Of all the ways to be eliminated from the postseason, a mental lapse with the bases loaded is about as painful as it gets. That’s how it ended for the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night — when reliever Orion Kerkering air-mailed a throw to home plate instead of taking the easy out at first. Just like that, their season was over in the 11th inning.

The Phillies’ clubhouse looked crushed. And to make matters worse for fans in Philly, this might be the end of the road for their current core. As many as eight key contributors are set to hit free agency this winter — and a few could make a lot of sense for the Chicago White Sox.

While Philadelphia fielded one of the oldest rosters in baseball, the White Sox are one of the youngest. Chicago established a young, controllable core in 2025 that could compete within a year or two if the front office surrounds it with the right veterans. More than anything, the Sox need to add power to the lineup and stabilize their starting rotation.

Kyle Schwarber

You don’t need me to sell you on Kyle Schwarber. The guy is everything White Sox dream about: power, swagger, and postseason pedigree.

Schwarber launched 56 home runs and drove in 132 runs in 2025. Over the last four seasons, he’s hit 187 total homers — one of the most consistent power bats in the league.

He won’t win any Gold Gloves. He probably won’t even play the field. But with the designated hitter spot wide open, Schwarber would fit perfectly into the heart of the White Sox lineup and would instantly elevate the young hitters around him.

Of course White Sox fans want the team to sign him. I can only imagine how many home runs he’d slug playing half his games in the hitter-friendly Rate Field. But is that realistic? After the best year of his career in 2025, Schwarber’s going to cash in big — and contending teams with payroll flexibility will line up to pay him.

Let’s be honest: Kyle Schwarber would be a luxury signing. And Jerry Reinsdorf doesn’t make luxury signings. He’s never handed out a $100 million contract — ever.

Spotrac projects Schwarber’s value around four years, $100 million. If it were up to the fanbase, that deal would be done yesterday. But history tells us to expect otherwise. As much as it hurts to say, this one probably ends with Schwarber slugging for another contender.

Ranger Suárez

Left-handed starter Ranger Suárez might cost even more than Schwarber. Spotrac pegs his market value at six years, $161 million — ace-level money.

Suárez, 30, has quietly been one of the more reliable lefties in the National League. Over the last two seasons, he’s gone 24–16 with a 3.33 ERA, and since 2021, he owns a 3.25 ERA across nearly 700 innings. He doesn’t overpower hitters, but he gives you innings, poise, and consistency — something this Sox rotation badly needs, especially coming from a lefty.

Chicago’s current staff is young, unproven, and right-handed heavy. Davis Martin, Sean Burke, and Shane Smith feel like locks to return in 2026 — all young righties with limited big-league experience. Even with reinforcements like Drew Thorpe and Ky Bush working back from injury, and prospects Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz waiting in the wings, the Sox need at least one stabilizing veteran.

This is one area I could actually see them spending on. Maybe not to the full $160 million range, but Suárez is the type of arm that changes the temperature of a rotation. Chris Getz should, at minimum, make the call and see what the number looks like.

Jordan Romano

Jordan Romano isn’t the flashy addition that Schwarber or Suárez would be. He’s coming off a disaster season — an 8.23 ERA in 49 appearances out of the Phillies’ bullpen — and at times looked completely lost.

But somewhere in there is still the closer who once dominated in Toronto. From 2021–2023, Romano posted a 2.37 ERA and racked up 95 saves for the Blue Jays. The stuff fell off this year. The confidence likely did too. 

The White Sox bullpen was a glaring weakness down the stretch, and the closer role remains unsettled. Personally, I’d love to see Grant Taylor or Jordan Leasure earn that job in 2026 — but Romano represents a perfect buy-low veteran option. He’ll be cheap, he’s got upside, and if pitching director Brian Bannister can work his magic, Romano could be a sneaky high-leverage weapon… or even a trade-deadline asset.

If the Phillies core gets broken up, it might be an opportunity for the White Sox.

 Schwarber would electrify the fanbase, Suárez would steady the rotation, and Romano could quietly help the bullpen regain credibility.

But in true South Side fashion, it’s a matter of what should happen vs what will happen. If Reinsdorf opens the checkbook, Schwarber or Suárez make perfect sense.

If he doesn’t, Romano might be the more realistic route — and one that still moves the Sox closer to being competitive again.