Should the White Sox target or avoid these veteran infielders in free agency?

As the Winter Meetings quickly approach, the White Sox have had a fairly quiet winter to this point. The team acquired reliever Chris Murphy, as well as outfielder Everson Pereira in trades ahead of the non-tender deadline, but has yet to add anyone via free agency. The White Sox have been connected to the infield market, aligning with Chris Getz’s assessment of the team’s needs. 

Assuming corner infield is the position the team will address with the left-handed bat, it’s reasonable to start looking at potential options. Here are a few veteran infielders and whether the White Sox should target or avoid them. 

1B Nathaniel Lowe 

Originally a member of the Rays with his brother, Josh, Lowe was dealt to the Rangers after 71 big league games in 2020. He took over as the starting first baseman for Texas in the 2021 season, launching 18 home runs with a .772 OPS in his first year. His full breakout came in 2022, when he hit .302 with 27 home runs and an OPS of .850. While he wasn’t able to repeat his 2022 performance, his 2023 and 2024 numbers remained solid. Lowe posted above-average OPS’s of .774 and .762, respectively, while staying extremely durable and playing 140 games or more each year. Despite solid numbers, the Rangers elected to move Lowe to the Nationals in the offseason. He struggled in the first half and was designated for assignment by Washington in August. Lowe joined the Red Sox and posted a .790 OPS in 34 games down the stretch, but Boston did not tender him a contract and he’ll hit free agency this offseason. At 30 years-old, Lowe should have plenty left in the tank and could be a cost-effective bounce-back candidate who would provide some left-handed pop in the White Sox lineup. It’s an option I hope the White Sox consider. 

Verdict: Target 

1B Josh Bell

Veteran first-baseman Josh Bell is a former top-100 prospect from his time with the Pirates. He’s bounced around to a few teams since his Pittsburgh days, but he’s stayed remarkably consistent throughout his career. Bell’s best season came in 2019 with the Pirates, where he hit 37 home runs and posted a .936 OPS. He hasn’t been nearly that good since, but he’s posted a .700+ OPS in every year of his career with the exception of the shortened 2020 season. Bell hit 22 home runs in 2025, and although his averaged dropped to .237, he cut his strikeouts down by 33% compared to 2024 and his xBA of .261 implies quite a bit of bad luck involved. Bell continues to make hard contact and get on base at a steady rate. He’ll be 33 years old for the majority of the 2026 season and he’s near the bottom of the league in most defensive categories at first base, so I like him more as a designated hitter, but Bell’s power and on-base ability would certainly be helpful to the White Sox lineup. 

Verdict: Target, but at DH

1B/2B Luis Arraez

White Sox fans are all-too-familiar with Luis Arraez from his days in Minnesota. Arraez spent the first four years of his career with the Twins before a stint in Miami, and ultimately a trade to San Diego. The 30 year-old broke into the league with a .334 average in 92 games in 2019, and followed it up with a .321 average in 2020. His best season came with Miami in 2023, where he hit .354 en route to winning the National League batting title. Arraez played second base for much of his career, but poor defensive numbers have caused him to primarily slot in at first base. Aside from his eye-popping batting averages, there isn’t much else that Arraez excels at. He’s excellent at making contact with pitchers outside the strikezone, but his chase rate leads to very few walks. He has one of the slowest swing speeds in baseball and doesn’t have much power. Arraez is a one-dimensional hitter that doesn’t make a ton of sense with the White Sox current needs. While he’d be an affordable option, I think the White Sox are better off pursuing a proven power-hitter to provide a spark in the middle of their order. Let someone else take a shot on Arraez.

Verdict: Avoid