The 2026 Chicago White Sox's bullpen was a strength for most of the season, though some memorable meltdowns hurt, both during the regular season and the postseason.
There will likely be some change as we head into 2027 -- assuming we have a normal season next year. Some changes will be forced as young arms that might be future starters move into the rotation or head back to the minors for seasoning. And some pitchers may have shown they aren't part of the 'pen going forward.
The future of the White Sox bullpen
We'll take a look at key 2026 members of the bullpen and examine their potential status for 2027. At the end, we'll take a peek at some potential free agents that could be wearing a White Sox jersey next season.
I used Baseball Reference for stats and Spotrac for contract info. I also, for simplicity's sake, used current labor rules.
Anyway, here we go, in no particular order.
Trevor Richards
The 33-year-old has an 0.7 WAR and wasn't one of the high-leverage guys. He's what I call "just a guy" -- a non-prospect veteran who mostly pitches in low-leverage situations and fills a roster spot. That sounds like an insult, but it isn't -- few bullpens, if any, can be made up of entirely high-leverage guys. There just aren't enough arms to go around. And not every game presents high-leverage situations for relievers. Teams need a few guys like Richards to fill out the bullpen's back end. But that doesn't mean they need Richards specifically. He's a free agent, so the Sox could let him walk.
Bryan Hudson
Hudson is on the edge of the Sox's coaching staff's "circle of trust". He's under team control for this year, so he could be an innings eater, although he had just 67.1 IP in 2026. He's just under a 1 WAR. Consider him a semi-reliable middle guy who isn't on the high leverage list but is more valuable than just a mop-up man.
Jordan Hicks
If the hard-throwing 29-year-old can get his control to be consistent, he could be a setup man or closer. When he's on, he's very hard to hit -- unless you're the White Sox boogeyman, Jose Ramirez, who hit an out-of-the-zone, 100 mph fastball out of the park in a playoff game. When he's off, he walks too many hitters. With his stuff, if he can keep it in the zone, he can be a key part of the bullpen heading into his walk year.
Huascar Brazoban
The trade-deadline target struggled early after arriving in Chicago -- and after having a good 2026 with the Mets before the trade. Then he was on the IL for about a month, then he came back and pitched decently in low-leverage situations. He didn't make the ALDS roster. He is under team control through 2029 -- does he work to improve and become a key member of the pen? Or do the Sox flip him?
Tyler Davis
Davis made the ALDS roster and is under club control. He's got a shot to earn a larger bullpen role.
Sean Newcomb
Newcomb occasionally had a bad day, but he was generally solid out of the pen, especially with inherited runners. He was a 2 WAR player in 2026 and he's a lefty. He's also 33 and a free agent. I'd bring him back on a short-term deal, but I can understand if the Sox let him walk.
Grant Taylor
As I already covered, Taylor could become a starter, so I won't belabor that point. I still think Taylor can close -- he showed the mentality and the physical skills during the season. He was the closest thing the Sox had to a closer. We'll see what happens, but I'd be fine with him in that role.
Others In The Mix
Mike Vasil and Jordan Leasure will likely be back from injuries at some point. Hagen Smith, Noah Schultz, David Sandlin, Shane Smith, and Jonathan Cannon are all guys who seem to be likely starters, but anyone on that list could get some time in the 'pen.
We'll dig into free agents later, as well. Right now, as I see it, the Sox 'pen should be Hicks, Newcomb, Taylor, Brazoban (if he's back to his Mets numbers), and Davis, with Hudson being a maybe. That's five or six guys, so there's room for one to three additions via free agency or trade. Or for the arrival of injured internal reinforcements like Vasil.
The Sox's starting rotation is the biggest pitching question mark, but the bullpen isn't 100 percent set. Still, there's less work to be done here. Hopefully the 2027 bullpen will be a solid as the 2026 unit was.
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