The White Sox lost 100+ games for the third straight season in 2025. Their 60 wins were the fewest in the American League. The club has multiple areas for improvement, but is unlikely to address those needs via lengthy free agent deals, general manager Chris Getz told reporters this week, including Scott Merkin of MLB.com. “Free agency is an avenue to bring in players to help in the win total,” Getz said. “But to go beyond this upcoming season I think would be a little premature considering the state of our club right now and the development of these young players.”
Chicago wasn’t expected to be a major player in free agency, and Getz’s comments confirm the club will continue to get by with veterans on short deals around their young players. In two offseasons at the helm, Getz has only handed out one multi-year deal, inking Erick Fedde to a two-year, $15MM pact in 2024. Getz’s largest investment this past offseason was a one-year, $5M deal to Martin Perez. The contract included a $10MM mutual option for 2026, which Perez declined. Getz will need to replace Perez and fellow journeymen Adrian Houser and Aaron Civale, who all made double-digit starts with Chicago this past year. If Chicago goes the free agent route, reinforcements will likely be of the one-year variety.
“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,” Getz said. “That’s something we can control, and then in the future years, when we are approaching that ’27 season, we’ll adjust and put together the best club for the future that we can after the ’26 season.”
Getz has already made headway regarding the coaching staff. The White Sox announced this week that Derek Shomon will take over as hitting coach, and Sherman Johnson Jr. will join the organization as minor league hitting coordinator.
Chicago had the third-lowest OPS and the fourth-lowest wRC+ as a team last season, but did get promising contributions from some young hitters. Top prospect Colson Montgomery debuted in July and delivered strong power numbers, belting 21 home runs in just 71 games. The Garrett Crochet trade paid immediate dividends, as Kyle Teel posted a 125 wRC+ and Chase Meidroth offered decent production at the top of the order with a .329 OBP. The White Sox were even able to get a league-average season from Miguel Vargas. The former top prospect came over in 2024 as part of the Michael Kopech trade. He struggled to close that season, but bounced back with a respectable .234/.316/.401 in his first full year with the team.
Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images
Translation: Mike Clevinger and whatever else Getz can scrape off the bottom of the barrel
I don’t feel bad for many people but I sympathize with White Sox fans. So much good baseball around and you guys are stuck with this.
And Colorado provides solace for CWS fans – ‘we could be the Rockies.’
Ret-good point. Feel even worse for the Rockies fans.
@CLNC: As the article points out, though, the Sox have impressive young talent–and the article doesn’t even mention some very good young pitchers in the pipeline. BUT–management will eventually need to supplement that with some significant free-agent spending, too.
Kick them out of the league
Smith and Schultz are both gonna be up next year and Montgomery/Teel/Quero/Meidroth/Mead/Vargas is a solid, young core to build around. Gotta give the youngsters their shot before you start looking at what pieces to bring in via free agency but this team isn’t far off IMHO.
Next year is the litmus test as all of those ‘core’ guys need to show they can learn and get more consistent with the bats.
Alan-I agree but what they are having to endure is awful.
White Sox, Rockies, A’s, Twins, and Angels fans I feel bad for.
We’re a Minor Leaugue Team
MERCY!!!
It’s a shame that this is their attitude, especially with the Ishbias ready to take over. This team has needed a RF seemingly since sliced bread was invented…Tucker addresses that need now and into the future. They can easily afford it.
I can’t imagine Pete Alonso is going to get the massive contract he dreams of. Would love to see his bat in Chicago too.
This isn’t The Show 25. Tucker would have to want to go to Chicago for that to even remotely become a potential signing.
And that’s not even factoring in the QO penalties they’d lose for the signing.
Tucker alone doesn’t even get them to 500. They need a lot of their young players to step up next year and at least 3-4 of them to mature into stars before you start handing out the kind of money Tucker is going to sign for.
What they can and should do though is look at locking up Montgomery and Teel to long-term extensions now while they’re still young.
They don;t make money. They will cut costs and eventually return to profitability. Only then will they make long term investments. Meanwhile, the franchise value continues to grow. Go figure
2024 this team had a 41M operating loss, so yes you can lose money while the team valuation goes up because those are two different things.
You should still want to field a competitive team and get vets in that can show the guys the right way to play and win, getting bottom barrel scrapheap guys is not going to do that.
I get you cannot spend a fortune, but pick some guy (who has won with teams in the past and also contribute on the field) to pay to help tutor the young guys.
They choose to be bad due to jerry. it sucks