The Chicago White Sox used their $20 million saved from the Luis Robert trade to ink deal with their potential closer for 2026.
The Chicago White Sox saved $20 million on their payroll by trading Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets, with general manager Chris Getz declaring that they’d use that money to re-invest and improve the team for 2026. Getz was sincere in his promise, signing a free agent two days later who is expected to slot in as the White Sox’s closer this season. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that Chicago signed former Toronto Blue Jays reliever Seranthony Dominguez to a two-year, $20 million contract. The deal is pending a physical, but it finds the White Sox their answer at the back end of their young bullpen, and it’s yet another piece in what’s becoming a contending roster.
Dominguez is coming off one of his best campaigns out of the bullpen, with his lowest ERA since 2022. He had a 3.16 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 62.2 innings pitched with the Orioles and Blue Jays, as he was traded midseason in July to Toronto. The righty was a reliable and stable arm for both clubs in late innings, where he’s pitched since his MLB debut with the Phillies in 2018. While he only had two saves last year, Dominguez has plenty of experience in high-leverage situations as a ninth-inning closer, recording 16 in his 2018 rookie season, nine in 2022, and 11 in 2024.
Here is the full story from White Sox Roundtable writer Joey Pollizze on the solid signing and what Dominguez brings to Chicago’s bullpen.
Chicago is betting on him improving in a metric in which he struggled last season, which was a lack of control that translated to a career-high 36 walks and a career-worst 13.8 percent walk rate. He did, however, have his highest strikeout rate since 2021 at 30.3 percent. But with Dominguez finishing in the bottom half of baseball in his walk rate over the last four seasons, he’ll need to find some control to be a strong closer.