The White Sox have another roster decision window coming fast, and it could bring a familiar kind of churn. With the non-tender deadline set for November 17, Chicago may again use this stretch to shuffle the roster and squeeze out whatever value it can before making tougher choices on arbitration-eligible players.
That kind of move has already paid off in the past. Last season, the White Sox added Chris Murphy, Everson Pereira, and Tanner Murray in trades around this same part of the calendar, and they could be looking for a similar kind of return this year. Two names stand out as possible trade chips: Andrew Benintendi and Luisangel Acuna.
Benintendi is the obvious heavyweight on the list, mostly because of the contract attached to him. He has the largest deal in White Sox history, and through four years in Chicago he has been little more than an average hitter. The bat has come and gone, the defense has not added much value, and the five-year, $75 million pact has not looked like a win for the team.
There is still one year left on the deal, though, which is why this feels like the moment to at least explore a trade. Benintendi is owed $15.1 million in 2027, so moving him would not be simple. Chicago would likely have to absorb most of the money to make a deal happen, but there could be a club interested in a serviceable DH against right-handed pitching.
For the White Sox, the real appeal would be what opens up if Benintendi is moved. A trade would clear a roster spot and could create room for Sam Antonacci or Munetaka Murakami to take over at DH.
It would also leave the door open for another addition, whether that comes from outside the organization or from within. As for the return, the expectation here is modest: salary relief and roster flexibility would be the main prizes, with only a very small prospect coming back, maybe nothing more than a rookie ball lottery ticket.
Acuna is a different case, but the logic is similar. Chicago acquired him in the trade that sent Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets last offseason, hoping for more offense than he has delivered.
He opened the season as Robert’s replacement in center field, but after some struggles and Tristan Peters’ emergence, Acuna slid into a bench role. Most of his work came against left-handed pitching or as a late-game pinch runner.
The problem for the White Sox is that Acuna is out of minor league options, and that makes the fit harder to justify as they build toward next season. His speed and defense off the bench are useful, but the same general skill set is available elsewhere. Brenton Doyle is mentioned as a similar player with more offensive upside, and that makes Acuna easier to move on from if Chicago wants a different kind of bench piece.
A trade could make sense if the White Sox are looking for a bench infielder, or if they want to deal from that spot to bring back a reliever on the 40-man bubble. Chicago is also looking for arms, which gives this kind of swap a little more logic. Jorge Mateo is a name that peaks my interest, and he’s the type of player who could fit the infield depth-and-speed profile the White Sox might want.
If Chicago does move Acuna, the return would probably be more about fit than flash. The White Sox could target a team that needs infield depth and speed, and in that kind of deal, a bullpen arm feels like the most natural match. Either way, the sense here is clear: he doesn’t need to be on the Opening Day roster in 2027.
In Other News...
Will Venable Just Gave White Sox Fans A New Reason For Pride
Will Venables second season on the White Sox bench has already changed the conversation around the club, and now it has put him in the running for one of the sports top managerial honors. After guiding Chicago to an 84-win season and back into the playoffs, Venable has been named one of three finalists for the Baseball Writers Association of Americas American League Manager of the Year Award, a recognition that reflects just how far the team has come in a short span.
For a franchise that had spent the previous three seasons buried under 100-loss campaigns, the turnaround under Venable has been impossible to ignore. The White Sox are suddenly part of a much more encouraging national discussion, and the next checkpoint arrives Nov. 10, when MLB Network will reveal whether Venables work earns the award and adds another layer to a season that already gave Chicago plenty to feel good about. [Read more 🡒]
Luis Robert Jr Is Testing Another Teams Patience Again
Luis Robert Jr. is back on the market again, and this time the path to his next stop runs through a winter full of questions. Baltimore declined his player option after a season that mixed inconsistency with health concerns, leaving the former White Sox outfielder to sort through free agency after a stretch that has never quite matched the talent evaluators saw when he first broke in. For Chicago fans who watched the ups and downs up close, it is another reminder that Roberts career has remained as intriguing as it has unpredictable.
The market should still have a place for him, though, because teams are always drawn to the upside of a player with his tools if they believe the fit is right. The Phillies, Rays and Astros have all been mentioned as possible landing spots, a list that says plenty about the kind of clubs willing to bet on a rebound. For now, Roberts next move is the one worth watching, especially with a few contenders weighing whether the reward is worth the patience. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Rotation Target Just Became A Much Tougher Decision
MLB free agency is open, and the White Sox are already being linked to one of the more intriguing left-handers on the market in Trevor Rogers. Baltimores decision to extend him a qualifying offer changes the calculus for any club considering a run at him, because it adds another layer to what was already a tricky pursuit for a Chicago team trying to reshape its rotation without overcommitting.
Rogers has put together enough strong work in recent seasons to make him a real target, but he is not the kind of pitcher the White Sox can assume will come cheaply or easily. If Chicago stays in the mix, it may have to weigh the cost of chasing him against the possibility that Baltimore, or another club, pushes the bidding into a range where the fit becomes more complicated than the talent alone would suggest. [Read more 🡒]