Time will tell if the White Sox made the right move in adding late-inning reliever Seranthony Dominguez instead of a veteran outfielder.
General manager Chris Getz wants to give Everson Pereira and Luisangel Acuna opportunities. With the Mets taking on the remaining $20 million of Luis Robert Jr.’s contract, Getz decided to use the financial flexibility to address the bullpen.
Having pitched in two World Series, Dominguez, a right-hander, lives for high-intensity moments. He brings steadiness to a young bullpen. Manager Will Venable wouldn’t go so far as to name Dominguez the closer, but he intends to use him “toward the end of games.”
“I like to be [in the playoffs] because it’s there where you feel the adrenaline, you feel like you gotta do your job,” Dominguez said Friday on a Zoom call. “[Relievers] focus a little bit more when you’re in that situation.”
Dominguez’s contract — a two-year, $20 million deal with a mutual option for 2028 with the Sox — was made official Friday. He had a 3.16 ERA in a career-high 62⅔ innings with the Orioles and Blue Jays last season. His addition will have a trickle-down effect on the other arms in the bullpen, taking pressure off high-leverage relievers Jordan Leasure and Grant Taylor.
“It should be able to keep us in a spot where we can keep those guys healthy and available for big innings,” Venable said.
Getz said Dominguez is a “stabilizing arm” and will help the team improve its 15-36 record in one-run games by giving Venable more options late in games.
The Sox’ bullpen had a 4.16 ERA, 18th-best in the majors, and was last in save percentage in 2025.
“I sit down with Will and the staff before and after games and talk about availability, ‘Who do we have the following day?’ ” Getz said. “ ‘We only have this guy, so how do we get to that guy?’ Now we’ve got more options, and that’s going to allow us to finish more games than we have in the past.”
The Sox think Dominguez’s playoff experience will be invaluable in the clubhouse. Dominguez said he knows “this year will be different” because of the Sox’ youth. He realizes he’s not joining an established playoff contender.
Getz said this offseason that he wanted to address the corner outfield spots. Andrew Benintendi, the lone returning outfielder, likely will spend more time as the designated hitter because of recurring Achilles problems.
The Sox have aspirations to build on their second-half improvement from ’25, but they’re taking a gamble by not investing more in the outfield and betting on unproven players to suddenly click at the plate. Getz is steadfast in his decision, however. That decision to invest in a reliever rather than an outfielder will be monitored throughout spring training and the regular season.
“We’re talking about a bullpen that’s going to allow us to get to the finish line to stack up more wins,” Getz said.