After a long, cold winter, the wait is finally over. Baseball season is finally here, and all 30 MLB teams will kick off their season later this week. As the White Sox get set for Thursday’s opener in Milwaukee, the front office and coaching staff are still working to finalize the 26 players that will be on the roster. Standout reliever Ryan Borucki, who joined the White Sox on a minor league deal back in December, was not among the players slated to begin the season in the major leagues and chose to opt out of his contract. Within days, he already found his new home.
Sources: Left-hander Ryan Borucki and the Giants are in agreement on a major-league deal.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) March 21, 2026
Borucki drew strong interest from over half the league earlier this winter. He signed with the White Sox this offseason and opted out after not being added to the roster. He drew strong…
Borucki's spring performance lands him a Major League job with Giants
Borucki, 31, joined his hometown team this offseason with a chance to compete for a spot in the bullpen. Despite a modest 4.34 ERA in 2025, Borucki posted a strong spring, throwing six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out eight. With lefties Sean Newcomb, Chris Murphy, Tyler Gilbert, and Brandon Eisert also in tow, the competition was going to be fierce. Ultimately, Borucki wasn’t going to make the roster, and he elected to take the opt out in his contract instead of beginning the year in Triple-A. He was quickly scooped up by the Giants and will begin the season on their major league roster.
With Mike Vasil’s injury and Borucki’s opt-out, the White Sox may find themselves a bit short on bullpen depth. Rule 5 pick Jedixson Paez could get his shot to stick at the big league level, but the White Sox may ultimately look toward external additions in the next few days. Manager Will Venable was asked whether the 13 healthy pitchers on the White Sox roster will be the group for Opening Day:
“Not necessarily”, Venable said. “We’re still working through a couple things here”.
Perhaps the White Sox could look to a team in need of a catcher and flip Korey Lee for a bullpen arm that isn’t going to make another team. Nationals righty Griff McGarry comes to mind as an arm with excellent stuff that’s currently the odd-man out. There will also be several pitchers available on the waiver wire in the coming days. The White Sox made a similar move in 2025, when the team claimed RHP Mike Vasil on waivers just days before Opening Day. Vasil, of course, was one of the more productive relief arms for the team all season.
The White Sox still have a few days to round their roster into form and a few questions left unanswered. White Sox fans won’t have to wait long to find out, however, as the White Sox will be playing games that count before the week is up.