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

If the 2026 season were to start today, the White Sox would have two starting pitchers they could confidently insert into their rotation. Shane Smith and Davis Martin were reliable starting pitchers in 2025 and can easily be pencilled in to rotation spots in 2026. Beyond that, though, there are question marks. Sean Burke and Jonathan Cannon both heavily contributed to the rotation in 2025, but weren’t consistent enough to guarantee their spots moving forward. Prospects Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, Tanner McDougal, Shane Murphy, and Duncan Davitt could factor into the 2026 rotation at some point but may not be ready on Opening Day. Thankfully, the 2026 season does not start today, and the White Sox have plenty of time to add to their rotation. Here are some veteran options and whether the team should target or avoid them. 

RHP Jon Gray 

A former third overall pick by the Rockies in 2013, Gray has always been a story of big stuff that needs to be harnessed. Gray made his major league debut for Colorado in 2015, and posted a 4.61 ERA with 185 strikeouts in his first full season in 2016. He followed it up with a 3.67 ERA in 20 starts in 2017 despite a very tough environment for pitchers in Denver. The Rockies hoped Gray would emerge into the dominant starting pitcher they’ve never had before, but he remained inconsistent for the rest of his Rockies tenure before signing with the Texas Rangers prior to the 2022 season. Gray posted decent numbers in Texas, with a 3.96 ERA in 2022, and a 4.12 in 2023. His ERA dropped to 4.47 in 2024 and his strikeout rate dipped. Gray hoped for a bounce-back in 2025 but a preseason forearm injury and nerve issues in his shoulder limited him to just 14 innings. It’s a small sample size, but in 2025, his expected ERA was 6.40. His strikeout rate dropped to his career-low, and his walk-rate to his career high. He’ll be 34 years old in 2026, with some concerning metrics and a recent history of significant injuries. Gray has yet to even confirm his intent to play in 2026 following his latest injury. In my opinion, Jon Gray is a walking red flag and the White Sox should look elsewhere. 

Verdict: Avoid 

RHP Dustin May 

A former top 100 prospect with the Los Angeles Dodgers, May showed flashes in brief big league stints since his debut in 2019, but a crowded Los Angeles rotation prevented him from getting a larger role. May was set up to be a Dodgers rotation mainstay in 2023, but Tommy John surgery cut his season short after just nine starts. His return from surgery encountered a roadblock when he had another surgery to repair a torn esophagus, and May didn’t pitch in 2024. May returned to a big league mound for the first time in nearly two years in 2025, and posted a 4.85 ERA in 19 games before a deadline trade to the Boston Red Sox. He finished with a 5.40 ERA in six appearances down the stretch and will now hit free agency at age 28. May’s fastball velocity was down from past years, but sitting out for almost two full seasons may be to blame. His spin rates were in line with his career norms, and his strikeout rate was actually improved from 2025 despite being hit harder. There’s a lot of upside in May’s arm and he’ll be an extra year removed from his injuries entering 2026. He set a career high with 132.1 innings in 2025, so he should be stretched out and ready for a full workload. I think it’s a worthwhile gamble for a team looking for younger arms with upside. 

Verdict: Target 

LHP Patrick Corbin

The curious case of Patrick Corbin is going to be studied for a long time. The former second-round pick somehow went from being one of the best pitchers in the National League in 2018 and 2019 to one of the worst in 2021 and 2022. His struggles continued into 2023 and 2024, and his large contract was likely the only reason that the Washington Nationals kept him on their roster as long as they did. Corbin signed with the Texas Rangers as rotation depth prior to 2025, but ended up starting 30 games for Texas because of injuries to their staff. While the overall numbers weren’t great, Corbin showed notable improvement compared to 2024. His ERA dropped from 5.62 in 2024 to 4.40 in 2025. He allowed 47 less hits and 33 less runs. Although not much changed with his actual stuff, Corbin saw a significant jump in his whiff rate, and his ground-ball and hard-hit rates jumped up near league average. It seems like he was leaving less mistakes over the middle of the plate and instead utilizing the corners of the zone to get more soft contact. It hasn’t completely fixed his problems, but it’s turned him into a serviceable veteran innings-eater. The White Sox could certainly use a lefty to round out their rotation, and a resurgent Corbin could be a low-risk option. 

Verdict: Target