White Sox GM Reveals New Plan For Sam Antonacci

A big part of the Chicago White Sox overachieving in the 2026 season was the contributions the team received from rookies. There's an argument to be made that none were more valuable than utility man Sam Antonacci.

Drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Coastal Carolina, Antonacci moved through the minor leagues quickly and established himself as one of the more underrated prospects in Chicago's farm system. He started the 2026 season in Triple-A Charlotte, but after just 14 games of incredible production, the White Sox called him up.

Antonacci made his MLB debut on April 15 and went on to play in 140 games, racking up 25 doubles, 20 stolen bases, and a .766 OPS while leading the American League in hit-by-pitches. That season earned him AL Rookie of the Year votes and a nomination for the Silver Slugger Award.

The best word to describe Antonacci's playing style might be scrappy. That comes from the energy he brings to the ballpark, how often he finds himself getting drilled, and his reputation as a tough out when he's in the batter's box. Antonacci is a tough out. He continually set the tone for the White Sox and got on base at a .370 clip as a rookie. He also showed enough defensive versatility to allow the White Sox to play him on an everyday basis.

Antonacci is an infielder by trade. He played infield in high school, infield in college, and infield in the minor leagues. Every step of the way, until 2026, that is.

Hoping to get him to Chicago sooner and create an opportunity for Antonacci to get regular at-bats, the White Sox started transitioning the 23-year-old to the outfield during spring training. That carried over to Triple-A and eventually the big leagues. Of his 140 games played for the White Sox this season, Antonacci spent 121 in left field.

According to White Sox GM Chris Getz, though, that may not last. At the very least, things will look different. The White Sox apparently have a new plan for Antonacci moving forward in 2027, one that will get him back on the infield more frequently.

Antonacci wasn't exactly great in the outfield. As a rookie, he had -6 defensive runs saved, -7 outs above average, and -9 fielding run value in left field.

It's not hard to see why the White Sox are looking for a defensive upgrade in the corners.

That being said, I do think context is important there. As I mentioned earlier, Antonacci had never played in the outfield at any level of baseball prior to 2026. I tend to believe he's a good enough athlete to adapt on the fly and improve his defense moving forward. Perhaps the White Sox just see him being best utilized in a different way.

“For a bat, right-handed bat, outfield I think makes the most sense. We do have a depth of infielders,” said GM Chris Getz in an interview with MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM when discussing his club's offseason needs. “Sam Antonacci has played a lot of left field. Did great, learned on the fly, but I think to get him back into the infield a little bit more would be good.”

From Getz's comments, it certainly doesn't sound like the White Sox are taking Antonacci out of the outfield entirely. It may be possible that none of this is about how he performed out there in 2026. But if the White Sox are looking to upgrade their offense this winter and bring in a big bat, the easiest place for them to do it would be in the outfield. Maybe that means using Antonacci in some unique ways to ensure his bat gets in the lineup with regularity.

A little bit of second base with Chase Meidroth shifting over to shortstop on occasion. The ability to DH or stick to left field when needed. What's clear, though, is that the plan is going to be different for Antonacci moving forward.

Hopefully, that means the White Sox get better defensive production from him while maintaining the roster flexibility to acquire the bat they covet.