One of the biggest questions facing the Chicago White Sox in 2026 is the back end of the bullpen.

Chicago relievers posted a 4.18 ERA in 2025 — bottom half in baseball — and no one claimed a true closer role. Jordan Leasure led the club with seven saves, marking the third straight season in which the White Sox save leader didn’t even reach double digits.

The lack of structure, combined with a thin inventory of high-leverage arms who can miss bats, showed up in the worst possible way: a 15–36 record in one-run games. Flip even a fraction of those, and the 2025 season, as well as the trajectory of this rebuild looks different.

Signing a veteran closer in free agency would help stabilize things. So would internal development from arms like Leasure, Grant Taylor, and Wikelman González.

But there’s another name that shouldn’t be forgotten in this conversation: Prelander Berroa.

Berroa was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the Gregory Santos trade. He made two scoreless appearances for Seattle in 2023, then pitched in 17 games for the White Sox in 2024, posting a respectable 3.32 ERA despite some bumps in Triple-A before his promotion.

Some in the organization believed Berroa had a chance to pitch his way into the closer debate for 2025, but after just one spring outing, he was shut down and placed on the 60-day IL to undergo Tommy John surgery.

So why bring him up now?

Because the stuff is real. Berroa is a pitching coach’s dream. He graded out elite in expected ERA, expected batting average, average exit velocity, whiff rate, strikeout rate, barrel rate, and hard-hit percentage. He misses bats, he limits loud contact, and he’s got the kind of electric fastball that plays in the late innings.

Yes, the walks need cleaning up. But if the White Sox can harness the shape of his arsenal, Berroa fits the exact profile of a high-octane, late-inning weapon — and he’s doing it at the league minimum with multiple years of club control.

Berroa doesn't even need to be Chicago's closer. Frankly, I wouldn't expect him to get many save opportunities. But having another electric arm to turn to in a jam can help Will Venable better navigate tense situations without having to turn to a pitcher that's simply overmatched.

There’s no guarantee Berroa returns from surgery looking like the same guy. But his name hasn’t been mentioned in months, and it should be. If Chicago is serious about tightening up the bullpen in 2026, Berroa has to be in that mix.

Don’t forget about him.