Every year the Sox Machine website posts a template for what is known as the “Offseason Plan Project,” where anyone can give their thoughts on what they would like the White Sox to do in the offseason, in terms of whether to tender or non-tender eligible players, sign or not sign pending free agents, propose trades and things like that. Basically, playing general manager.

So, here is my Offseason Plan Project for the 2025-26 offseason. I’m going to list not only what I would do in terms of roster construction, but what I think the team will do as well.

PREAMBLE

This is going to be another low-budget, last-place “let’s see what we have on the roster,” 100-loss season. I think there is some potential MLB talent on the roster, and I think Will Venable is going to be an excellent manager once there is some experience to add to the potential talent. I don’t have an issue with the Sox not spending this offseason to be honest, with the pending lockout on December 1, 2026 looming, and word that it could be bad enough to threaten the entire season, I’d keep my money in my pocket until there’s a new collective bargaining agreement.

ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

Mike Tauchman: Tender, I think the Sox will tender
Steven Wilson: Tender, I think the Sox will tender
Derek Hill: Tender, I think the Sox will tender

All three are just league-average players that can be mixed and matched, easily replaced with someone of equal value. Tauchman is clearly the best of the bunch, but definitely not a long-term piece of the puzzle. I’d bring them all back just to fill out the roster.

CLUB OPTIONS

Luis Robert, Jr.: $20M Option (pick up, which has already been done. I recently read that one point of WAR is worth around $8 million, which makes Luis Robert worth about $11 million. So trading him now would be a case of selling for pennies on the dollar. I would trade, if possible, during the season if his production catches up to his contract.)

Martin Perez: $10M Option (buyout, and I think the Sox will buyout. That’s entirely too much money to spend on a pitcher who barely saw the mound last season. Plenty of low-risk, low-cost starting pitching on the market.)

FREE AGENTS

This is going to be grim, I don’t believe the Sox are going to be in on any of the top 100 free agents, I think these will be one-year deals to get bodies into camp and just get through the 2026 season.

No. 1: Patrick Corbin, Starting Pitcher (one year, $8 million). This will be the veteran left-handed starter who replaces Martin Perez and possibly gets flipped at the deadline if he’s able to put anything together during 2026. Finished last season with a record of 7-11 with a 4.40 ERA (which is lower than his career ERA, so that’s a step in the right direction). Made 30 starts and pitched over 155 innings in 2025, and there are a lot worse options out there.

No. 2: LaMonte Wade, Jr., First Baseman/Outfielder (one year, $5 million). Regardless of what happens, the Sox can’t put in another year swapping Curtis Meade, Lenyn Sosa and Miguel Vargas at first base every day. I think Vargas will become the regular third baseman, Sosa the everyday second baseman and Meade will likely not be on the team past 2026. So someone has to fill in for the time being. Enter LaMonte Wade, Jr., who as recently as 2023 hit 17 home runs for the Giants. While Josh Naylor is a popular name due to the Sox need and his own impending free agency, the chances of Josh Naylor signing with the White Sox is just about the same as Pete Alonso signing with the White Sox. Wade is coming off what can best be described as a “down” year (.167/.271/.254 slash line with 2 home runs and 18 RBI in 80 games split between the Giants and Angels and a -1.7 WAR), which makes him perfect for a one-year, low-salary flier from the White Sox.

No. 3: Genesis Cabrera, Lucas Sims and Elvin Rodriguez, relief pitchers (one year, $1.5 million each). The White Sox need bullpen arms, and picking from the bottom of the dumpster we get these three candidates, Genesis Cabrera (6.54 ERA while playing for four teams in 2025 with a -0.8 WAR), Lucas Sims (pitched just over 12 innings in 2025 with the Nationals and compiled a 13.86 ERA and -0.9 WAR) and Elvin Rodriguez (between Baltimore and Milwaukee, rolled up a 9.15 ERA and a -0.7 WAR). Yes, these aren’t going to impress anyone but any and all could be flipped at the deadline for a lottery ticket.

TRADES

This is the hardest thing to try to forecast, because no one knows who is available or who could be traded for whom. I do, however, think the Sox may end up trading from their surplus of young pitching to try to fill in some holes in the outfield that may arrive by 2027 or 2028.

Trade SP Jonathan Cannon to the Milwaukee Brewers for CF Garrett Mitchell. Yes, Mitchell isn’t a prospect but he should be entering his “prime” years. Mitchell has a career .254/.333/.433 slash line with a 3.6 WAR in 141 games with the Brewers spread across four seasons. But the Brewers have a glut of outfielders and the Sox have a glut of starting pitchers, especially if Ky Bush and Drew Thorpe are able to successfully return from injury.

I decided against trading either of the Sox young catchers, Edgar Quero or Kyle Teel. I think its way too early in their development for that, and there’s nothing wrong with letting them split catcher and designated hitter in 2026.

I also decided against trying to trade Andrew Benintendi. Not because he’s an irreplaceable member of the lineup, but just do to the lack of potential replacements. Unless the Sox want to bring back Tommy Pham or go through that Michael Conforto nonsense again (even though this time around he’d be a lot more likely to take whatever he can get rather than looking for a $100 million contract), it’s best just to stick with Benny.

LINEUP SUMMARY

This would be my every day lineup: Kyle Teel/Edgar Quero (catcher), LaMonte Wade, Jr. (1B), Lenyn Sosa (2B), Colson Montgomery (SS), Miguel Vargas (3B), Andrew Benintendi (LF), Luis Robert, Jr. (CF), Mike Tauchman (RF) and Kyle Teel/Edgar Quero/Garrett Mitchell (DH). Brooks Baldwin and Chase Meidroth would be my top utility players

The pitching rotation: Shane Smith, Patrick Corbin, Davis Martin, Sean Burke and Yoendrys Gomez.

The bullpen: Genesis Cabrera, Lucas Sims, Elvin Rodriguez, Brandon Eisert, Jordan Leasure, Steven Wilson, Mike Vasil and Grant Taylor (as the closer).

I think the White Sox will sign four or five pitchers who are barely known to minor league deals after they’ve been designated for assignment by their current teams (or they are minor league free agents), and I wouldn’t be even remotely surprised if ol’ Mike Clevinger is back, thinking that somehow he’ll turn back into his 2018-19 form.

FULL SUMMARY

I see the 2026 White Sox finishing 62-100. I think their top two pitching prospects will both debut in 2026 (Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith), but top outfield prospect Braden Montgomery won’t see the Sox clubhouse regularly until 2027, assuming there is a 2027 season.

I sincerely believe the White Sox will not sign an impact, top-level free agent until Jerry Reinsdorf has either passed away or turns the organization over to Justin Ishbia. I don’t think the reason is specifically because Jerry is cheap; I think there’s more to the story. After all, he was willing to spend $250 million on Manny Machado in 2019 and $125 million on Zack Wheeler in 2020, but neither worked out (Machado took more money to sign with the Padres and Wheeler took less money to sign with the Phillies). I think the combined failures just pushed Jerry to never offer a $100 million contract again. I think Jerry was embarrassed that no one wanted his money. Personally, if it were me, I’d offer Pete Alonso whatever he wanted to come to Chicago, he’s a perfect fit at a position of need (first base) and brings power no one on this team has. But we know that’s not going to happen.

In closing, expect 2026 to be more of the same. Another season of 100 losses, starting pitchers that can’t go more than three or four innings, a burned out bullpen that wasn’t very good to begin with, not many runs scored (team leader in RBI in 2026 should again be in the 70s) and not much to cheer about. Maybe someday things will begin to look better but right now I’m just eyeing that work stoppage and the break from baseball that will go along with it and one year closer to Justin Ishbia and the new ownership.

Thank you for taking the time to read. Peace.