The Chicago White Sox may not be gearing up for a “take over the Winter Meetings” kind of offseason, but expectations still need to be higher than they were a year ago.

This is a team with a budding young core that played quality baseball in the second half of 2025, finishing with a positive run differential after the All-Star break. There’s real optimism on the South Side that 2026 can be a step toward legitimate contention — and that optimism is deserved.

But to get there, and to start earning respect again across Major League Baseball, the White Sox need to bring in actual major-league talent this winter.

Another offseason like last year — where the only additions were bargain-bin veterans like Austin Slater, Mike Tauchman, Matt Thaiss, and Martín Pérez on “prove-it” deals — simply isn’t going to cut it.

Sure, every front office should hunt for buy-low opportunities and reclamation projects. The White Sox are a prime example - with the likes of Slater, Tauchman, and Adrian Houser - that it can work. That’s fine in moderation. But Chicago also needs to step into the market for proven players who fill clear needs. Free agency just needs to look different this winter.

Nobody is asking for a $200 million splash. Honestly, even $100 million seems unrealistic with Jerry Reinsdorf still signing the checks. But with a current projected payroll of just $37 million for 2026, there is zero excuse not to splurge on a couple of short-term deals.

One area I’d like to see them spend on? A real closer.

The White Sox leader in saves last season was Jordan Leasure with seven. Grant Taylor, Mike Vasil, Steven Wilson, and Brandon Eisert all got ninth-inning chances. Will Venable didn’t have a go-to guy. Neither did Pedro Grifol in 2024, when Michael Kopech led the team with nine saves, or in 2023 when Kendall Graveman topped the team with eight.

Three straight seasons without a single reliever reaching double-digit saves is absurd. Yes, those were also three 100-loss seasons — but that only proves the point further.

Lack of structure in the bullpen is one of many reasons why the White Sox have struggled to win one-run games in recent years. That has to change this offseason.

Kenley Jansen, Raisel Iglesias, and Ryan Helsley should all be on the radar.

Jansen signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Angels last season and still racked up 29 saves with a 2.59 ERA on a 72-win team. He’s been one of baseball’s most dependable closers for over a decade and would immediately stabilize Venable’s bullpen while mentoring electric young arms like Grant Taylor, Jordan Leasure, and Mike Vasil. Another one-year deal in that $10 million range is well within Chicago’s means.

Iglesias, soon-to-be 36, just finished a long-term deal and feels destined for a short-term contract. He made 70 appearances for Atlanta last season while posting 29 saves and a 3.21 ERA. That’s reliability the Sox simply don’t have right now.

Then there’s Helsley, who dominated as the Cardinals’ closer before the trade deadline. He posted 21 saves and a 3.00 ERA with St. Louis, and the year before that led MLB with 49 saves and a 2.04 ERA, winning Reliever of the Year and earning Cy Young votes. He struggled with the Mets when not pitching the ninth inning — 7.20 ERA in a setup role — which shows how valuable he is specifically as a closer. A short-term deal to re-establish value makes sense for both sides and could be a perfect buy-low opportunity for Chicago.

$10–12 million for one year of a real closer is a small price to pay for stability. And it’s exactly the kind of move the White Sox need to start raising this roster’s floor.

I love the young core. There’s energy, talent, and upside. But if this team is going to take the next step, the front office has to supplement it with legitimate, veteran talent.

That starts this offseason.