Projected to field a payroll below $60 million in 2025, the Chicago White Sox rank near the bottom of Major League Baseball, in the company of teams like the Marlins and Athletics.
In other words, Jerry Reinsdorf has money to spend--and would be well-served to spend at least a little bit of it adding a veteran arm to the starting rotation.
A number of aging arms remain unsigned with Opening Day just weeks away.
Former White Sox All-Star Lance Lynn is one of the more notable options - and a reunion with the right-hander wouldn't be the worst idea the Sox have ever had. Last season with St. Louis, he made 23 starts, working to a 4.31 FIP in 117 1/3 innings of work.
There were some rumors that teams had considered Lynn as a closer this winter, but he's still unsigned nearly a month after pitchers and catchers started reporting to Florida and Arizona. There's a reason for that - and this may be the end of the line for the two-time All-Star and World Series champion.
Signing Kyle Gibson should be a no-brainer for the Chicago White Sox
A better fit, in my opinion, would be veteran Kyle Gibson, who was teammates with Lynn last year with the Cardinals.
The right-hander worked to a 4.42 FIP and pitched 169 2/3 innings - and production at that level, even just from the innings standpoint, would be a nice safety net below the team's young arms like Jonathan Cannon and the pitching prospects en route to Chicago.
Last year with St. Louis Gibson earned $10 million. Given how late in the offseason it is, it wouldn't be shocking to see him settle for something in the $5 million range, simply for the chance to continue pitching in the big leagues. He's up to 60 pitches in simulated games, according to new reports, so he's doing what he can to minimize the ramp-up time he'll need once he signs somewhere.
A team like the White Sox isn't going anywhere in 2025. It's about rebuilding the organization from the ground up. That doesn't mean ownership shouldn't spent on a guy like Gibson to shore up the starting rotation, though, because his leadership and experience is invaluable to a team as young and raw as this squad is shaping up to be.