Ranking the available free-agent relief pitchers for the Chicago White Sox to target heading into 2025

Newly appointed Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable’s most daunting task for 2025 will be managing the bullpen.

The bullpen was a nightmare for the Sox this season. Chicago ranked 28th in ERA and 29th in WHIP in the league, and only 15 of the team’s 41 wins came from relief pitchers.

On the rare occasion when the Sox looked like they stood a chance, the bullpen kissed goodbye what should’ve been a win in a matter of innings, racking up 37 blown saves. To put it kindly, the bullpen was atrocious, just like their entire season.

Luckily, the chance of Sox relievers repeating their mistake is low with the upcoming roster shake-up in the offseason. Dominic Leone and Michael Soroka are free agents and aren’t worth bringing back, as Leone posted a 6.63 ERA and Soroka a 4.74 ERA.

Neither of them saved a game either. Additionally, Steven Wilson will likely be non-tendered after recording a 5.71 ERA and giving up 22 earned runs over 34.2 innings. If Getz wishes to start Venable with a cleaner slate, the non-tender list may grow in December.

Signing relievers this offseason is a necessary move for the Sox because they can marginally improve in the short term while they position themselves to be ideal trade partners at the deadline.

Here are the top-ranked free-agent relief pitchers the Chicago White Sox should consider signing in the winter.

1. Jakob Junis

Now’s the time to jump on Junis. He had a career-best season with the Brewers and Reds this year with a 2.69 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and four wins.

Junis has only improved in the last four years, and all signs point to him keeping up a similar performance next year. If the Sox are nowhere near 35 wins, he would be a perfect player to package in a trade in mid-July.

2. Andrew Kittredge

There’s a lot of upside with few downsides to Kittredge. In his first full season back from Tommy John surgery he went 5-5 and kept his ERA below 3.00.

While he hasn’t been able to return to pre-surgery form in 2021, he still gets hitters to chase and strikeout. Kittredge’s slight decline from his All-Star form shouldn’t keep the Sox from offering him a deal.

3. Ryan Yarbrough

Yarbrough is a jack of all trades. He utilizes his curveball, sinker, and fastball to effectively get outs and pitch late into the game.

As seen with his 5-2 record in 98.2 innings, Yarbrough knows endurance matters more than sheer power and precision. He’s an underrated player who knows what talented pitching looks like, and that should be enough of a buy-in for the Sox. 

4. Andrew Chafin

Chafin is fully capable of pitching scoreless innings and limiting damage. He had a 3.51 ERA, 70 strikeouts, and 13 holds during his time with the Tigers and Rangers this year. His injury history is fairly clean and he rarely lets games get out of hand.

His only downfall is that when he slumps, he really slumps. Coming back from behind isn’t a given for Chafin, but he’s still worth signing.