PREAMBLE
Obviously the 2026 season was a surprise in the best way possible. Nobody expected the White Sox to take the jump they did. This has really moved the rebuilding process up by a year in terms of the moves the Sox should be looking to make. While I do think the Sox infrastructure and farm system are set up better than the last rebuild, I still want to be keeping the future in mind when making moves this offseason. While it was awesome to see some great performances this year, some players I am still skeptical on for the future. So with that, lets make some moves that will help the Sox win the AL Central in 2027 and be back in the playoffs.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Miguel Vargas: Tender
- Brenton Doyle: Tender
- Joey Bart: Non-tender
- Huascar Brazobán: Tender
- Jordan Leasure: Non-tender
- Chris Murphy: Tender
Vargas is an obvious one. Do I think Doyle is worth 3.6 million, I am not too sure. But, with the resources you gave up to acquire him, I think you have to give him a contract for next season. I also think he does provide some value on the field. He gives you some insurance in case Tristan Peters does not repeat his 2026 breakout season. Obviously, he gives you a great glove to put in the outfield at the very least. Joey Bart was the toughest one for me. Paying 3 million for a guy who will be a backup catcher or in AAA seems a bit much. But, if Quero can not improve after a rough 2026 season, the Sox will have a black hole at the backup catcher position behind Teel. I think I will take the risk of Quero bouncing back instead of giving Bart 3 million. Brazoban is a solid bullpen arm for a cheap cost, which makes it easy for me to pick him up. Leasure is injured and even when he pitched last year looked rough. Chris Murphy showed he can be a solid AAAA type player and has extra value as a lefty.
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
- Erick Fedde
- Trevor Richards
Trevor Richards - 1 yr/$1 million
Eric Fedde - 1 yr/$5 million
FREE AGENTS
No. 1: Randy Arozerena (5 years, $110 million) - The Sox finally give out their first 100 million dollar contract. They get Randy Arozerena, a very solid player who is coming off the best year of his career. He provides a great bat in the lineup, over his past 6 seasons, he has not had a OPS lower than .720. Also, the past couple of years he has had to hit at a tough hitters park in Seattle. He also has been a 20/20 player each of the last 6 seasons, which provides you some right handed pop and speed. While he does have some strikeout and chase concerns, they are not as serious as a player like Colson or Mune. When looking at the risks/negatives, he will be 32 when the 2027 season starts. I am definitely concerned at what the final 2 or 3 years of the contract could look like. Also, he is an awful defender in LF. He has solid blue on all of his fielding stats on baseball savant. I think that having Peters/Doyle in CF and Montgomery in RF can help offset his struggles in LF. Also, his numbers are not too different defensively from Sam in LF during this season. My plan is to have him be the primary LF next year, with the option for some DH days. This allows Sam to return to his natural position or DH.
No. 2: Clay Holmes (3 years, $45 million) - The Sox go out and get a starting pitcher. The ALDS exposed the Sox starting rotation and the depth they have. Sean Burke was the only starter who was reliable enough to give a start to. While I would love a pitcher like Skubal or Mike King, I am going to be more realistic here. Holmes is a starter who allows the sox to slot in a very solid arm while also not taking on too much risk with only a 3 year deal. Holmes is a weak contact, ground ball pitcher. So, having good infield defense is key with him.
No. 3: Andrew Kittredge (1 year, $8 million) - The Sox bullpen was overall a surprise this year. I do think it lacked some depth and showed that throughout the season. Also, in my plan, the Sox are losing Sean Newcomb, who was a big part of the bullpen. I also would like to see Hagen Smith in the rotation in 2027, and he was another key piece of the bullpen down the stretch. I think Kittredge is a solid middle innings right reliever who has veteran experience. It is a classic one year bullpen arm deal that I think will help the Sox throughout the season after losing some key arms from 2026.
TRADES
None.
SUMMARY
Starters vs RH
C - K. Teel
1B - M. Murakami
2B - C. Meidroth
SS - C. Montgomery
3B - M. Vargas
LF- R. Arozerena
CF - T. Peters
RF - B. Montgomery
DH - S. Antonocci
A. Benintendi
B. Doyle
L. Acuna
E. Quero
Starters vs LH
C - K. Teel
1B - M. Murakami
2B - C. Meidroth
SS - C. Montgomery
3B - M. Vargas
LF- R. Arozerena
CF - B. Doyle
RF - B. Montgomery
DH - S. Antonocci
A. Benintendi
T. Peters
L. Acuna
E. Quero
Rotation
S. Burke
C. Holmes
D. Martin
L. Castillo
A. Kay
H. Smith
Bullpen
G. Taylor
E. Fedde
A. Kittredge
B. Hudson
T. Richards
J. Hicks
H. Brazoban
This is the opening day 26 man roster I would have for the White Sox. I think there are a lot of moves that will be made before the all-star break that change the roster. On the position player side, the main one I am looking at is how quick will Caleb Bonemer be called up and which position will he be playing. I think if he continues to look strong, he could push Doyle or Acuna down to AAA. Some longshot moves that could happen would be how the Montgomerys' both perform. If they continue to struggle, could we see either of them sent to AAA. Also, the popular conversation will be when is Roch going to be in Chicago. I would think at the earliest it will be after the all-star break. Otherwise, I see most of the changes coming on the pitching side. Guys like Noah Schultz, David Sandlin, Tanner McDougal, Drew Thorpe, and Shane Smith are all starters that I have starting in AAA. I think Anthony Kay and Luis Castillo have a strong possibility of not being in the rotation by the end of the season. Also other interesting decisions with the rotation are with players like Hagen Smith, Eric Fedde, and Grant Taylor. I think you have to let Hagen Smith start after seeing how dominant he was out of a long relief role. If he struggles, I wonder how long of a leash he will have in the starting role. Eric Fedde I have being out of the bullpen and a bulk reliever option. I think he will be very helpful as a guy like Hagen Smith learns to stretch out in the MLB. I think Grant Taylor is too good of a closer to move out of the role, especially when the Sox do not have an obvious replacement for him. For the bullpen, some options I could see making appearances are Mike Vasil, Tyler Davis, Chris Murphy, and more. As well as Kay, Hagen Smith, Schultz, and Shane Smith as starters who could see a bullpen role.
Overall, I think this team gets better on offense with the addition of Arozerena. But, in the end I think the improvement on offense will come down to the development of players they aleady have. Guys like Tell, both Montgomerys', and Murakami improving are key to the offense in 2027. On the pitching side, I think the addition of Holmes does stabilize the rotation a bit for the 2027 season. But again, I think it is going to come down to the development of guys already in the system. I am mainly looking at Hagen Smith, Noah Schultz, and potentially guys like Sandlin, Thorpe, and Shane Smith. I think if you get 2 of those to click and be strong starters, this team has a lot of potential to beat their win total from 2026.
