The White Sox are already sketching out a very different pitching picture for 2027, and the most surprising part might be where they want Grant Taylor to end up.
During this week’s GM meetings, general manager Chris Getz joined Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette on SiriusXM MLB Radio’s “Front Office” and laid out a plan that has Taylor moving into the rotation in 2027. At the same time, breakout rookie Hagen Smith is expected to stay in the bullpen for now. Getz did say the White Sox remain open to starting Smith later on, but not at this point.
That’s a notable call, especially with Chicago still trying to solve the same problem that helped derail a strong season: not enough starting pitching depth. The White Sox have not added a new arm this offseason yet, but Getz’s comments offered an early look at how they may approach the rotation next year.
Taylor’s case is the tricky one. He has been building toward a multi-inning role during the 2026 season, but he hasn’t thrown more than 100 innings since before college, if at all.
That matters, because Chicago already saw what can happen when its starters wear down late in the year. The 2027 season is expected to be shortened, which would help Taylor, but it still doesn’t change the fact that he has never carried a starter’s workload.
There’s also the injury history to weigh. Taylor had Tommy John surgery at LSU, so the White Sox never got a real chance to see whether he could handle a full starter’s load in college.
His four-inning save in October showed just how electric he can be, but the question is whether he can do that every five days for five or more innings. His longer outings in relief were uneven at times, and that uncertainty only grows if he’s asked to stretch out even more.
Then there’s the fastball. Taylor’s 100-plus mph heater is the engine of his game. If he moves into the rotation, the White Sox will have to find out whether that pitch holds its edge over a starter’s workload or loses some of the velocity that makes him so dangerous.
The move would also leave Chicago with another hole to fill at the back end of games. Someone has to close, and the options could come from inside the organization or from outside it. Adrián Morejón, David Bednar if either pitcher declines the qualifying offer, and Raisel Iglesias were all mentioned as names that could fit the role, though each would come with a significant price tag.
For now, the simplest argument is the one Taylor already made in the bullpen: he was excellent there last season. That’s why the switch feels so bold.
Smith, meanwhile, remains on a different track. The No. 5 overall pick was drafted to be a long-term starter, and that still looks like the eventual plan.
But he needs more major league seasoning first. After 22 games, including playoffs, and a 1.29 ERA, he could still end up as a classic closer or a multi-inning, high-leverage weapon in the same kind of role Taylor filled in 2026.
However it shakes out, one thing is clear: the White Sox pitching staff is going to look a lot different in 2027.
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