The White Sox offseason blueprint starts with a simple idea: keep the young core moving forward, then patch the holes with veterans who can actually help right away.
That’s the framework behind a plan that keeps Miguel Vargas, Brenton Doyle, and Huascar Brazoban in the mix while also leaving room for a few bigger swings. Vargas is viewed as an easy call, Doyle is framed as a useful fourth- or fifth-outfielder type with defense and some pop, and Brazoban is expected back along with another veteran reliever who can handle high-leverage innings.
There are no other impending free agents to sort through, and the Grichuk-Newcomb question sits near the top of the internal debate. The preference, as laid out here, is to keep either Grichuk or Doyle, with Doyle’s age and glove tipping the scales. Newcomb is also a name worth bringing back, but the belief is that he has priced himself beyond what Chicago would be willing to match.
The most aggressive move on the board is Seiya Suzuki, projected on a three-year, $90 million deal with a fourth-year player option at $25 million. The fit is built on more than just talent.
Suzuki would get to play with Munetaka Murakami, and the roster construction would let Braden Montgomery ease into a larger role instead of being forced into full-time right field duty too soon. Montgomery could still rotate through left field, right field, and designated hitter work while Suzuki handles right field until age pushes him toward more DH time.
The bullpen plan also gets a notable boost with AJ Minter, who is slotted in on a two-year, $24 million deal. The thinking is that he would slide into a high-leverage setup role for Grant Taylor, especially with Hagen Smith getting a chance to start next year.
Lucas Giolito is another familiar name in the mix, this time on a one-year, $5 million prove-it deal. The logic is straightforward: if San Diego passes on its mutual option with him at $8 million, Chicago could bring him back and use him as the fifth starter. If things go sideways early, the Sox could move on and give that spot to someone like Sandlin or Castillo.
Jeff McNeil rounds out the free-agent additions as a left-handed bench bat on a one-year, $7.5 million deal with a $5 million mutual option in 2028. He’s penciled in as a versatile contact hitter who can cover second, third, left field, and right field.
The trade section is where the plan really gets bold. In one deal, Noah Schultz, Billy Carlson, and Mathias LaCombe go to the Angels for Reid Detmers and Ben Joyce.
Detmers had already been linked to the Sox at last year’s trade deadline, and the idea here is that Chicago finally gets it done. The package is steep, but the belief is that Detmers is a 27-year-old stud worth paying for.
Joyce, meanwhile, brings closer upside and nasty stuff, even if health has been a problem. He’d get a shot in high-leverage work.
The other major trade sends Andrew Benintendi and Edgar Quero to Atlanta for Sean Murphy and Alex Lodise, the Braves’ No. 5 prospect. The idea is that Quero needs a change of scenery and Murphy does too.
Murphy’s recent injury history is part of the cost, but he’s still viewed as an above-average defensive catcher who can split time with Teel. His contract carries a $13 million AAV, and the Sox would be on the hook through 2029.
That pairing with Teel is seen as a way to give the younger catcher a right-handed bat with pop and playoff experience. Benintendi, in turn, gives Atlanta a left-handed bench bat with power and a possible path to full-time DH work depending on Jurickson Profar’s situation.
Lodise is included to balance out Chicago taking on Murphy’s money, and he also happens to be the cousin of Kyle Lodise, another Sox prospect.
Put it all together, and the projected opening group looks very different. The lineup features Sam Antonacci in left, Vargas at third, Murakami at first, Suzuki in right, Teel behind the plate, Chase Meidroth at second, Colson Montgomery at short, Braden Montgomery at DH, Tristan Peters in center, and Murphy as the second catcher. The bench and utility mix includes Luisangel Acuna, McNeil, and Doyle.
The rotation would run Burke, Detmers, Davis Martin, Hagen Smith, and Giolito, with Castillo and Anthony Kay available for long relief or spot starts. The bullpen would lean on Jordan Hicks, Bryan Hudson, Brazoban, Minter, Joyce, and Grant Taylor in the closer role.
David Sandlin, Mike Vasil, Prelander Berroa, Brooks Baldwin, and Rikuu Nishida are listed as the first call-ups when injuries or roster moves open the door.
The overall payroll increase is estimated at around $72 million, which would leave the Sox just under $140 million total. The case being made is that’s a workable number for a young team trying to contend.
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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 🡒]
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White Sox Rotation Target Just Became A Much Tougher Decision
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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 🡒]