The Chicago White Sox accomplished far more than anyone expected in 2026. An 84-win season and a trip to the American League Division Series would have sounded ridiculous a year ago. Unfortunately, blowing a 2-0 series lead against Cleveland left a bitter taste.
Now comes the difficult part. General manager Chris Getz has to prove this wasn't a one-year fluke, and his biggest offseason move should involve bringing an established starting pitcher to Chicago.
White Sox can't afford another season without reliable starting pitching
For all the progress Chicago made, the starting rotation was held together with duct tape for much of the season.
White Sox starters combined for just 674.2 innings, the fewest in Major League Baseball. Will Venable found creative ways to work around that problem, particularly during the playoffs, but there's only so much a manager can do without dependable starters.
Sean Burke emerged as someone Chicago can build around. Noah Schultz and David Sandlin offer additional promise, while Hagen Smith and Grant Taylor could eventually become rotation options.
That's a respectable collection of young arms. It isn't necessarily a rotation capable of carrying a team through another postseason run.
Getz acknowledged the need for outside pitching help during his season-ending press conference. That's encouraging, although identifying a problem and actually fixing it are two different things.
Chris Getz could make a significant trade before 2027
The prediction here is that Chicago acquires an established starting pitcher through a trade rather than committing substantial money to a free agent.
The White Sox have accumulated considerable infield talent throughout their minor league system. At some point, having more prospects than available positions becomes an opportunity to address another weakness.
That doesn't mean trading away the organization's best young players simply to make a splash.
But moving a prospect or two for a dependable starter with multiple years of team control would make sense, especially with Chicago's payroll situation still uncertain.
The Luis Castillo acquisition was supposed to help accomplish something similar. Instead, Castillo struggled after arriving from Seattle, posting an 8.42 ERA across 31 innings before being left off the postseason roster.
That experience shouldn't scare Getz away from trying again.
Chicago doesn't need another pitcher who might eventually become reliable. It needs someone who can take the ball every fifth day and give the bullpen a break.
The White Sox surprised everyone in 2026. Nobody is going to overlook them next season.
If Getz wants to turn this unexpected playoff appearance into something sustainable, adding a proven starting pitcher would be a pretty good start.
| More White Sox on DaWindyCity |
Add us as a preferred source on Google