The White Sox might not need to go hunting for a major outfield overhaul when 2027 rolls around. In fact, the more this group is sorted through, the more it looks like Chicago could simply keep the shape of the current unit and be just fine.
That doesn’t mean the room is perfect. Randal Grichuk may not be a long-term answer, Tristan Peters still has something to prove, and Andrew Benintendi raises real questions. But the overall picture is fairly stable, and that’s the point: if the Sox bring back something close to this mix, the outfield shouldn’t be a crisis area.
Sam Antonacci looks like the fit in left for now. His defense there improved as the year went on, but he’d still be the first player I’d pull for a late defensive upgrade.
Offensively, though, he gave the Sox something useful at the top of the order, and I’d keep him there as the leadoff man. He can also fill in on the infield, but that feels more like a rest-day or late-game option than a regular role.
In center, Peters is the player who forces the most debate. The rookie posted a 3.6 WAR, made the All-Star team, caught fire near the end of the first half, then worked back from a rough slump to deliver some important hits down the stretch.
He doesn’t always look like an obvious starter, but for now, he gets the nod in center. The Sox do have alternatives if his rookie season ends up looking like an outlier.
Right field belongs to Braden Montgomery in this view. Of the players Chicago landed from Boston in the Garrett Crochet trade - including Chase Meidroth and Kyle Teel - Montgomery may have the most raw talent.
His rookie season was uneven after that walk-off homer in his debut, but he’s a switch hitter with some pop, and the long-term upside is obvious. The next step is straightforward: cut down the strikeouts and get the defense sharper.
Grichuk is the first real call for Chris Getz. He handled lefties well and fit as a backup or defensive replacement, and he also came across as a strong clubhouse presence.
The problem is age and contract status. He’ll be 36 next summer and is headed for free agency this winter.
A cheap one-year return makes sense, but with Caleb Bonemer on the way and Brenton Doyle under control, Chicago could live without him.
Benintendi is trickier. He can play the outfield or DH, but his bat faded late in the year and again in the playoffs.
He’s got one year left, he’s only 31, and he swings left-handed. The question is whether the Sox keep him in a reserve role or try to move him and address another area.
If I’m Chicago, I’d put him on the market and see what comes back.
Doyle fits better as the kind of glove-first player who can swing a close game in the late innings. He got some starts when his offense picked up, but he projects more cleanly as a defensive replacement. Tommy Pham, meanwhile, looks like a one-year placeholder who probably won’t be back; at 38, he’s mostly a DH now and didn’t leave much of a mark in 2026.
Junior Perez is simply depth, the sort of player who would be hanging around at the end of the bench if he’s on the roster at all. Luisangel Acuña should still factor in as a center field defender even with Doyle in the mix. Rikuu Nishida can handle right field in a pinch, but his brief big-league looks this year were quiet, and he finished as a zero WAR player.
Then there’s Bonemer, the top prospect who may eventually force the issue. He can play third base, but if the infield stays crowded, the outfield is likely where he ends up.
The timing is the unknown. He could arrive in the second half of 2027, or the Sox might hold him for 2028.
So if things stay mostly on track, the 2027 Opening Day outfield could be Antonacci in left, Peters in center and Montgomery in right, with Doyle, Grichuk and Benintendi available off the bench and Bonemer possibly joining later in the year. That might not sound flashy, but it’s a sign of a roster that doesn’t need to be torn apart. The bigger changes, if they come, are more likely to show up elsewhere.
In Other News...
White Sox Face A Risky Murakami Decision This Winter
Munetaka Murakamis first season with the White Sox gave the club plenty to dream on, and plenty to think about. The rookie was named an All-Star and looked the part of a middle-of-the-order cornerstone at times, which is exactly why his situation has become one of the more important winter storylines for a team trying to build something sustainable.
Now the front office has to decide whether to commit to him with a major extension or entertain trade talks before the window gets any more complicated. Murakamis late-season downturn, including a quieter finish in both the second half and the playoffs, has only sharpened the stakes, leaving Chicago to weigh upside against risk as the offseason begins. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Biggest Bats Vanished When This Guardians Series Turned Ugly
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Chicagos power core never really found its footing when the games tightened up, and that mattered against a Guardians team built to punish any lapse. Miguel Vargas, Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery had been the lineups big bats during the regular season, but October asked for more than reputation and resumes. The Sox can point to the progress they made overall, but the series also left them with a familiar postseason question: when the spotlight got brightest, who in the middle of the order was going to break through? [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Prospects Are Already Forcing Early Questions About The System
The White Sox have plenty of reason to watch the Glendale Desert Dogs closely this fall, with nine prospects in the Arizona Fall League getting an early chance to show where the system stands. The group has already been part of a rocky start for Glendale, but the action has also offered a useful first look at how Chicagos younger players are handling higher-level competition, with both position players and pitchers getting meaningful run.
Among the names drawing attention are Caleb Bonemer and Colby Shelton, who have helped the offense in key spots and given the White Sox a little more to track as the AFL schedule unfolds. Glendale finally broke through for its first win after a string of losses, and for Chicago, the broader takeaway is less about the standings than about which prospects are beginning to shape the conversation around the organizations depth. [Read more 🡒]