Chicago cleared a 40-man roster spot on Wednesday, designating Bryan Hudson for assignment to make space for Austin Hays.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Chicago White Sox made the signing of free agent outfielder Austin Hays official.
The one-year deal is worth $6 million for the 2026 season and fills a massive need for Chicago in a corner outfield spot.
Whether it’s left field — with Andrew Benintendi sliding more into a DH role — or right field, where Hays could take everyday at-bats alongside Benintendi in the outfield, adding a veteran presence and a competent offensive contributor to this lineup is an important pickup for Chicago.
Adding Hays doesn’t mean the White Sox are suddenly hunting for an AL Central title. It doesn’t even mean they’ll win 70 games, which many fans have pointed to as the benchmark for success this upcoming season.
But it does mean the front office is doing what it can to remain as competitive as possible while relying on its young core to develop and eventually lead the club back toward contention.
At this stage of the rebuild, that’s about all White Sox fans can realistically ask for. It’s not perfect — but then again, that’s life as a White Sox fan when ownership chooses to operate near the bottom of the league in payroll.
Overall, Chris Getz has been doing a solid job slowly turning the tide. And for the first time in a while, I’m genuinely looking forward to watching a White Sox team in 2026 that’s at least made up of competent big-league players.
Of course, the White Sox did need to clear a 40-man roster spot to make the Hays signing official.
The corresponding move came quickly. Left-handed pitcher Bryan Hudson was designated for assignment.
The White Sox first acquired Hudson via a waiver claim in August 2025. He appeared in four games for Chicago after coming over from the Brewers, finishing the 2025 season with a 4.80 ERA across 16 total appearances between the two clubs.
Just one year earlier, Hudson had been a standout reliever for Milwaukee and nearly made the NL All-Star team after a dominant first half. He finished that season with a 1.73 ERA and looked like a prominent left-handed specialist.
At the time of the waiver claim, I was optimistic about the possibility of the White Sox helping Hudson rediscover that form. Given the amount of team control he had, it carried the potential to become a long-term win for the organization.
Time will tell whether Hudson gets claimed by another team or if the White Sox are able to sneak him through waivers and stash him in the minors to open the 2026 season.
Frankly, though, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t land on another 40-man roster before spring training.
Teams value pitching depth this time of year, and left-handed relievers are especially sought after. A pitcher like Hudson — with an MLB track record — is going to be appealing to plenty of clubs with available roster space.
That said, the White Sox do have options to fall back on, including Sean Newcomb, Chris Murphy, Tyler Gilbert, and Brandon Eisert at the big-league level, along with Ryan Borucki on a minor-league deal.