The MLB winter meetings began Monday in Orlando, Florida, which could mark the start of offseason free agent movements and trades across the league.
To get a look at the major White Sox-related storylines during the week, On SI Beat reporter Jack Ankony appeared on a recent episode of White Sox Weekly on ESPN 1000 with Jeff Meller. To listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, click the link below.
I had a great time talking to the White Sox with @Jeff_Meller this week on ESPN 1000.
Here is the full episode: https://t.co/9mOf8ad0BH
– Jack Ankony (@ankony_jack) December 6, 2025
The episode includes a discussion of a group of young White Sox players who stood out in 2025, including Colson Montgomery, Shane Smith, Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth, Grant Taylor, Edgar Quero, Mike Vasil and others. Montgomery finished fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting, while Smith became an All-Star during his rookie season.
They also discussed the White Sox’s recent free agent signing of left-handed pitcher Anthony Kay, who has posted impressive numbers over the past two seasons in Japan. He plans to join the starting rotation, a group that could take different forms throughout the season with some top prospects pushing to make their MLB debuts and returners looking to establish themselves as MLB starters.
Another major topic of the White Sox offseason has been whether the team will retain or trade center fielder Luis Robert Jr. The White Sox picked up his $20 million option for the 2026 season, and although general manager Chris Getz has said he is not actively shopping Robert, teams around the league have expressed interest. If the White Sox choose to keep Robert, he has another club option worth $20 million in 2027.
What the White Sox end up doing with Robert may also impact the rest of their roster building strategies. As things stand, they’ll likely still need to add another starting pitcher after losing Martín Pérez, Aaron Civale, Adrian Houser and Yoendrys Gomez, who each made at least nine starts for the White Sox last season.
The White Sox also need a corner infielder, corner outfielder or both, especially if he is a left-handed hitter. Mike Tauchman and Michael A. Taylor combined for 115 appearances in right field and 43 in left field, but the White Sox chose not to tender Tauchman and Taylor retired. Miguel Vargas also led the team in appearances at first and third base, so the White Sox will likely need to bring in some reinforcements to help cover those positions.
