The Chicago White Sox have plenty to be excited about in 2026, but if this organization is serious about building on their second-half momentum, they need to figure out what’s going on with their starting rotation.

A 4.26 team ERA put the White Sox 20th in baseball last year. Young starters like Shane Smith, Sean Burke, and Davis Martin all had solid seasons to build off of, but outside of that trio, there isn’t much veteran stability in the rotation — and there are several other arms in the system that are itching for a shot.

So what are Chicago’s options to fill out a rotation that will likely include Martin, Smith, and Burke?

If Drew Thorpe and Ky Bush are healthy coming off Tommy John surgery in 2025, both will be in serious contention to grab a rotation spot. Thorpe in particular flashed legitimate upside during most of his rookie season in 2024.

Top prospects like Shane Murphy, Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, and Tanner McDougal shouldn’t be far away from contributing in the big leagues, but it doesn’t feel like any of them will be ready to break camp out of Spring Training.

Then there’s the veteran route. The White Sox could (and should) make a splash signing in free agency to stabilize the rotation for the next few years.

Or they could land somewhere in the middle by bringing back left-hander Martín Pérez, who pitched for the White Sox in 2025 and has a $10 million mutual option for 2026.

So here’s the question: do the White Sox pick up that option? Or are they better off taking a different swing?

If I had it my way, I’d try to negotiate that number down rather than picking up the option outright. That gives you the flexibility to deploy him wherever you need — even if he opens the year in the middle of the rotation, you’re not locked into that price tag if you need to shift him later.

When he wasn’t on the injured list, Pérez was solid for Chicago. In 11 games and 56 innings, he posted a 3.54 ERA. But when you dive into the Baseball Savant data and compare it to his last legitimately strong year (2022), his stuff has fallen off. The analytics suggest he’s much closer to the version we saw in 2023 and 2024, when he had a combined 4.49 ERA with the Pirates, Rangers, and Padres.

Pérez had the worst barrel rate in baseball in 2025, and his average fastball velocity of 89.6 mph was also near the bottom of the league.

All that said — there is value in having a veteran presence like Pérez around a young staff. He’s respected in the clubhouse, he’s left-handed (Smith, Martin, and Burke all throw righty), and he clearly wants to be here. He also had respectable production.

But Pérez cannot be "the move" for a rotation that needs to perform better next season. If you’re spending $10 million on him, Jerry Reinsdorf might not greenlight another significant addition of a starting pitcher. That’s a problem.

Get that number closer to $5 million, bring him back on your terms, and give yourself the flexibility to add another arm. If Thorpe is ready, or if a top prospect forces the issue, you can shift Pérez to the bullpen without feeling like you have to justify a $10 million long-relief role — especially with Mike Vasil already flashing real dominance in that spot.

Pérez has already said he’s excited about 2026 and wants to return. If you’re Chris Getz, find out how badly — and see if there’s room to negotiate. Because on the open market, $5 million for one year is probably about all he’d get anyway.