The MLB offseason is far from over despite less than a month until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. With big name free agents still on the open market and big trades to still be made, most MLB teams don’t yet view their roster as complete. As rosters round into form, it’s not too early to take a look at which teams have won the offseason and which teams still have work to do. ESPN’s Jeff Passan embarked on a similar endeavor, and listed the Chicago White Sox among the league’s winners.
“Having Munetaka Murakami fall into their laps makes the winter a win for the Sox regardless of what else they do,” Passan wrote. “Not just because the outlandish projections for a Murakami deal were not met but because if any of the concerns about his play (most of them having to do with swing-and-miss tendencies) are unfounded, he will be worth far, far more than the $34 million Chicago is paying for two of his prime seasons”
White Sox haven't won the offseason yet but still can
While I don’t disagree with Passan’s thoughts on the Murakami deal, I think it’s a bit premature to call the entire White Sox offseason a win because of one high-risk, high-reward deal. Passan later lauded the Sean Newcomb and Anthony Kay signings as well, calling Newcomb “one of the best left-handed relievers on the market”. While I don’t disagree with this notion, it sounds like the plan is for Newcomb to compete for the starting rotation, where he has been much less consistent in his career. Chris Getz has specifically mentioned wanting to improve the bullpen, but outside of Newcomb, the team has yet to address it in any real capacity.
It’s not only the bullpen that was specifically mentioned by Getz as an area of improvement. In an interview on MLB Network during the winter meetings, Getz mentioned a desire to add “mature bats” and arms that can eat innings. Since then, the only bat added has been Murakami, who certainly has upside but has never played a game in Major League Baseball. Sean Newcomb is a reliable arm, but hasn’t broken 100 innings-pitched in a season since 2018, so it’s a stretch to classify him as an inning-eater.
In an early offseason interview, Getz mentioned corner outfield as a position in need of an upgrade, but the only additions at corner outfield have been fringe big leaguers and unproven former top prospects. While they’ve added some intriguing players, it’s not exactly a surefire upgrade.
Getz also said that the areas the Sox are looking to improve this offseason are at the corner outfield spots, bullpen and finding a left-handed bat to balance out the lineup.
— Kyle W (@K_Williamsmedia) November 13, 2025
Don’t get me wrong, I like the moves the White Sox have made so far. But I think the offseason is better categorized as incomplete instead of a definite win. If the White Sox add a veteran outfielder, an innings-eater starter, and reinforcements for the bullpen, I’m absolutely willing to classify it as a win. But with only a few weeks remaining until camps open, I’m concerned that they’ll quit and call it good, in which case, they didn’t really accomplish any of the goals they specifically mentioned at the offseason’s outset.
It’s been a slow-moving market for free agents, but it certainly feels like Chris Getz and the White Sox have more work to do as the team looks to take a step forward in 2026. I appreciate the optimism from Jeff Passan and I hope that by the time camp opens in February, there’s no doubt that he’s correct.