2024-25 MLB Offseason Recap: Chicago White Sox

The White Sox set the MLB mark for most losses in a single season last year. Chicago is deep in a rebuild and the team had very few bright spots. And after the 2024 campaign, the White Sox traded away the team’s lone All-Star to further the rebuild.

Notable Additions

• RP Cam Booser (0.8 bWAR)
• SP Martin Perez (0.9 bWAR)
• INF Josh Rojas (2.1 bWAR)
• SP/RP Shane Smith (Rule 5 Draft pick)
• OF Austin Slater (-0.2 bWAR)
• OF Michael A. Taylor (0.9 bWAR)
• SP Bryse Wilson (0.9 bWAR)

Amid a large rebuild, the White Sox weren’t significant players in the free agent market. Instead, Chicago opted to pick up veterans on short-term deals.

Josh Rojas, who got a lot of time in Seattle last season, comes over via free agency. Rojas is a sneaky infielder, who who makes consistent contact and gets on-base. However, the ex-Mariner doesn’t have a lot of pop.

Rojas is a versatile infielder, as he can play second and third. But with Miguel Vargas penciled in as the tentative third baseman, expect Rojas to get more middle infield work.

Chicago also picked up outfielders Austin Slater and Michael A. Taylor, both of whom are coming off down seasons.

The White Sox also made a couple of notable pitching additions. Chicago picked Shane Smith, who performed very well in the Brewers’ farm system, with the first pick in the Rule 5 Draft this past December.

Veteran pitcher Martin Perez, a heavy sinkerballer, signed with the Sox after a strong run with the Padres last summer.

Notable Losses

• SP Garrett Crochet (4.1 bWAR)
• SP Chris Flexen (1.6 bWAR)
• INF Yoan Moncada (0.3 bWAR)
• 1B/OF Gavin Sheets (-1.0 bWAR)
• SP/RP Michael Soroka (0.6 bWAR)

The White Sox made numerous moves last year to begin the process of re-loading their farm system, trading Dylan Cease just before the start of 2024. Erick Fedde, Tommy Pham, Michael Kopech, and Paul DeJong were moved in midseason deals.

However, there was one significant piece to attend to this winter: Garrett Crochet. Crochet exploded as a starter last season, his first run in a Major League rotation after spending his early years as a reliever. The problem, though, with Crochet’s success is how would the lefty fit into the White Sox’s future plans.

Crochet entered the winter with two years left of team control. Will the White Sox realistically move from rebuilder to contender, fast enough to entice Crochet to re-sign? Or, pull the trigger and trade Crochet while his value is high? Chicago chose the latter route.

The White Sox got a big haul for Crochet from the Red Sox, highlighted by former first-round picks Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery. Teel is a superb hitter with a 65-grade hit tool, while Montgomery is an athletic five-tool player.

Aside from Crochet, Michael Soroka went to the free agent market. Soroka, acquired in the Aaron Bummer trade, struggled in the rotation for the White Sox but thrived as a reliever. The Nationals signed him to a one-year deal.

Chris Flexen, who led the White Sox in innings pitched (160 IP) last year, signed a Minor League deal with the Cubs in February 2025.

The most notable loss on offense was Yoan Moncada, as the White Sox shot down his $25MM team option, originally given to him when he signed a pre-arbitration extension that went in effect for the 2020 season. It ended an injury-riddled tenure for Moncada. The switch-hitter only played 12 games last year.

Moncada signed with the Angels.

What to Expect in 2025

The 2024 campaign was a nightmare-ish one for the White Sox. It hurt even more that despite a historically bad season, there was no real reward at the end of it. Chicago, because of MLB Draft lottery rules, were ineligible for the top pick even though the White Sox had the most losses.

Chicago will likely finish in last place of the AL Central. Despite the White Sox picking up young talent in trades throughout the year, the team will still need roughly two or three years for those players to make an impact.

The good news for the White Sox, though, is that there’s a lot of Minor League talent — all of whom could make their way to Chicago at roughly the same time — to be excited about.