Will Chicago White Sox Spend In Free Agency To Supplement Young Core In 2026?

CHICAGO –– The second half of the 2025 White Sox season has provided a few promising signs for the future.

From an individual standpoint, general manager Chris Getz on Monday mentioned the play of rookies Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero, Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, who rank in the top 10 among American League rookie position players in wins above replacement this season.

He also lauded the under-the-radar breakout seasons from Rule 5 Draft picks like Mike Vasil and All-Star Shane Smith, who are second and third among AL rookie pitchers in WAR.

"Looking back, if you would have told me they were going to come up here and do what they have done and shown the fight that they have," Getz said. "I would have been pretty happy."

Add steps forward from Miguel Vargas and Lenyn Sosa, plus contributions from veterans, and the White Sox have put together a solid 25-30 record post All-Star break, including an ongoing five-game losing streak after a 9-2 stretch.

"We feel good about what they were able to accomplish in the second half considering how we’ve performed in the past," Getz said. "Talking about wins and losses is not something that we often focus on because it really is about winning the game that’s in front of you. But what we saw in the second half I think is real, I do. So it’s our job to support it and maintain that and continue to take steps forward."

Despite the pieces of optimism this season has come with, Getz acknowledged there's plenty of work needed to be done to become a contending team. After all, the White Sox have an American League-worst 57-95 record and are on pace for a third consecutive 100-loss season. While there have been positive individual developments, the big-picture reality is a third straight season in last place in the American League Central.

Getz considers the White Sox to be in a review phase currently, examining all departments of the organization, players and coaches. Next will be the offseason, and he hopes the team can create some momentum over the final two weeks of the regular season.

Among the goals going into the season was for people to see what is being built, and he feels they've taken steps in doing so. Now, it's about carrying that into offseason training with the current roster, who Getz consider vital to the future of the organization.

As much as the White Sox like their young core of rookies, any team has to supplement through free agency in order to become a true playoff contender and World Series threat. Getz said it's too early to predict how everything will play out. But he believes all areas of the team can be improved and that the most important thing is continued development of the young White Sox players.

"We’ll look at the free agent market," Getz said. "If it makes sense and we match up, then we will go ahead and do that. What’s really going to drive this are the players that are currently in our uniform. If there are opportunities to supplement this group and continue to drive this forward, we are going to go ahead and do that."