Chicago’s GM struck a different tone at the GM Meetings, hinting at actual investments instead of another bargain-bin offseason. But the White Sox have burned this fanbase before.
Before free agency opened, Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz delivered a familiar set of concerning quotes to the media.
White Sox fans have grown numb to complacency. They’ve watched this organization go winter after winter doing the bare minimum — signing washed-up veterans, rolling out reclamation projects, and pretending those moves represent meaningful improvement.
Jerry Reinsdorf and the White Sox have made a habit of pouring money into the wrong players under the guise of “trying.” But it’s a disservice to both the fanbase and the organization itself.
Just look at the nightmarish 41–121 season in 2024. The White Sox handed John Brebbia ($5 million), Michael Soroka ($3 million), Mike Clevinger ($7 million), and Nicky Lopez ($4.3 million) nearly $20 million combined.
That's laughable after the same organization flinched at giving Bryce Harper $25 million per season a few year back. But this is what they do. Instead of making a legitimate investment to improve the team, they cut corners — and they wound up with four players who produced a net-negative contribution.
All because Reinsdorf is terrified of commitment and long-term contracts.
This front office has perfected the same offseason song and dance: hope to catch lightning in a bottle with bargain-bin additions, and pray it works long enough to justify not spending real money. Even with a new leadership group that has cleaned up a lot of internal messes, the White Sox have done very little to convince fans that anything about this approach is going to change as long as Reinsdorf remains the chairman.
And Getz’s early-offseason comments only reinforced those fears.
“Free agency is an avenue to bring in players to help in the win total,” Getz told Scott Merkin of MLB.com. “But to go beyond this upcoming season I think would be a little premature considering the state of our club right now and the development of these young players.”
There it was. Another built-in excuse. Another attempt to soften the blow before any disappointment becomes public.
But something felt different at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas this week. The tone changed. For once, and seemingly out of nowhere, Getz sounded like a general manager ready to make actual signings — even if he’s not diving into the deep end of the pool.
Getz outlined real, tangible needs: starting pitching, corner outfield, the bullpen, a left-handed bat.
He mentioned that Jonathan Cannon and Sean Burke would compete for rotation spots — not that they’d be guaranteed one — which suggests the White Sox intend to add actual arms.
He even acknowledged how irresponsible it would be to ignore the outfield given the team’s injury history and Andrew Benintendi’s aging legs.
“Our hope is that he’s going to be able to play the outfield, but it would be silly for us to not focus on those areas based on recent history,” Getz said.
Kyle W (@K_Williamsmedia) on X
Andrew Benintendi has dealt with Achilles irritation, which has also affected his defense.
Getz: “Our hope is that he's going to be able to play the outfield but with that being said, it would be silly for us to not focus on those areas just based on recent history.”
Most importantly, Getz clarified that the White Sox are open to multi-year contracts if the deals make sense.
“It’s still fluid. We’re going to be able to add some free agents… We’re going to be aggressive in the right places,” he told the media regarding his budget conversations with ownership.
Maybe these are just empty promises. The White Sox need to prove it with action before anyone should believe a word of it. But this is the most encouraging language I’ve heard from a White Sox GM about offseason intentions in years.
Nobody is asking Chicago to hand out $100+ million contracts this winter — not after finishing 60–102. That time will come, but this isn’t it.
What fans are asking for is competence. Real activity. Multi-year stability. No more signing players only to trade them at the deadline and reopen the hole you just patched.
The rookie core has arrived and every year of service time from here on out matters.
So why not go get Ryan O’Hearn at first base? Kyle Finnegan as your closer? Austin Hays in the outfield? A Lucas Giolito reunion?
Four moves. No more than $50 million combined for 2026. The payroll would sit around $100 million. And — finally — a respectable product on the field.
That's a team fans would actually pay to watch. A team with pieces worth building around.
Potential Starting Lineup
- Chase Meidroth, 2B
- Kyle Teel, C
- Ryan O’Hearn, 1B
- Colson Montgomery, SS
- Luis Robert Jr., CF
- Andrew Benintendi, DH
- Miguel Vargas, 3B
- Austin Hays, LF
- Mike Tauchman, RF
And that doesn’t even include Edgar Quero, Brooks Baldwin, or Lenyn Sosa. A rotation of Shane Smith, Lucas Giolito, Davis Martin, Sean Burke, and either Shane Murphy or Drew Thorpe? That’s fun.
Sign me up. I can get excited about that group, even while admitting they’re probably not a playoff team yet.
Time will tell whether Getz’s new tone reflects a new era — or if he’s just selling Sox fans another batch of false hope. But for the first time in a while, I’m at least intrigued in what Chicago has got cooking.