The White Sox are heading into an offseason that should look a little different from the ones they’ve had before, and the biggest question is where they’ll choose to spend their energy. With a young group of position players now looking more like a real lineup than a collection of promising names, pitching figures to be the main target. Even so, general manager Chris Getz has also pointed to the outfield as a possible area to upgrade, and that keeps the door open to just about anything.
That’s where Sam Antonacci enters the conversation.
On a Yankees podcast last week, MLB insider Joel Sherman floated a trade idea involving Chicago and New York. The Yankees could be searching for help at second base with Jazz Chisholm headed toward free agency, and Sherman mentioned Antonacci as a possible fit.
In that scenario, the White Sox would be looking for pitching back, either through a top prospect such as Elmer Rodriguez or a big leaguer like Ryan Weathers. It’s the kind of deal that would sting for Chicago, but it also puts a real choice on the table.
Antonacci’s rookie season gave the White Sox plenty to like. He’ll be 24 before Opening Day, and after making his big league debut in April, he quickly settled in as a major presence near the top of the order.
He didn’t bring a ton of power, but he consistently got on base and finished with a .277/.370/.396 slash line and a 116 OPS+. His approach at the plate and ability to put the ball in play made him a valuable leadoff option, and based on his work ethic and skill set, it would not be a shock to see him take another step in 2027, with more power and better defense likely being the next areas of growth.
Still, there’s a reason the White Sox might at least listen if the right offer comes along. To get Antonacci to the majors, they shifted him to the outfield in 2026 for the first time in his career, and while he looked fine to the eye, the numbers told a harsher story.
He finished with -9 OAA in left field, one of the worst marks in baseball among position players. That’s tough to ignore, especially for a team that can’t afford to carry that level of defensive production long term.
The infield is already crowded with quality players, so there may not be a simple path to move him back inside.
There’s also the split against left-handed pitching, where Antonacci posted a .608 OPS as a rookie. That’s another number that could improve with more time, but if Chicago wants a quicker answer, it may not want to wait around and hope.
None of that means the White Sox should dump Antonacci just to make a move. If they upgrade in left field, he could still have a place as a utility piece because of his versatility.
But if another club comes calling with a young pitcher in the mix, that’s the kind of offer the front office will have to think hard about. This winter matters for Chicago’s rebuild, and Getz and the front office are going to have to weigh every route that might move them forward.
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White Sox Pipeline Still Looks Loaded After Baseball Americas New List
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The club is represented multiple times on the rankings, a sign that the rebuild has not emptied out the upper levels the way some feared it might. For a team still trying to turn prospect buzz into sustained big league production, having several names surface on a national list like this is the kind of external validation that keeps the farm system in the conversation, even with more of the story still to come. [Read more 🡒]