The White Sox know exactly where the work starts this offseason: the rotation.
After their starters logged just 674.2 innings in 2026 - the fewest in Major League Baseball - general manager Chris Getz said Wednesday that adding starting pitching is a priority. Chicago leaned on openers and bulk relievers all year, and that usage only intensified in the postseason.
“That is not unique to other teams,” Getz said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “In our case, I think it perhaps is a little bit more pressing.”
The need is clear, but so is the progress around it. Chicago went 84-78, snapped a run of three straight 100-loss seasons and made the playoffs, then came one win short of the American League Championship Series before losing to Cleveland in ALDS Game 5.
Getz said the team’s growth and the identity built under manager Will Venable mattered, and he noted that Venable’s coaching staff is expected to return, per MLB.com. He also pointed to changes behind the scenes, including new hires in research and development and in the medical department.
Still, the biggest roster conversation is on the mound.
Getz said the club will explore both free agency and the trade market while also sorting through internal arms. He named Sean Burke, Noah Schultz and David Sandlin as rotation pieces for 2027.
He also mentioned Grant Taylor and Hagen Smith as pitchers he expects to start eventually, though no final call has been made for next season. Taylor put up a 2.25 ERA in 84 innings out of the bullpen, while Smith showed the kind of strikeout ability that can play in limited major league work.
The White Sox are also betting on better health from Luis Castillo and Davis Martin. Castillo, the centerpiece of the deadline additions, struggled badly after the trade with an 8.42 ERA in nine appearances before going on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement. Martin dealt with right calf discomfort for much of the season and was clearly limited late.
“It was very clear that he was hindered,” Getz said of Martin. “Look forward to seeing what both of those players can do for us come spring training.”
Pitching isn’t the only area on the list. The outfield is another obvious need with Randal Grichuk and Tommy Pham headed to free agency, and Getz said the team will search for help there as well. He said the front office is already studying in-house options and wants to be ready to “pounce when need be” once free agency opens.
There’s also business to settle at first base. Getz made his stance on Munetaka Murakami plain: “We certainly want him to come back and be here a long time.” The sides are still in extension talks, which began in late summer.
The last piece is money, and that part remains unsettled. Chicago’s payroll ranked 24th in the majors this season, and Getz said he has not yet spoken with chairman Jerry Reinsdorf about the 2027 budget.
Even one mid-rotation addition could require more spending. For now, the front office is building off what the 2026 club accomplished while trying to plug the biggest holes.
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White Sox Face A Big Taylor And Smith Decision Ahead
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Getz has not settled on what Taylor or Smith will be in 2027, and the broader picture is still just as fluid. The White Sox plan to look outside the organization for more starting pitching, while the shape of that future rotation and the payroll plans around it remain unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
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In his end-of-season press conference, Chris Getz used the White Sox postseason results as a springboard to lay out where the organization believes it is headed. The general manager revisited the deadline additions of Brenton Doyle, Huascar Brazobn, Joey Bart and Luis Castillo, framing them as part of a broader effort to keep the roster moving forward without losing sight of what comes next.
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White Sox Still Have One Huge Murakami Question After Breakout Rookie Year
Munetaka Murakami gave the White Sox plenty to feel good about in his rookie season, powering 35 home runs and posting an .825 OPS while quickly becoming a major part of the club's offensive mix. Now the bigger question around the first baseman is not what he can do on the field, but how long he will be around to do it, with the team and Murakami locked in extension discussions.
The talks got underway in late summer and have remained quiet since then, with the White Sox offering no official update on where things stand. For a player who already looks like a foundational piece after one strong season, the uncertainty adds another layer to an offseason that could shape the team's core for years to come. [Read more 🡒]