Unwise extensions for unproven players were a big part of what caused the White Sox last rebuild to fail. The team awarded players like Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, and Luis Robert Jr. with extensions before they’d earned them, and none of those players developed in the way the White Sox hoped they would. Now that the White Sox have turned the page on the failed rebuild and have once again made the turn toward contention, it’s time to start evaluating players on the current roster to determine who they want to keep around long-term. With the club reportedly in talks with Munetaka Murakami on a long-term deal, it seems that the rookie first baseman is the team’s priority. Once that deal is completed, there are more players I believe are deserving of a deal. Here are a couple:
3B Miguel Vargas
We’ll start with the obvious. Miguel Vargas has gone from a solid role player to a superstar during the 2026 season. The All-Star infielder enters the weekend tied for the team lead with 29 home runs, and his 4.4 fWAR for the season is the most on the team by a wide margin. The 26-year old is in the final season of his pre-arb deal and will begin arbitration before the 2027 season. He’s under team control through the 2029 season, so the White Sox could consider a long-term deal that buys out a year or two of free agency. Vargas seems to be a leader both on and off the field for the White Sox, and his emergence as one of the best third basemen in the league is just icing on the cake for this young team. If the White Sox are wise, they’ll begin asking Vargas’ reps about what it might take to get a deal done and keep him in Chicago.
Miguel Vargas goes yard AGAIN 😮 pic.twitter.com/iby5EPy8ly
— MLB (@MLB) August 15, 2026
LHP Sean Newcomb
It cannot be overstated how important lefty Sean Newcomb has been to this White Sox pitching staff in 2026. Though he was given the chance to compete for a rotation spot in the spring, Newcomb has fit perfectly into the White Sox bullpen, and he’s frequently stepped up to get the team out of jams or work multiple innings when needed. The 33-year-old enters Friday with a 2.28 ERA in 75 innings this season and is currently second in fWAR among White Sox relievers with 1.7. His one-year, $4.5 million deal this offseason is looking like a complete steal for the team, and he may look to cash in on back-to-back strong seasons with a larger free agent contract. But the White Sox should explore adding a year or two onto his deal in an extension. Newcomb would get the chance to have a significant role on a contending team, and the White Sox could lock in a reliable contributor for the next couple seasons. It’s a deal that could make sense for both sides.
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