In the first three offseasons of Chris Getz’s tenure as White Sox general manager, a move bolstering the organizational infrastructure like hiring Matt Roffe from the Brewers to run their drafts might have been a signature moment.
The Sox amateur scouting department grew increasingly aggressive and successful in pursuing prep talent in recent years. But until they’re turning late-round dice rolls into valuable prospects at the rate the Brewers have–and until they’re reaping the returns of an overhauled international amateur operation under David Keller, whose best work won’t join the organization until the 2028 and 2029 IFA classes–the endless depth enjoyed in Milwaukee even as star players walk out the door in free agency will remain hard to replicate.
That will just make this coming offseason more vital.
The reward for one of the most satisfying seasons in franchise history is everyone takes the White Sox seriously now, and the expectations are for impact player acquisitions alongside the structural improvements. The Sox feel good about their seven-figure investments in high school shortstops like Caleb Bonemer and Billy Carlson helping down the road–or sooner–but Getz noted at last August’s trade deadline that his farm system lacked the “middle class” prospects behind them that get deals done.
“I didn’t want to give up our top-end talent for rentals, I didn’t want to do that this particular trade deadline,” Getz said, after just one of the four players he acquired made the ALDS roster. “Did I want to do more? I did, and that’s where I find comfort in it. Because I was willing to do more. It just wasn’t there.”
That’s less of an impediment to the club’s necessary starting pitching pursuits this winter, as free agency is an option.
After traveling to Houston to celebrate his team’s series victory, Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf was also in Cleveland for their Game 5 defeat, thanking his dejected players as they walked off the field for a season that revitalized the fan base. That sentiment, and the improved television ratings and a half-million jump in attendance, should carry over some to Reinsdorf’s discussions of next season’s budget with Getz, with many in the industry expecting an active market ahead of an anticipated lockout when the collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1.
“There’s talent in the free-agent group, there is,” Getz said of the starting pitching market. “We’ve got payroll flexibility, it’s a young growing team. There’s going to be opportunities to add, the timing of that, who knows. We’re at the mercy of a lot of different things.”
Things like the specter of a shortened season hanging around to discourage pushing forward at full force for 2027. Chasing Tarik Skubal to potentially record-setting prices for starting pitching hasn’t been the Sox MO under Reinsdorf, nor a front office that regularly discusses the realities of scouring for undervalued commodities with a below-average payroll. There are some potential mid-rotation fits in free agency, but the overall class is shallow, and the market of pitchers coming stateside from East Asian leagues that has brought Erick Fedde and Anthony Kay to the South Side in previous years is viewed by the Sox as being less robust this winter.
If history is any indication, some activity is simply coming due to the calendar.
There are other candidates, but infielder William Bergolla Jr. is probably the only must-add player for a full White Sox 40-man roster by the Nov. 17 deadline for protecting players for the Rule 5 draft. And five years ago, the previous lockout canceled the Rule 5 draft when it stretched into spring.
But unless teams are informed otherwise at the General Managers’ meetings the week before, it’s expected to be business as usual, which will mean a wealth of player movement as teams clear out space on the 40-man roster. At the same deadline last year, the Sox swung two trades to add three players. Two years prior, it precipitated a five-for-one trade sending Aaron Bummer to Atlanta. The deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players comes three days later on Nov. 20, deepening the free-agency pool as teams shed costly commitments.
Sifting through spare parts from other teams’ 40-man rosters can sound like small potatoes, but it’s a substantial part of how the 2026 team was built, and they’ll need to resourcefully replenish depth similar to how organizations they admire in Milwaukee and Tampa regularly do.
For the first time in a while, the White Sox cohere as a unit more than they impress on paper.
That’s a compliment to all involved, but also lends itself to a winter where there’s plenty of room for improvement. There’s a promising young core, but relatively few immovable mainstays. How and when to add to a team seemingly on the rise is a question other up-and-comers have struggled with in this spot.
But again, this is the reward for winning.
“It’s definitely something you need to be mindful of, [and] as we’ve continued to develop our research and development group and understand our projections and the future production of our players, that objective information is vital in making those decisions,” Getz said. “I’ve talked about maintaining this identity of the clubhouse and what has made this group special. Players evolve, things evolve, incentives evolve. I feel like we’ve got a really strong group to be able to recognize when change needs to happen.”