The 2025 MLB All-Star Game has come and gone, and this weekends games officially kick off the second half of the 2025 MLB season.
For some teams, this means resuming their quest to take home a World Series title.
For the Chicago White Sox, the team with the second-worst record in all of baseball, the playoffs are out of reach.
Playoff contender or not, every team still has to play the rest of the games, and these games can still be meaningful for the White Sox, even if they don’t end with postseason birth. Here are a few goals for the White Sox that would make the second half of 2025 a success.
Cash in on short-term assets
With the MLB Draft and the All-Star Game now behind them, teams will shift their focus to the trade deadline, which is now just a couple weeks away.
The White Sox will obviously be in sell mode, as they look to build their strong farm system by adding potential long-term assets. Even with their most talented trade chip, Luis Robert Jr., having an awful season, the White Sox have a few other strong performers on short-term deals that could make sense for contending clubs.
Adrian Houser has been a marvel since the White Sox picked him up on May 20th. In 10 starts, Houser has an impressive 1.89 ERA, and he’s leading the White Sox with 1.8 fWAR.
Had Houser made a few more starts (or maybe just been in the National League), he most likely would’ve been the All-Star representative for the Sox. A free agent at the end of the year, Houser likely won’t command a huge return, but the White Sox would be silly to not cash in when his value has never been higher.
Aaron Civale hasn’t been quite as good as Houser, but he could still provide a contending team with a veteran innings eater.
On the position player side, Austin Slater and Michael A. Taylor are both having a solid year on one-year deals, and Mike Tauchman looks like the best hitter in the Sox lineup.
Tauchman has another year of control, so GM Chris Getz will have an interesting decision to make on him.
I don’t expect the White Sox to land any blue chip prospects, but they have enough short-term assets to make a few solid deals, and there’s no reason to avoid it in a lost season.
Protect their young pitchers
Another second-half priority for the White Sox should be protecting their young starting pitchers.
With Shane Smith and Sean Burke rapidly approaching their career high in innings, they may not be able to be relied on as a full-length starter every fifth day down the stretch.
Jonathan Cannon and Davis Martin should be reliable options down the stretch, but the Sox will likely need some other options, especially if Adrian Houser and Aaron Civale are dealt. Internally, veterans Mike Clevinger and Noah Syndergaard could be options for eating innings, and young righty Tanner McDougal could make his big league debut in 2025.
Tyler Alexander and Mike Vasil have started before and could be stretched out to start again, but the Sox may need to look at the waiver wire and add a veteran arm or two to get them to the end of the season.
Making sure Burke, Cannon, Martin, and Smith are healthy and avoid fatigue should be a priority, as each figures to be a big part of the White Sox plans in 2026 and beyond.
Improve the production and consistency of young hitters
The promotion of young hitters has been one of the main stories of the White Sox season in 2025. Chase Meidroth, Edgar Quero, Kyle Teel, and Colson Montgomery have joined Miguel Vargas and Lenyn Sosa as young pieces that the White Sox hope become part of their core.
Every player on that list has shown flashes of potential this season, but the majority of them have hit a midseason slump.
Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel getting in the lineup together more should help them both maintain their hot starts, and Miguel Vargas and Chase Meidroth should work with the coaches on finding their May groove again.
It’s still early for Colson Montgomery, but he had a rough homestand before the break, and he needs to focus on each at bat individually and not let it hurt his confidence.
Lenyn Sosa has hit the ball consistently well all year, but he still chases way too many pitches out of the strike zone, and has occasional struggles on defense.
All of these hitters are talented, but have something to work on in the second half. Seeing some results here would be a big win for the White Sox and would certainly make them feel better heading into 2026.
Despite currently sitting in last place in the AL central, the White Sox have some clear objectives to strive for in the second half of the season. White Sox fans can keep their eyes toward the future and view everything through the long-term lens. That may not make the remainder of the 2025 season exciting, but it’ll make these games meaningful.