With the 2026 MLB season nearing a close, non-playoff teams have started to shift their focus to the offseason and their futures. The Washington Nationals had an exciting run as a young, up-and-coming team despite ultimately coming up short and missing the postseason. In an effort to turn their focus to the future, they’re reportedly nearing an extension with Cade Cavalli, one of their promising young pitchers. The White Sox should keep an eye on the deal, because they could use a similar blueprint for one of their own young pitchers that could be due for a new deal in the next couple years.
Sean Burke, who started Opening Day for the White Sox in 2025, has taken a big step forward this season and established himself as a key member of the team’s future rotation. Burke, 25, made his big league debut in 2024, posting a 1.42 ERA in just four appearances. He opened the 2025 season with six scoreless innings, but was inconsistent for the remainder of the year, ultimately finishing with a 4.22 ERA and spending some time back in Triple-A.
Burke was inconsistent to start the 2026 season as well, but reached another gear this summer, lowering his ERA from 4.15 to 2.99 during a ten-start stretch from June to August. As he’s approached and surpassed his career-high in innings, he’s had some rough outings since, but Burke’s 3.47 ERA and 3.0 fWAR lead the team’s starting pitchers. With eight games left to play, the White Sox are likely to give Sean Burke the ball in game one of a Postseason series, and they can likely safely pencil him into their 2027 rotation as well.
dominant outing from Sean Burke last night 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/M581EX60O2
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) June 19, 2026
Cade Cavalli and Sean Burke have similar numbers and could land similar deals
Cade Cavalli, 28, is two years older than Burke and had two less years on his contract, but has a similar story. He made his big league debut in 2022 but only started one game. His 2023 and 2024 seasons were wiped out by injuries, and he posted a 4.25 ERA in ten outings in 2025. Cavalli began 2026 as a member of the Nationals rotation for the first time in his career. He’s responded with a stellar 3.12 ERA in 164.2 innings and is closing in on 200 strikeouts. It’s easy to see why the Nationals wanted to lock him up long term.
Sean Burke may be a year or two away from the situation the Nationals find themselves in with Cavalli, but his numbers are comparable through this point, and the White Sox might consider a similar deal for Burke when the time comes. He’s a pitcher that’s trending in the right direction and should only get more consistent as he builds up his inning total and gains more experience.
While the primary extension conversations will likely focus on Munetaka Murakami and Miguel Vargas in the short term, but could shift to the young pitching staff in the next few years. Fortunately, Cavalli’s deal could be a blueprint for the White Sox to get something done in the not-too-distant future.
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