By Townhall Chicago News Staff
The Chicago White Sox entered the offseason Saturday facing a series of roster decisions after a surprising 84-78 regular season and a run to the American League Division Series in 2026.
Chicago’s unexpected rise from three consecutive 100-loss seasons to a playoff berth created what MLB.com described as roster questions that most of the other 29 teams would welcome. The club’s abundance of infield talent at both the major league and minor league levels presents both opportunity and difficult choices for general manager Chris Getz.
Colson Montgomery anchored the infield with 31 home runs and earned an All-Star selection through the first half, though he struggled after the break and set the single-season MLB record for strikeouts, according to a report published Saturday on the White Sox website. The 23-year-old shortstop remains a cornerstone of the club’s young core.
The pitching staff presents another puzzle. Right-hander Sean Burke reestablished himself as a front-of-the-rotation arm with a 3.34 ERA and 185 strikeouts over 172 1/3 innings during the regular season, according to the report. Davis Martin posted a 2.00 ERA through May 28 before right calf discomfort hampered his second half.
The club’s biggest Trade Deadline acquisition, right-hander Luis Castillo, posted an 8.42 ERA over nine games after arriving from Seattle on Aug. 1 before being shut down with a right shoulder impingement. Castillo carries a $22.75 million salary for 2027.
Young arms including left-handers Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith and right-handers Drew Thorpe, Tanner McDougal, David Sandlin and Shane Smith will compete for rotation spots. The role of Grant Taylor, who served as a dominant multi-inning closer, could also shift.
In the outfield, the club’s No. 2 prospect, Caleb Bonemer, made a position switch during the second half of his Double-A Birmingham season and worked exclusively in the outfield during the Arizona Fall League with the Glendale Desert Dogs. The 21-year-old slugged 37 home runs across levels in 2026.
“Obviously looking at just the big league roster, the success they’ve had, they have a lot of great infielders and a lot of great outfielders,” Bonemer said during a media session. “Being able to play as many positions as possible can only accelerate the process and help me out.”
Bonemer is ranked 27th overall among MLB prospects by MLB Pipeline. He was a second-round pick out of the Michigan prep ranks in the 2024 Draft and signed for a well-over-slot $2,997,500 bonus.
Roch Cholowsky, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 Draft and the club’s top-ranked prospect, and Billy Carlson, the 10th overall pick from the 2025 Draft, are not expected to push for major league time at shortstop next season, according to the report.
The future of designated hitter Munetaka Murakami also looms. Murakami arrived on a two-year, $34 million contract and drew extension discussions, though Getz has kept details of those conversations private, according to the report.
Manager Will Venable, 43, was named Sporting News American League Manager of the Year earlier in the week after guiding the club to its first playoff appearance since 2021. The White Sox swept the Houston Astros in the Wild Card Series before falling to the Cleveland Guardians in five games in the ALDS.
The team’s 40-man roster decisions will come into sharper focus after the World Series concludes, when players on the 60-day injured list must be accounted for.
