What If the White Sox Don’t Sign a First Baseman This Winter?

Given the glaring on-paper need, Chicago White Sox fans are assuming the team will add a first baseman this offseason via trade or free agency.

Chris Getz has made it clear he wants more power in the lineup, ideally from the left side. What better way to accomplish that than signing a free-agent first baseman who checks both boxes?

Miguel Vargas made 55 starts at first base in 2025 — the most of any White Sox player despite it being his secondary position. Over the course of the 162-game season, we saw Andrew Vaughn, Tim Elko, Ryan Noda, Curtis Mead, Lenyn Sosa, and Bobby Dalbec (and a few more) all spend time at first. None played well enough to secure the job long term.

Entering 2026, the White Sox want to trim the fat. They’d like a real, everyday first baseman to stabilize the lineup and provide production they simply didn’t get last year.

On paper, it seems like a foregone conclusion that they’ll add someone. Whether it’s Ryan O’Hearn — whose camp they’ve already contacted — or one of the Japanese stars such as Munetaka Murakami or Kazuma Okamoto. Maybe they go the cheaper route and bring in Nathaniel Lowe on a one-year “prove it” deal.

But what happens if the White Sox don’t sign a first baseman? What if they get priced out of O’Hearn, Murakami, and Okamoto? What if Lowe and Rhys Hoskins choose contenders? It’s a scenario worth preparing for.

For starters, I’d prefer to see Miguel Vargas stick at third base for a full season. He flashed legitimate defensive improvement in 2025, and if he takes the next step on both sides of the ball, his ceiling is significantly higher at third.

So regardless of what happens in free agency, Vargas should be the Opening Day third baseman in my opinion.

That leaves the White Sox with only a few internal options at first. There’s Lenyn Sosa, who logged time there in 2025 but lacks the defensive instincts or offensive upside to be a long-term fit. First base could be a way to sneak him at-bats if the organization insists, but it shouldn’t be a priority.

No player hurt the team’s win probability more than Sosa last season. He needs either defensive growth or improved plate discipline before earning everyday reps anywhere.

Could the White Sox turn to Curtis Mead? Maybe. Mead might be squeezed off the 26-man roster if Chicago adds another corner infielder, but if they stand pat, he has a shot. The launch-angle adjustments still need work, but the bat speed and contact profile are intriguing. Defensively, he’s passable on a temporary basis at either corner.

More unlikely options include Tanner Murray — recently acquired from the Rays — who profiles more as a utility man than a first baseman. Pigeonholing him into one position seems counterproductive.

There’s also Bryan Ramos, who would likely need offseason and spring-training reps at first base, but it could be a creative path to get an otherwise blocked prospect another opportunity.

All that said, what they should do and what they will do may be two very different things. If the White Sox fail to sign a first baseman in free agency, my guess is that Vargas shifts to first full time — and third base becomes the next problem they try to patch internally.

And if that happens, you’re essentially choosing from the exact same list of imperfect candidates. Hence why it's a no-brainer investment for the White Sox front office to make this winter. If they come up short, it will be hard to feel god about the offseason.