The White Sox are heading into the winter with a clear priority: build up the rotation. That plan includes outside additions, but it also runs through the roster they already have, with Grant Taylor moving out of the bullpen and into a starting role.
Even with Taylor shifting to the rotation, Chicago isn’t treating relief pitching as the main item on the shopping list. Speaking with the Chicago Sun-Times’ James Fegan and other reporters, GM Chris Getz pushed back on the idea that the club needs to chase bullpen help aggressively. The Sox may instead lean on surplus starters to cover relief innings, then look for a lower-cost veteran or two later in the offseason if they want more depth.
The infield picture could eventually give Chicago another way to address needs elsewhere. The organization has been mentioned as a possible trade partner because of its prospect depth, but Getz said that is “ not something that I would say we’re entertaining right now.”
That fits the moment the Sox are in. They may have more young infielders than immediate openings, but they are still sorting out which ones are actual long-term pieces.
And despite the unexpected AL Central title, Chicago is not abandoning the rebuilding track. Miguel Vargas, Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, and Munetaka Murakami all played major roles in the playoff run, but the Sox still appear intent on letting the roster develop naturally rather than making a sudden shift in direction.
Minnesota is dealing with a different kind of pitching puzzle. The Twins have a much bigger bullpen need than rotation need, but they may still follow a similar blueprint by adding a starter first and then using one of the extras in relief. Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports that the club could target a mid-rotation arm and then shift at least one leftover starter into the bullpen, a strategy that lines up with the Twins’ long-standing reluctance to spend heavily on relief pitching.
GM Jeremy Zoll said the team would “ need to be open-minded to ” rotation additions, “ knowing that it feels like an area of surplus but also want to be mindful of not eating into that too much since we know we’re going to need real depth to attack the season.” Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, and the returning Pablo Lopez are projected as Minnesota’s top three starters, while Dean Kremer, Zebby Matthews, Bailey Ober, Connor Prielipp, and Mick Abel are in the mix for the final two rotation spots.
In Cleveland, the Guardians are bringing in Alex Burg as their new quality control coach, according to Justice delos Santos of the Bay Area News Group. Burg spent the last five seasons on the Giants’ staff, serving as bullpen coach in 2022-23, catching coach over the last three seasons, and Major League field coordinator this past year. Before joining San Francisco, he also spent three years on the Rangers’ staff after a nine-year minor league playing career ended.
In Other News...
Guardians May Have A Sensible Answer At First Base
The Guardians have spent plenty of time this winter looking for ways to squeeze more offense out of a lineup that could use another dependable bat, and first base stands out as one of the cleaner places to make a move. Free agent Ty France fits that conversation well. His 2026 work with the San Diego Padres gives Cleveland a recent example of a hitter who can help stabilize the position, while also giving the front office a chance to address an area that has not offered much certainty.
First base is still a spot where the Guardians can sort through internal options and prospects, but the appeal of a straightforward veteran answer is obvious when the roster is trying to improve without creating more holes elsewhere. The bigger picture remains the same, too: Cleveland needs offense, but it also needs pitching depth, so any move at first base has to fit a broader offseason plan rather than crowd it out. France may not solve everything, but he looks like the kind of practical addition that could make the rest of the puzzle easier to manage. [Read more 🡒]
Jo Adell Just Gave Guardians Fans Another Reason To Love Him
Jo Adells first season with the Guardians gave Cleveland plenty to like beyond the usual trade-deadline buzz. Acquired from the Angels during the 2026 season, Adell settled into a meaningful role and got his first taste of postseason baseball, adding a new layer to a year that already featured a strong offensive finish across 158 games.
The on-field production was only part of the appeal. Adell also marked a major personal milestone in November 2026, when he married Jazmine, giving Guardians fans another reason to feel invested in his story as he heads into the next chapter of his career. [Read more 🡒]
Emmanuel Clase Trial Puts Guardians In An Uncomfortable Spotlight
Federal court proceedings have put Emmanuel Clase and the Guardians in an uncomfortable spotlight, with prosecutors and defense attorneys both leaning on text messages tied to the closers alleged role in a pitch-rigging scheme. The messages at the center of the case were presented as evidence as the sides laid out sharply different interpretations of the language used in them, adding another layer of scrutiny to a situation that has already cast a long shadow over Cleveland.
Prosecutors say references to chickens and roosters were coded language meant to conceal the alleged scheme, while the defense insists those words were about legal cockfighting in the Dominican Republic. Clase and two others have been charged with conspiracy and deny the allegations, leaving the Guardians with an unsettling legal story that is still unfolding and could keep drawing attention well beyond the courtroom. [Read more 🡒]