The MLB offseason awoke from its slumber this past week, as top free agents Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette finally agreed to mega free-agent deals and found new homes. Tucker, much to the dismay of 29 other fanbases, joined the already-stacked Los Angeles Dodgers in their pursuit of their third straight World Series championship. Bichette followed the next day by joining the only team in the same universe as the Dodgers in payroll, the New York Mets. It’s a bit of an anticlimactic outcome to what felt like it could finally be an interesting free-agent market, and it added fuel to the fire of the impending lockout.
The White Sox, coming off another 100-loss season, were certainly never involved in the market for either star free-agent. It’s nothing new for White Sox fans to watch from the outside as other big market teams go all-in while the Sox continue to shop at the discount store. But if there’s any silver lining to remember during another frustrating offseason, it’s that change is coming soon.
Ownership change will bring White Sox fans new hope under Justin Ishbia
The White Sox will be under new ownership in the near future, with an agreement between the Reinsdorf family and Chicago billionaire Justin Ishbia expected to transfer control of the team between 2029 and 2034. Under Reinsdorf, the White Sox haven’t really behaved like they play in the third largest city in the country. The team’s largest free agent contract ever belongs to Andrew Benintendi, who signed a five-year, $75 million contract prior to the 2023 season. They’re one of only two teams that have never signed a player to a $100 million contract. And they may soon be the only team. Athletics infielder Tyler Soderstrom signed an $86 million extension this offseason, but escalators could take the total value well over $100 million, which would leave the White Sox as the lone team without such a deal.
Not only will Justin Ishbia bring more spending power- his net worth is more than double that of Jerry Reinsdorf- but he brings a completely different mentality. Ishbia and his brother Mat have played at the top of the market since taking over as owners of the Phoenix Suns in 2023. He’s known for being aggressive in his business ventures and will likely carry that over to his ownership of the White Sox
None of that is to say there won’t be misses. Big market teams like the Dodgers and Mets have their fair share of failed pursuits. The Mets made a strong push to land Kyle Tucker before his deal with the Dodgers was completed. But for teams like the Mets and Dodgers, it’s not a one-and-done pursuit, and they’ll simply pivot to another star like the Mets did with Bichette. Many of us are old enough to remember the Manny Machado “pursuit” in 2019, when the White Sox were completely taken aback that their offer wasn’t enough to land him. Rather than pivot to superstar Bryce Harper, who remained a free-agent and had genuine interest in coming to Chicago, the White Sox simply went with cheap alternatives and never acquired the star talent they were looking for.
I’m confident this will change under Ishbia. The White Sox will be involved in the top names on the free agent market and will do whatever it takes to put a winning team on the field. Like the Dodgers, they want to be a team that spends smartly and develops players effectively, so it’s a full organizational shift that’ll need to take effect. The work on the development front is already in progress, and the spending aggressiveness will come with new ownership.
Kyle Tucker’s 2026 salary alone could pay for … 77 PLAYERS making league minimum.
— Sam Phalen (@Sam_Phalen) January 16, 2026
His yearly salary is 89% of the TOTAL payroll of the 2026 Miami Marlins.
He will make $120,000 per AT-BAT.
Deferred money has killed baseball. #Dodgers
It’s okay to hate the Dodgers, and it's okay to root against them. I certainly rolled my eyes when I saw them add yet another superstar to an already-loaded lineup, and thoughts of “why even play this season?” and “just give them the trophy now” definitely crossed my mind. But the hate comes from a place of jealousy. The Dodgers do everything I wish the White Sox would do. I’d love nothing more than to watch the White Sox finally behave like a team that'll do whatever it takes to win.
Under Reinsdorf, it’s nothing more than a pipe dream, but under Ishbia, it may soon be a reality.