3 Backup Free Agent Targets for White Sox Rotation

The Chicago White Sox need starting rotation help. That's not a secret to anyone, and it's already been publicly addressed by GM Chris Getz as the team prepares for free agency.

The White Sox and their fans have their eyes set on the very top of the market. While Tarik Skubal may be a bit of a pipe dream, pitchers like Freddy Peralta and Michael King are currently viewed as dream free agent acquisitions for White Sox fans.

And for good reason. Both are talented pitchers in their prime years with the upside to be Cy Young contenders. Signing either one would transform the starting rotation and give the White Sox a formidable duo when paired with Sean Burke. That's how this team can take the next step.

But what if the White Sox don't land Peralta or King? It's a reality we may need to be prepared for. Not necessarily because the front office won't pursue them or ownership is going to cheap out on a contract offer, but because the demand for their services is going to be high. The same way the White Sox would love to land Peralta or King to transform their starting rotation, there are about a dozen other MLB organizations that feel the same way.

What do the White Sox do if they come up short of their top targets? Who else on the free agent market could make for the productive starting pitching signings the White Sox covet?

I'd like to highlight three pitchers and three potential free agent options that are undoubtedly a tier below Peralta and King, but for the right price, could make for productive signings with upside.

The first name on the list is right-handed pitcher Nick Martinez. He'll be 36 years old on Opening Day, but he's coming off a great season with the Tampa Bay Rays in which he went 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA.

Martinez is a safer option for teams that don't want to give out a long-term contract to one of the top starting pitchers on the market. He's a great fit for clubs looking for a quality arm with a short-term commitment, and that could certainly be where the White Sox end up if they don't land one of their top targets.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com listed the White Sox as a potential suitor for Martinez. The logic isn't hard to see, given the 674.2 innings pitched by Chicago's starting pitchers in 2026, which was the lowest total of any MLB team by a fairly wide margin. Adding veteran arms is a necessity, and Martinez looked very reliable with the Rays last season, even if he lacks swing-and-miss stuff.

I think many baseball fans probably underestimate the season Nick Martinez had or the impact he could have on a starting rotation. His current contract projection is somewhere in the range of two years and $40 million, and that could be a way for the White Sox to upgrade their rotation without making a massive financial commitment.

Martinez doesn't have the same upside or ace potential as some of Chicago's other targets, but he'd still be a clear and reliable fix for the starting rotation.

Tyler Mahle is actually one of my favorite fits for the White Sox. I think he makes sense for Chicago whether they land a top pitching target in free agency or not. The White Sox need more than one rotation addition, and Mahle is a really underrated arm who has showcased some serious upside in the past.

While he's dealt with his fair share of health issues, when he's been on the mound, Mahle has been incredibly productive. Over 16 starts with the Texas Rangers in 2025, he went 6-4 with a 2.18 ERA. And while his season got off to a really rocky start with the San Francisco Giants in 2026, he went 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA after being traded to the Atlanta Braves at the deadline.

Even more encouraging was what he did in the postseason. Mahle made two starts for the Braves in the playoffs, tossing seven innings of one-run baseball with six strikeouts in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Then, in Game 4 of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he once again delivered a quality start, going 6.1 innings and allowing just one earned run.

Mahle might get a slightly larger contract than Martinez, but it should be comparable in annual salary, with his current market value projection on Spotrac coming in at three years and $60 million.

This would be a cheaper option and ultimately a gamble by the White Sox that the version of Tyler Mahle we saw in Atlanta is the pitcher he could be in Chicago moving forward. But if that's the case, it's a game changer and could end up being one of the biggest bargains of the offseason.

Casey Mize is buying low on some really fantastic potential. He was the first overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers and finally started to look the part over the last few seasons. Mize went 14-6 with a 3.87 ERA in 2025 and made the AL All-Star team. He was off to a great start in 2026 as well, posting a 2.70 ERA through 16 starts in Detroit before being traded to the San Diego Padres at the deadline.

The second half of the season was a disaster. Mize had a 7.46 ERA in a Padres uniform and wasn't trusted to pitch in the postseason.

I definitely wouldn't feel good about Mize being the main addition the White Sox make to their starting rotation. But if he's a secondary addition alongside one of the two pitchers listed above, there could be something there.

He has the ability. It's about unlocking that ability, like the Tigers seemed to do over the last two seasons. At the right price, depending on what his market looks like, Mize could be a good addition to the rotation as an innings eater with plenty of upside.

Obviously, none of these pitchers would be ideal as the big moves the White Sox make this offseason. But we should be prepared for the possibility that Chicago doesn't land some of the highly coveted pitchers who would make for a perfect fit.

And if that's the case, it's going to be about acquiring innings and finding pitchers the White Sox believe could start playoff games for them in 2027.