Preamble
Since MLB expanded the postseason to six teams in 2022, at least three American League playoff teams have failed to make the playoffs the following season. I’d wager that if you asked survey folks who cover baseball nationally, many would pick the White Sox as a prime regression candidate in 2027, and they'd be one of the three who don’t make the playoffs next year. Whenever or if the season starts.
This constant changing of the guard might be why manager Will Venable, before the 2026 season, is already trying to pump the brakes and not guarantee anything for 2027. He saw it firsthand as a bench coach when Texas went from winning the World Series in 2023 to finishing 78-84 in 2024.
That’s the challenge awaiting Chris Getz and the White Sox front office this offseason. To borrow the White Sox marketing slogan, how do they keep the momentum built up from this season? Their original timeline hoped 2027 would start bearing fruit, with a team showing it can be above .500. After shocking the baseball world by winning 84 games and a Wild Card series against Houston, can Getz make enough moves this offseason to help the White Sox take another step forward?
With so much uncertainty due to the expiring CBA, Getz has little time this offseason to make things happen. It’ll be either in November or in the short window after a CBA is agreed upon and a date is set to start Spring Training. It’ll be two rush periods to sign or trade for players, with a long downtime in between.
Which brings me to my Offseason Plan Project. As the White Sox general manager in this exercise, I concluded the team needs to act quickly. I don’t think it’s a good idea to play the waiting game to see what a new CBA would bring, and then try to construct a team afterward. While I want to give many young players a chance to develop further, I also think this team needs to add a frontline starting pitcher and a dependable right-handed bat to stabilize the roster.
Arbitration-Eligible
- Miguel Vargas: Tender, $5.3 million
- Brenton Doyle: Tender, $3.6 million
- Huascar Brazoban: Tender, $1.6 million
- Joey Bart: Decline
- Jordan Leasure: Decline
- Chris Murphy: Decline
Offseason Moves
Trade RP Jordan Hicks
Jordan Hicks' 2027 salary is $12 million, with Boston footing part of the bill when they added $4 million in last offseason's trade. $8 million for a reliever like Jordan Hicks isn't backbreaking, but with a $130 million payroll budget and big plans for the money available, it's an opportunity to flip the veteran reliever. Both the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers have a need to rebuild their bullpens. Hicks would be a good addition for either squad.
Sign SP Freddy Peralta - 5 years, $115 million
Maybe all Freddy Peralta needed was to get out of Queens. He really came on strong for Tampa Bay in September (4-0, 0.96 ERA in five starts) and won ALCS MVP for his two outstanding outings against Cleveland. If Peralta has recaptured his Milwaukee form and continues his 131 ERA+ pace from his brief time in Tampa, that's the kind of frontline starter the White Sox want to pair with Sean Burke.
Sign OF Seiya Suzuki - 4 years, $94 million
The White Sox lineup could use another right-handed power threat to pair with Miguel Vargas. Unfortunately, it's hard to count on Braden Montgomery to be that partner when he batted .129/.204/.226 right-handed. Enter Seiya Suzuki.
In five seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Suzuki hit .269/.351/.472 with 142 doubles, 113 home runs, and 382 RBI. Coming off a 5-WAR season, Suzuki was a Gold Glove finalist in 2026. In a weak class of free-agent hitters, Suzuki should cash in. What works against Suzuki is that he turns 33 years old in August.
Suzuki would not only help fortify the White Sox's middle of the order, but he could also buy Montgomery more development time. Eventually, the White Sox want Montgomery to be the everyday right fielder, but that will happen only if he improves his hitting. When that time comes (optimistically), Suzuki could easily move to left field, with the hope of being far more productive than Andrew Benintendi has been.
