One of the biggest mistakes of the last White Sox rebuild was the front office's decision to invest significant financial resources in the bullpen. The White Sox signed Liam Hendriks, Joe Kelly, and Kendall Graveman to significant multi-year deals, draining their financial resources and preventing them from improving other positions. There's nothing wrong with adding good relievers, but it's the most volatile position in the sport, so there's a large amount of risk involved in longer term deals. Since Chris Getz has taken over the White Sox, there's been a noticeable change in the way the team has built their bullpen. So far, they've stuck to shorter term contracts and internal development.
2025 bullpen standouts Mike Vasil, Brandon Eisert, Jordan Leasure, and Grant Taylor were all acquired either from the draft, a trade, or a waiver claim, and have become mainstays in the White Sox pen. As the 2026 roster rounds into form, the next wave of White Sox relievers could come from within. Here are three White Sox prospects who could make an impact in the major league bullpen as soon as 2026.
RHP Jairo Iriarte
Acquired from the Padres in the Dylan Cease trade, Iriarte showed promising signs as a starting pitcher during the 2024 season. The right-hander posted a 3.71 ERA in 23 appearances for Double-A Birmingham. Iriarte skipped the Triple-A level and came to Chicago for his big league debut in September, posting a 1.50 ERA in six relief appearances down the stretch. While the runs were limitied, Iriarte's control was a major concern. He walked 57 hitters in 126 innings in Birminham and another eight in his six big league innings. He began the 2025 season with Triple-A Charlotte hoping to work out the control issues and return to the majors, but the walk issues grew worse, leading to Iriarte's move to the bullpen. His 7.24 ERA and 37 walks in 46 innings were a major step back, and Iriarte was pulled from game action and sent to Arizona in May. While he's likely going to stay a reliever, Irarte's fastball-slider combo is elite from a stuff perpsective, and he'll open the 2026 season still just 24 years-old. He's like to begin the season at Triple-A Charlotte again, and a bounce-back in the the opening months could give him another shot at cracking Chicago's bullpen at some point this season.
Jairo Iriarte with 1.2 innings of 2K scoreless relief. #Knights pic.twitter.com/juLWlbWDrz
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) June 12, 2025
RHP Eric Adler
A sixth-round pick out of Wake Forest in 2022, Adler rose quickly through the White Sox farm system, reaching Double-A by the end of the 2024 season. Adler showed legitimate closer upside in the lower levels of the minors, posting a 2.87 with five saves in 2023 and following it up by going 13-for-15 in saves in 2024. Adler opened 2025 in Triple-A and on the doorstep of the big leagues, but regression led to his demotion back to Double-A and even a stint on the development list. Much like Iriarte, Adler seemed to lose his control this past season, but his stuff will play at the big league level. His bread and butter is an upper-90s fastball and a sharp breaking curveball. He mixes in an average slider and he's working on a changeup, though it's currently his weakest offering. Adler will be 25 for the entire 2026 season and is likely to begin the season with Triple-A Charlotte, where he'll attempt to reign in his control. A good start could put him in the big for a big league callup.
RHP Adisyn Coffey
The White Sox selected Coffey in the third round back in 2020, but the right-hander didn't debut with a White Sox affiliate until 2022. Coffey's first two seasons were unremarkable, but he reached Double-A Birmingham by the end of 2023. A breakout 2024 season put Coffey on the map. Coffey held a miniscule 0.53 ERA in 15 appearances in Birmingam before a callup to Charlotte, where he posted a 2.04 ERA to finish the season. Coffey seemed like a prime candidate for big league innings in 2025, but a step back led to a demotion back to Double-A. Coffey will turn 27 before the end of January, so he's a bit on the older side, but he's set to start another season in the upper levels of the minor leagues. He'll likely be on the short lift for a callup if extra pitching depth is needed.