Dodgers Could Offer White Sox Solution to Outfield Search

The Chicago White Sox are looking to add a right-handed hitting outfielder this winter. Randal Grichuk is a free agent, and not only does Chicago need to replace his production in the lineup, but the goal is clearly to improve defensively in the outfield and maintain roster flexibility while doing so.

That won't be easy to do, especially considering Grichuk played in 101 games for Chicago and hit .299 with a .926 OPS, including 15 home runs and 44 RBIs in a White Sox uniform. You may find an on-paper replacement for Grichuk, but actually improving upon such an impactful offensive force will be very difficult, especially because the White Sox likely won't play at the top of the market.

Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki are the two free agents who immediately come to mind. Both would provide offensive upgrades from Grichuk. Both are well-rounded, produce against right-handed and left-handed pitching, and are fairly strong defenders in the corner outfield spots.

Those deals will come in at over $100 million, though. And when you combine that with the qualifying offers that both Arozarena and Suzuki received, signing either player would also cause the White Sox to forfeit draft capital in the 2027 MLB Draft. It's just not something I see this front office pursuing.

Beyond that, it might be difficult to find a true upgrade. The free-agent market is top-heavy, and there don't seem to be many trade candidates available who offer the reliability Chris Getz covets.

Someone like Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews checks many boxes. He hits left-handers well, was the No. 2 overall pick in the MLB Draft, and has so much upside. He's still young and is a good enough athlete to play the field well. But that's betting more on a projection of Crews than the player he has shown himself to be.

Making that deal would be a fun upside swing, but does it give you confidence heading into 2027 that you've taken a big step forward in the outfield? I'm not sure.

The real answer for the White Sox might be a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

According to the latest reports, Los Angeles is open to trading Teoscar Hernández this winter to create a path for Josue De Paula to start in left field next season. Hernández is owed $17.3 million for 2027, and his contract comes with a $15 million club option for 2028.

At 34 years old, age is certainly a factor and a risk here. Hernández isn't coming off his best season, hitting .267 with 16 home runs, 64 RBIs, and a .759 OPS for the Dodgers. But from 2021-2025, he hit 25 or more home runs every season. He was on pace to do that and then some in 2020, launching 16 home runs in 50 games during the shortened COVID-19 season. Hernández was also good for 26 home runs with the Toronto Blue Jays back in 2019.

If the White Sox are looking for a sheer impact bat, Hernández is not a bad option. And last season, he hit .303 with a .907 OPS against left-handers.

Even better, Hernández comes with postseason experience. Between the Dodgers and Blue Jays, Hernández has played in 45 postseason games, recording 11 home runs and 32 RBIs through the years. He's a two-time MLB All-Star, two-time World Series champion, and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He'd certainly bolster the White Sox offense against left-handed pitching, which was a weakness for Chicago in 2026.

The defense is well below average in the outfield, but the White Sox also have some flexibility at designated hitter and wouldn't need Hernández to play the field every day.

It's hard to say what a trade might look like as far as players being sent to Los Angeles are concerned. But Hernández provides the White Sox with another option as they search for a right-handed hitting outfielder who lengthens their lineup and makes them a more feared team in a playoff series.