The toughest non-tender decision White Sox will face this offseason

Major League Baseball is facing a ton of uncertainty heading into the offseason as the expiration of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement is almost certainly set to cause a lockout beginning December 1. Because of this, it’s going to be a busy November for all 30 MLB teams. Offseason activity can’t begin until the conclusion of the World Series, but it’s not too early to look ahead at the decisions the White Sox are going to have to make prior to the lockout. With a handful of arbitration-eligible players, the White Sox are going to have to make some decisions by the non-tender deadline on November 20th, and one in particular is going to be difficult. 

Right-hander Huascar Brazoban, who the White Sox acquired in a trade with the Mets at the deadline, is one of a few players on the roster eligible for arbitration. If you simply look at Brazoban’s season numbers as a whole, it looks like a no brainer. The 36-year-old finished with a 2.96 ERA across 60 appearances, holding hitters to a .189 average in 67 innings. But there’s a stark difference in his numbers before and after the trade. 

In 46 appearances with the Mets, Brazoban’s ERA was 2.56 and he held opponents to a .166 average. In 14 appearances with the White Sox, those numbers were 4.40 and .269, respectively. Brazoban missed some time with a shoulder injury that may’ve contributed to his struggles, but even after fully healing, it took a couple weeks for the White Sox to add him back to the active roster. Brazoban was on the roster for the Wild Card Series against Houston, where he appeared in one game, allowing a hit and a hit-by-pitch and retiring one hitter. He was removed from the roster prior to the ALDS against Cleveland and replaced with Tyler Davis. 

Huascar Brazoban's age and struggles make White Sox decision difficult

Had Brazoban come to the White Sox and continued what he did in New York, this would be a no brainer. He made just over $1 million in arbitration this year, so his salary likely won’t be much more expensive next season. But his struggles down the stretch are a reason for concern, especially considering his age. A late bloomer, Brazoban didn’t make his big league debut until age 32, and he’ll turn 37 later this week. It’s quite possible that his struggles are a sign of a decline rather than just a fluke couple of weeks. That’s a possibility the White Sox will have to weigh when they decide whether or not to tender Brazoban a contract. 

With Sean Newcomb likely to depart in free agency, it’s likely the White Sox will be involved in the bullpen market in some way or another. Letting Brazoban walk would open a second spot that they need to fill, but would likely open the door to an upgrade. That being said, Brazoban at his best may be better than a lot of the options on the market. The White Sox will need to decide if they can get Brazoban back to his best or are better off looking elsewhere. 

In addition to Brazoban, the White Sox will need to make decisions on Joey Bart, Brenton Doyle, Chris Murphy, and Jordan Leasure. Miguel Vargas is arbitration eligible but there’s certainly no decision to be made there. Jordan Leasure is a candidate to be non-tendered, as the right-hander is likely to miss the entire 2027 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The team could certainly find a role for Bart, Murphy, and Doyle in 2027, but may elect to go elsewhere. 

The deadline to decide on non-tendered players is November 20th, so the White Sox will need to make these decisions before the lockout begins, and it’s just one date to remember in what should be a very busy November around the league.

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