isn't afraid to spend, he needs to be convinced of it. That is where Justin Ishbia comes in. He knows the iron is hot, and in addition to his influx being used to research a new stadium, the future steward of the South Side, knows it is easier to get a new stadium with a good team. He won't let a couple million stand behind a good baseball team and first back-to-back non-covid playoff appearances in franchise history! *Cries in White Sox*
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Miguel Vargas: Tender
- Brenton Doyle: Tender
- Joey Bart: Tender
- Huascar Brazobán: Tender
- Jordan Leasure: Non-tender
- Chris Murphy: Non-tender
Vargas: The team's MVP, this was easy
Doyle: Great defensive outfielder and showed some late life with the bat
Bart: Nice backup veteran to Teel. Well, I think so but the three games he played didn't convince me against it. (ignoring that he was 0-6, he was hitting about .230 with PIT/ATL)
Brazoban: Young (in terms of mileage) arm in the bullpen. Why not.
Leasure: Stopped earning the benefit of the doubt
Murphy: Eh.
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
- Erick Fedde
2 years, $8M for Fedde, the man who heard his name being chanted during a playoff game.
Newcomb gets pushed out by Vasil. Plus, Newcomb probably wants to be a starter
FREE AGENTS
Freddy Peralta: 5 years, $135 - WHAT? ONE-HUNDRED-MILLION DOLLARS?!?! Believe it or not, this is legal! It isn't just the White Sox and A's as the vanguards of fiscal responsibility while everyone else is flaunting the rules. But do I really have to explain myself here? If you are reading Sox Machine, you know ball. And ball-knowers know Peralta is a good pitcher*.
*Time with the Mets not included
Alec Bohm: 2 years, $22 M - Replaces Grichuk as the White Sox lefty-masher, sporting a career 131 OPS+ vs LHP with a .302/.351/.503 slashline. Plus, he provides depth and backup options for the corner infielders.
Brusdar Graterol: 1 year, $2M - Electric arm that gives Venable another triple digit option out of the pen.
Yoan Moncada: JK - just wanted to give the readers a minor heart attack. I hope his singing career takes off after his next IL stint.
Ha-Seong Kim: 1 year, $4M - Shortstop to be explained in the trade section, but a career 19.4% K-Rate and a former gold glove winner. Let's hope he is healthy and gets back to his Padres days on a prove-it deal.
TRADES
SS Colson Montgomery, MI Javier Mogollon (#9), P Christian Oppor (#19), P Seth Keener (NR) to Pittsburgh Pirates for SP LHP Braxton Ashcraft and P Khristian Curtis (#15): Pittsburgh slides Colson to the hot corner to give Konnor Griffin a long-term left side of the infield. White Sox get a bonafide pitcher to slot in the 2 spot behind Peralta. Both are pre-arb so the money cancels out. Mogollon might be logjammed for the Sox, but could play 2B for the Buccos. Swapping Oppor and Keener gives Pittsburgh an extra bite at the apple for their pitching development, while Curtis has walk issues, but plus stuff.
SP RHP Davis Martin and OF Casey Saucke to San Francisco Giants for OF Drew Gilbert. This is an unfortunate logjam in the rotation with adding Peralta and Ashcraft and needing to keep Luis Castillo in the rotation. Davis outside the first two months of 2026 has been a serviceable rotation guy and could probably flourish in cavernous Oracle Park. Gilbert gives the Sox another young outfielder to look at in case Peters comes crashing down or Braden struggles again. Plus, he passes the vibe check.
SUMMARY
C: (2) Kyle Teel, Joey Bart
IF: (5) Miguel Vargas, Ha-Seong Kim, Chase Meidroth, Munetaka Murakami, Alec Bohm
OF: (5) Sam Antonacci, Tristan Peters, Braden Montgomery, Brenton Doyle, Drew Gilbert
DH: (1) Andrew Benintendi
SP (5): Freddy Peralta, Braxton Ashcraft, Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, Luis Castillo
RP (8): Erick Fedde, Mike Vasil, Huascar Brazoban, Grant Taylor, Bryan Hudson, Brusdar Graterol, Hagen Smith, and Jordan Hicks.
I think this is a team that has a little cushion built in for regression candidates and adds some depth. Slight drop-offs should be expected from last year. There will be no dugout magic as the Wizard moves to the 'pen. The Pope will still be watching over them, but it will be different in year 2 of his papacy. Tristan Peters might not be an all-star again. These things happen all the time with these pop-up teams that storm out of nowhere to make the playoffs (Here's looking at you, Miami Marlins and Kansas City Royals). But the foundation is there. Peralta and Ashcraft rival Cleveland for the top 1-2 punch in the division, and Burke is a potentially great #3. Gilbert acts as insurance for a Peters regression or Braden still needing some time. Kim takes over at short, as I don't think Chase is an everyday shortstop, but a potentially great second baseman. Fedde is the swing guy in the bullpen, with him and Vasil giving those longer outings.
Total Salary: $137M, but I'll fudge the Peralta deal to backload it a little and give a signing bonus, same with Bohm to make it work. After all, what is a couple million dollars to a billionaire in Ishbia? As I said, it's his money now, even if he isn't actually the one making the decisions, he is probably driving that train more than he lets on (but that is a rant I have for another time where he didn't want to take over before the work stoppage so he wouldn't be implicated in being an owner, sorry, steward, that caused a lockout). That figure also includes the Liam Hendriks $1,500,000.
