The GM Meetings in Las Vegas are set to open this week, and while this event usually serves more as a launchpad than a finish line, the coming lockout could make things move faster than normal. Front offices from all 30 teams will be in the same place, and if the chatter around the league is any indication, there may be more than just preliminary talk on the table.
That matters for the White Sox, who could be looking at both pitching and outfield help. And if they decide to shop in the former Cubs aisle, there are a few names that fit the conversation.
Clay Holmes is one of the more intriguing possibilities. The White Sox were linked to him in trade rumors before the deadline, only for him to end up with the Cubs.
He didn’t put up eye-popping numbers on the North Side, but he did decline his player option for 2027 and head into free agency before his age-34 season. Since moving into the rotation, Holmes has been steady, posting a 3.53 ERA in 2025 and a 3.29 mark in 2026.
That kind of production makes him look like a dependable mid-rotation arm, and it would not be a surprise if the White Sox revisited the interest they showed earlier.
Kevin Gausman is another pitcher who has already been on the White Sox radar. He was widely viewed as a strong fit for their rotation at the deadline, and his connection to White Sox pitching director Brian Bannister only adds to the appeal.
Gausman’s 2026 season was below his usual standard, but he has been one of the most reliable starters in baseball for several years. He’ll be 36 in January, so age is part of the equation, and he previously had the White Sox on his no-trade list.
Still, if Chicago believes it can get him back to form, a short-term deal could make sense.
There’s also a case for the White Sox to look at the outfield, and Scott Merkin of MLB.com reported they could pursue right-handed help there as well. If they want to make a big swing, Seiya Suzuki is the name at the top of that list.
The 32-year-old would cost real money, and he’d also require surrendering a draft pick because of his qualifying offer. But the bat is hard to ignore: he has finished with an OPS above .800 in each of the last four seasons.
That kind of production would be a major lift for the lineup, even if a serious pursuit still feels unlikely.
On the pitching side, Shota Imanaga offers a different kind of fit. In all three of his MLB seasons since coming over from Japan, he has kept his ERA under 3.80 and held hitters below a .235 average.
He’s also topped 170 innings in two of those three years. The home run ball can bother him at times, but his strike-throwing stands out, and his splitter is described as an elite pitch.
He would give the White Sox a steady left-handed option in the rotation, and he likely wouldn’t come at an outrageous price. There’s also a possible reunion angle, since he’d be joining Munetaka Murakami’s teammate from the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Matthew Boyd is the lower-cost lefty in the mix. He turns 36 this season and dealt with injuries in 2026, so he’s not the kind of arm you want to lean on heavily.
But when he’s been healthy, he’s put together solid seasons over the last three years with the Guardians and the Cubs. His changeup gives him a weapon against right-handed hitters, and he could work as a depth addition rather than a centerpiece.
Ian Happ rounds out the list, though he fits a little less cleanly than Suzuki. Happ has struggled against left-handed pitching, and he’s a left-handed hitter himself, which doesn’t line up perfectly with the right-handed profile the White Sox may be seeking.
Even so, he has been one of the most dependable outfielders in the game. He has played at least 148 games every season since 2021, won four Gold Gloves in left field, and posted an OPS above .730 in each of those seasons.
That kind of consistency still carries weight, even if the fit isn’t perfect.
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Now the question is whether he can pitch his way into the Opening Day conversation. Thorpes minor-league work in 2026 showed enough to keep him on the radar, and if he carries that form into camp while the White Sox fail to make a meaningful upgrade to the rotation, the team may have to decide whether to give him another shot right away. [Read more 🡒]