The White Sox made progress on the field this past season, but several holes remain after their third consecutive 100-loss campaign.
Sox fans, however, shouldn’t expect much activity through free agency when it comes to upgrading the roster.
‘‘We’ll take a look at it,’’ general manager Chris Getz said of free agency. ‘‘Like we have in the past, if there are opportunities to improve the club, we are going to.
‘‘We will be active. To what extent is yet to be seen.’’
The Sox are at a critical point in their rebuild. If they want to compete for a playoff spot, like members of the organization have mentioned, filling out the rotation and bullpen with reliable contributors is a must. So is adding some power hitters to the corner-infield spots.
Still, much of the Sox’ improvement next season likely will depend — and will come from — internal growth.
‘‘More than anything, we want to strengthen our coaching staff, improve our processes within the front office and go out there and try to win as many games as we can next year,’’ said Getz, who will attend the annual GM meetings this week.
How will they fill innings?
The Sox, like most organizations, need starting pitching. Sox starters finished with the fewest innings pitched (758⅔) of any team in the majors in 2025. One factor in that was because the Sox used openers throughout the season.
Only right-handers Davis Martin and Shane Smith are guaranteed rotation spots for next season. New pitching coach Zach Bove will have his hands full as he tries to get the most out of a rotation filled with erratic young pitchers.
As seen down the stretch of the 2025 season, the abbreviated outings by the starters taxed a thin bullpen heavily. The free-agent market will be full of pitchers who might be seeking a short-term contract to rebuild their value. The Sox have had success identifying pitchers such as Erick Fedde and Adrian Houser and flipping them for assets at the trade deadline.
It seems Getz is expecting the rotation to be filled with younger arms, such as Jonathan Cannon and Sean Burke, or farm-system arms, such as Tanner McDougal, who could be added to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.
‘‘We do have some arms underneath that are going to make an impact next year,’’ Getz said, ‘‘but I don’t anticipate that happening too much in the opening [days] of next season.’’
Will the CBA affect the Sox’ strategy?
The collective-bargaining agreement is set to expire after the 2026 season, and a lockout might be on the horizon. The labor unrest might lead to shorter-term contracts, but Getz said it hasn’t really been a factor for the Sox.
‘‘We really haven’t factored in the looming CBA negotiations,’’ Getz said. ‘‘It’s been more focused on continuing development of our young players, coming off a ’25 season [in] which we were able to add to the win column.’’
Who’s providing power?
Three Sox finished with 20 or more home runs in 2025, but the lineup as a whole was inconsistent or listless for much of the season. There was a notable lack of power in the lineup until after the All-Star break. The Sox finished eighth in the majors in homers (89) after the break.
First baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell might be a potential target for the Sox. He has hit at least 20 homers five times in his career but is coming off a season in which he batted .237 for the Nationals. He’s the type of player the Sox might be able to sign on a short-term deal.