3 Internal Candidates to Become the White Sox Closer in 2027

The largest move by the Chicago White Sox so far this offseason is one that comes internally. The team has decided to move right-handed pitcher Grant Taylor from the bullpen to the starting rotation in an effort to maximize Taylor's value and fill the biggest roster need on the board.

In doing so, though, the White Sox are also shaking up their bullpen. By the end of 2026, Taylor was Chicago's closer and most reliable high-leverage relief pitcher. Whether it was just the ninth inning, entering the game early to get out of a big jam, or a 12-out save like we saw from Taylor in the playoffs, he was the guy to lock things down and secure the win.

Seranthony Domínguez was traded to the Seattle Mariners over the summer after signing a contract in free agency to be the White Sox closer and failing to perform. Now Taylor has been moved, and it adds another question that will need to be answered before Opening Day.

Who will be the next White Sox closer?

Based on the most recent comments from GM Chris Getz at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas, it doesn't seem like the White Sox are making the bullpen much of a priority. The focus is on starting pitching and adding a right-handed hitting outfielder.

I got the impression from Getz that the White Sox would not be looking to sign a closer or make a significant free-agent addition to the bullpen. Instead, the White Sox are hoping their bullpen additions can come from internal options. Getz specifically highlighted starting pitchers in the organization who don't make the rotation as candidates to help the team out of the bullpen.

But that still doesn't answer the question about who the closer might be. Allow me to offer three internal candidates.

While the White Sox are moving Taylor to the starting rotation, Getz also announced that left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith would stay in the bullpen, at least for now.

The White Sox have some optimism that Smith can eventually make the transition to a starter at the MLB level. But it's not surprising that the organization doesn't feel ready to pull that trigger.

In 18 appearances during his rookie campaign, Smith posted a 1.29 ERA over 28 innings with 41 strikeouts. But his 16 walks during that stretch occasionally got him into trouble.

The issue with Smith isn't his talent. It's his ability to consistently harness his command over the course of a longer outing. He's dominant in one- or two-inning spurts, and the White Sox took advantage of that late in the 2026 season. For Smith, the key will be staying in the strike zone and working efficiently for a second and third time through the batting order.

Temporarily, though, Smith is an exciting arm that could have closer upside. His 13.2 K/9 last season is a testament to that, as are his advanced metrics, which have Smith among the very best in baseball in expected ERA, expected batting average, whiff rate, strikeout rate, barrel rate and hard-hit percentage.

The youth and inexperience are reasons for caution. But we already know Hagen Smith can throw multiple innings, and he might be the guy the White Sox currently consider their best high-leverage option.

Like Smith, Jordan Hicks can struggle with control. But his stuff pops, and when he's throwing strikes, Hicks is nearly unhittable.

He posted a 3.94 ERA over 53 outings for the White Sox in 2026, racking up 64 strikeouts over 48 innings.

His fastball averaged 99.2 mph last season, which was in the 98th percentile of MLB pitchers. And in big moments late in games, Hicks showed the ability to run it up to 101 and 102 mph.

The only real concern I'd have here is Hicks' stamina over the course of a full season. He wasn't exactly a pitcher who could throw every day or even every other day for the White Sox. He spent most of the season on the active roster and still only got through 48 innings.

It may not be a full-time closing role, but it's certainly possible the White Sox could situationally use Hagen Smith and Jordan Hicks in the ninth inning depending on the due-up hitters for the opponent.

I'll go outside the box with my final recommendation and throw David Sandlin's hat into the ring.

Sandlin was a starting pitcher for the White Sox in 2026, throwing 40.1 innings with a 3-2 record and 5.58 ERA. He made 16 starts in the minor leagues and was 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA.

Still, I thought Sandlin was pretty impressive as a rookie. And I liked the brief glimpses of him we got in the postseason out of the bullpen.

Sandlin's fastball averaged 96.2 mph at the MLB level and was touching the upper 90s during his appearance against the Houston Astros in the AL Wild Card Series. With a six-pitch mix in his arsenal and explosive stuff, I have reason to believe the fastball would gain some additional velocity if Sandlin were placed in a bullpen role from the start of the year.

Simply put, his arm is too talented to have in the minor leagues. I'd imagine the White Sox want him to be part of this team, but depending on how the organization approaches the offseason, there may not be room in the starting rotation right away.

In that case, Sandlin could serve as a multi-inning relief pitcher, but one with the capacity to handle high-leverage situations. Another right-handed alternative to Hagen Smith.

One thing is clear: If the White Sox don't add an established closer in free agency, they'll roll into the 2027 season with options.

Those options may not have any experience closing games at the MLB level. But there's also a chance Will Venable and the White Sox choose not to operate with defined bullpen roles moving forward.

The organized chaos technique that momentarily worked for the White Sox in the postseason could really be effective over the course of a full regular season. It wasn't sustainable in October because the White Sox only had one starting pitcher to help ease the burden on the bullpen.

But if significant additions are made to the rotation, this bullpen may just consist of multi-inning relief pitchers with nasty enough stuff to lock down a save.