Conflicting reports, a crowded infield, and an open outfield leave the Chicago White Sox with a big decision to make about where — and how — Luisangel Acuña plays in 2026.
As the Chicago White Sox look to improve their major league roster following the trade of Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets, the team’s lineup remains somewhat of a mystery.
It’s one of the biggest questions I have following the trade. The White Sox got 23-year-old infielder Luisangel Acuña back from the Mets in the deal, but offloading an outfielder for an infielder — given the current state of the White Sox depth chart — is a bit curious.
The White Sox already have their starting infield in place, and the depth throughout the organization only makes things more crowded.
It’s Miguel Vargas at third base, Colson Montgomery at shortstop, Chase Meidroth at second base, and newly signed Munetaka Murakami at first.
There are also players like Curtis Mead and Lenyn Sosa on the MLB roster who don’t have everyday spots.
And then there are prospects such as Sam Antonacci, one of the fastest-rising prospects in all of baseball, who could be on pace to make his MLB debut in 2026.
Like I said, it’s already a crowded group. And now the White Sox add Acuña to it.
GM Chris Getz spoke highly of Acuña — as expected — during his meeting with the media earlier this week. The White Sox have made a point this offseason to acquire young players they believe have upside that could be unlocked with regular playing time.
Getz spoke about how the White Sox have the ability to give Acuña runway that the Mets did not.
But where exactly is he going to play? That remains somewhat unclear. And I’ve seen conflicting reports on the matter in the days since the trade.
My first thought is that Acuña is Chicago’s regular center fielder in 2026 — a one-for-one replacement for Luis Robert Jr.
Both because of how crowded the infield is, and how wide open the outfield is. All three outfield positions remain a mystery for the White Sox heading into 2026. Andrew Benintendi is the only established big leaguer of the group, and he may be better served as a DH than a left fielder this season.
That might sound outrageous, considering Acuña has played 577 innings on the infield during his major league career and just three innings in the outfield.
He does, however, have slightly more experience in the minor leagues and has been playing center field in the Venezuelan Winter League over the last few months.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan seemed to agree with me. During a recent appearance on the FromThe108 podcast, Passan predicted Acuña would get a lot of playing time in center field rather than displacing Chase Meidroth at second base.
“I don’t know if he’s got star ceiling, but he fits in a really interesting way with this White Sox team. The infield is kind of set,” said Passan.
“You’ve got flexibility positionally. Acuna has been playing centerfield in Winter ball. I would not be surprised to see him — I don’t know if it’s going to be the majority of his at bats in center — but I think they’re going to give him some run there.”
But not everyone feels this way.
MLB insider Bruce Levine indicated the exact opposite on 670 The Score this week.
Levine referenced a conversation that ties back to former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who is known to have a strong relationship with Luisangel Acuña. Guillen has been managing against him in the Venezuelan Winter League and has apparently been advocating to Chris Getz for months about Acuña’s skill set and potential.
“Acuña is an infielder,” Levine asserted on Mully and Haugh on 670 The Score.
“I’ve talked to a friend of mine through Ozzie [Guillen]. And Ozzie said that he’s a terrific infielder and that he’s going to play somewhere in the infield.”
I certainly find Passan to be more reliable than Ozzie Guillen — although Levine is regularly plugged in to Chicago’s local teams — but it’s still interesting that one of Acuña’s biggest advocates, a man who knows him better than most, believes he belongs in the infield.
Especially given the current White Sox roster dynamics and the fact that the team may already be viewing him as an outfielder.
More than anything, my clear understanding is that the White Sox want to give Acuña regular playing time. He won’t be in a bench role like he was with the New York Mets.
So the most likely outcome is whatever allows him to be in the lineup consistently. And the opening is clearly there in center field. But it would be an egregious error — and borderline malpractice — to play Acuña over Chase Meidroth at second base.
It seems like a no-brainer for the White Sox. But conflicting reports and differing opinions certainly make me raise an eyebrow. And I’ll be curious to see how the rest of free agency — and the money that will be spent to improve the roster — ultimately impacts what Chicago does in the outfield, and where Acuña fits in 2026.