Predicting the Chicago White Sox Opening Day Bullpen

Perhaps the Chicago White Sox front office has learned from the mistakes of the last regime.

During the peak years of the previous rebuild, former GM Rick Hahn spent aggressively to fortify the bullpen, handing out big contracts and making significant trades in an attempt to buy stability at the back end of games.

Liam Hendriks signed a three-year, $54 million deal before the 2021 season. Midway through 2021, the White Sox traded with the Cubs for Craig Kimbrel. Then ahead of 2022, Kendall Graveman received three years and $24 million, while Joe Kelly signed for two years and $17 million.

None of those deals were indefensible on their own. But once Jerry Reinsdorf tightened the purse strings, Chicago found itself with far too much money tied up in the most volatile position group on the roster.

Relief pitching is unpredictable. Year-to-year results swing wildly, even for some the best arms in baseball. And when you commit long-term money to bullpens, you leave yourself exposed when performance inevitably dips.

This time around, the White Sox are taking a very different approach.

Instead of paying for certainty, they are betting on youth, upside, and cost-controlled arms — trying to build a bullpen that can grow together and remain affordable as the rebuild continues.

They’ve already added to the group this winter, just as GM Chris Getz said they would, and there’s still a chance more moves are coming. But as things stand today, here are the eight pitchers I currently project to be in the White Sox bullpen on Opening Day.

Jordan Leasure looks like the frontrunner to open the season as the closer.

After posting a 3.92 ERA in his first full MLB season, he has cemented himself as a core piece of this bullpen and is a lock to make the roster out of Spring Training. He has the stuff, the confidence, and the late-inning temperament that the role requires.

Some White Sox fans want to see Grant Taylor stretched out as a starter. The organization isn’t quite ready to go there yet, but they will lean on him heavily in a multi-inning relief role in 2026.

Taylor was often unlucky during his rookie season, but the underlying metrics were elite. He misses bats, induces ground balls, and is extremely difficult to square up. He’s a prime breakout candidate and has the potential to become one of the most dominant relievers in baseball this year.

Mike Vasil is another easy call.

After throwing 101 innings with a 2.50 ERA as a rookie, he established himself as one of the most valuable arms on the roster. In 2026, he’ll again serve as a hybrid weapon — part long reliever, part spot starter — giving the White Sox flexibility whenever they need extra innings or rotation coverage.

Sean Newcomb has moved back and forth between starting and relieving throughout his career, but he found real success in the bullpen in 2025.

With Oakland, he made 36 relief appearances and posted a 1.75 ERA. The White Sox signed him to a one-year deal and will give him a look as a starter in Spring Training, but the most likely outcome is that he settles into a long-relief role as the left-handed counterpart to Vasil.

The White Sox went out of their way to acquire Chris Murphy in a trade with the Boston Red Sox earlier this offseason.

Murphy returned from Tommy John surgery to make 23 appearances for Boston with a 3.12 ERA, and he gives Will Venable another reliable left-handed option to deploy in matchup situations out of the bullpen.

If the White Sox carry three left-handers in the bullpen — as they did for much of 2025 — there is one spot left, and several pitchers are in the mix.

Brandon Eisert may be the best pure option, but roster mechanics matter. Eisert still has minor-league options, while other lefties on the 40-man do not. That makes him the most likely candidate to be sent down for depth.

Because of that, I’m projecting Tyler Gilbert to win the final left-handed bullpen spot on Opening Day.

That leaves one final bullpen spot.

I strongly considered Wikelman Gonzalez, but once again, he has minor-league options and can be sent down without consequence. That pushed this decision toward the Rule 5 draft picks.

Both Jedixson Paez and Alexander Alberto must remain on the active roster all season or be offered back to their original teams. I only have room for one — and I went with Alberto.

It may be a hot take since Paez was selected first by the White Sox in the Rule 5 draft, but Alberto looks more MLB-ready right now. He’s 24 years old, stands 6-foot-8, and throws an electric fastball that touches 101 mph. There’s enough raw power here for him to carve out early success and justify keeping him on the roster.

Paez is a huge arm with a bright future, but the organization views him as a long-term starter, and I don’t think he’s quite ready for that leap yet.