3 White Sox offseason additions that already look like a mistake

The 2026 MLB season is only around two weeks old. In general, it’s still too early to make many generalizations or draw any season-long conclusions about players or teams. The White Sox inconsistent play has led to a significant amount of frustration among fans, and it’s not too early to start feeling some concern for players that have gotten off to a slow start. The White Sox made quite a few additions in an attempt to take another step forward in 2026, and some have proven to be worth it. But not all the offseason moves have paid off early. Yesterday we discussed three moves that look like great decisions, so today, let's cover a handful that already look like mistakes. 

Acquiring RHP Jordan Hicks from the Red Sox  for RHP Gage Ziehl

The White Sox made an uncharacteristic move in adding righty Jordan Hicks via trade. The team agreed to take on Hicks’ salary in order to land right-hander David Sandlin from Boston. Now, two weeks into the season, Sandlin has been slowed down by elbow and back injuries and has yet to appear in a game in spring training or the regular season. The White Sox are hoping to have him pitching in Charlotte Knights games by the end of April, but he’s not there yet. Meanwhile, Jordan Hicks has appeared in seven games for the White Sox and holds a 8.10 ERA. His velocity looks strong, but he’s been unable to harness it, walking seven in 6.2 innings. Hicks has had strong seasons as a full-time reliever before, and the stuff is there, so you can see why the White Sox took a flyer on him, but so far the results just haven’t been there. Hicks should continue to see a significant role in the bullpen and Sandlin should return to action soon, so hopefully the verdict on this one changes in the coming days. 

Trading OF Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets for IF/OF Luisangel Acuna 

I don’t want to say I warned everyone about this, but I was skeptical about this deal from the jump. The White Sox traded their highest upside position player in what was essentially a salary dump, though the team spoke highly of Luisangel Acuna. Acuna had a strong showing in the Venezuelan Winter League and spring training, but hasn’t yet carried it over to the regular season. He’s certainly a dynamic player on the bases and his positional versatility is valuable, but Acuna hits the ball on the ground way too much and hasn’t gotten on base enough to be able to make too much of an impact with his speed. Robert, meanwhile, seems to have completely improved his approach at the plate and has been crushing the ball for the Mets so far this season. If he stays healthy and continues producing, the White Sox may not feel great about this one by the end of the year. 

Acquiring LHP Chris Murphy from the Red Sox for C Ronny Hernandez 

The first move of the offseason for the White Sox saw them land lefty reliever Chris Murphy from Boston. Murphy posted a 3.12 ERA for the Red Sox in a limited sample in 2025, but had some control issues that he hoped to iron out this year. Unfortunately, it’s been nothing short of brutal for Murphy to begin the season. He allowed seven earned runs in his first six innings, though he did notch a save during that span. Murphy’s control issues continued, and he walked five in his initial stint. He was placed on the injured list with an elbow injury prior to the White Sox weekend series against Kansas City. When looking at Murphy’s arsenal, you can see why the White Sox liked him, but he hasn’t yet shown the ability to command it, and the White Sox trusting him into a prominent bullpen role seems like it may have been premature.