Here’s every rumor about the Chicago White Sox as the offseason heats up from the MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando.
We’re about halfway through the MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando, and Kyle Schwarber's $150 million contract to remain with Philadelphia has cracked the dam for free agent movement. The rumor mill has already delivered plenty of early-week noise. And the Chicago White Sox have been linked to a handful of names.
Late Tuesday afternoon, the MLB Draft Lottery will take place and mark the most significant moment of the offseason for the White Sox. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft quite literally hangs in the balance.
But as we count down the hours until then, here’s an updated look at every White Sox rumor and the players they’ve been connected to so far at the Winter Meetings:
RHP Pete Fairbanks
Scott Merkin of MLB.com was first to report that the White Sox have preliminary interest in right-handed reliever Pete Fairbanks.
Fairbanks has been a highly productive bullpen arm for the Tampa Bay Rays, with his breakout coming during the 2020 season. In 2025, he made 61 appearances and posted a 2.83 ERA with 27 saves. He’s topped 20 saves in each of the past three seasons.
Fairbanks could command up to $15 million per season on a multi-year deal, but he’d immediately become Chicago’s closer and their most dependable late-inning option.
1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn
The previously reported White Sox interest in Ryan O’Hearn still appears to be real. On paper, he’s the cleanest fit: a left-handed hitter who can play first base or a corner outfield spot.
O’Hearn also brings the plate discipline and veteran approach the White Sox value — and he enjoyed the best stretch of his career working with Ryan Fuller in Baltimore.
My read is that the first-base market is developing slowly. Schwarber’s free agency is holding up several dominoes, including Pete Alonso. Meanwhile, Japanese corner infielders Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto add more unpredictability.
Chicago is feeling out the market and O’Hearn’s price tag. The interest is legitimate, but the Sox want to see where his contract lands.
OF Jake Meyers
The Astros are shopping 29-year-old center fielder Jake Meyers, and the White Sox are one of four known teams with interest — along with the Dodgers, Reds, and Royals, per Brian McTaggart.
Meyers has two more years of team control. He hit .292 with a .727 OPS in 2025, trading some power (13 home runs down to 3) for improved bat-to-ball skills and patience. His .354 OBP was a career best by a wide margin.
Defensively, Meyers was elite with +9 OAA in 2025 — exactly the kind of profile the White Sox claim to value.
It’s difficult to peg his trade cost or his exact role in Chicago. And with the organization’s clear emphasis on keeping its young core intact, it’s tough to envision the Sox parting with significant prospect capital.
The Red Sox Want Kyle Teel
Yes, it’s true. The Red Sox want to reacquire Kyle Teel just one year after sending him to Chicago in the Garrett Crochet blockbuster.
It’s also a non-starter.
The White Sox are not moving Teel this offseason — and the idea is more entertaining than realistic. More on that here.
RHP Dustin May
Chuck Garfien mentioned on The White Sox Podcast that Chicago has right-hander Dustin May on their radar.
We know the Sox aren’t done adding to their rotation despite signing Anthony Kay to a two-year deal, and May is the exact type of realistic swing they could take.
He struggled in 2025, posting a 4.96 ERA and 1.42 WHIP across 132.1 innings split between the Dodgers and Red Sox. But the innings count alone is encouraging for a former elite prospect whose career has been defined by injuries.
With another full year removed from surgery, the White Sox may see a path to unlocking something with May. Either way, the next Sox rotation addition is far more likely to be a bounce-back candidate than a top-of-the-market arm.
The Padres Have Interest in Luis Robert Jr.
Bruce Levine mentioned the Padres as a potential suitor for Luis Robert Jr.
Getz and the White Sox front office continue to insist that Robert will be their Opening Day center fielder. The industry… doesn’t quite buy that. And Chicago would be irresponsible not to at least listen.
Padres GM A.J. Preller has never met an aggressive trade offer he didn’t like. If anyone is going to wildly overpay for a superstar talent, he’s near the top of the list — and that’s exactly the kind of team Chicago wants involved if the market heats up.