{"id":407916,"date":"2026-01-15T03:03:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T03:03:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/407916\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T03:03:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T03:03:08","slug":"jeff-passan-just-made-bold-declaration-about-white-sox-active-offseason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/407916\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeff Passan just made bold declaration about White Sox active offseason"},"content":{"rendered":"

The MLB offseason is far from over despite less than a month until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. With big name free agents still on the open market and big trades to still be made, most MLB teams don\u2019t yet view their roster as complete. As rosters round into form, it\u2019s not too early to take a look at which teams have won the offseason and which teams still have work to do. ESPN\u2019s Jeff Passan<\/a> embarked on a similar endeavor, and listed the Chicago White Sox among the league\u2019s winners.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving Munetaka Murakami fall into their laps makes the winter a win for the Sox regardless of what else they do,\u201d Passan wrote. \u201cNot just because the outlandish projections for a Murakami deal were not met but because if any of the concerns about his play (most of them having to do with swing-and-miss tendencies) are unfounded, he will be worth far, far more than the $34 million Chicago is paying for two of his prime seasons\u201d<\/p>\n

White Sox haven’t won the offseason yet but still can<\/p>\n

While I don\u2019t disagree with Passan\u2019s thoughts on the Murakami deal<\/a>, I think it\u2019s a bit premature to call the entire White Sox offseason a win because of one high-risk, high-reward deal. Passan later lauded the Sean Newcomb<\/a> and Anthony Kay<\/a> signings as well, calling Newcomb \u201cone of the best left-handed relievers on the market\u201d. While I don\u2019t disagree with this notion, it sounds like the plan is for Newcomb to compete for the starting rotation, where he has been much less consistent in his career. Chris Getz has specifically mentioned wanting to improve the bullpen, but outside of Newcomb, the team has yet to address it in any real capacity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not only the bullpen that was specifically mentioned by Getz as an area of improvement. In an interview on MLB Network<\/a> during the winter meetings, Getz mentioned a desire to add \u201cmature bats\u201d and arms that can eat innings. Since then, the only bat added has been Murakami, who certainly has upside but has never played a game in Major League Baseball. Sean Newcomb is a reliable arm, but hasn\u2019t broken 100 innings-pitched in a season since 2018, so it\u2019s a stretch to classify him as an inning-eater.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In an early offseason interview, Getz mentioned corner outfield as a position in need of an upgrade, but the only additions at corner outfield have been fringe big leaguers and unproven former top prospects. While they\u2019ve added some intriguing players, it\u2019s not exactly a surefire upgrade.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Getz also said that the areas the Sox are looking to improve this offseason are at the corner outfield spots, bullpen and finding a left-handed bat to balance out the lineup.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Kyle W (@K_Williamsmedia) November 13, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong, I like the moves the White Sox have made so far. But I think the offseason is better categorized as incomplete instead of a definite win. If the White Sox add a veteran outfielder, an innings-eater starter, and reinforcements for the bullpen, I\u2019m absolutely willing to classify it as a win. But with only a few weeks remaining until camps open, I\u2019m concerned that they\u2019ll quit and call it good, in which case, they didn\u2019t really accomplish any of the goals they specifically mentioned at the offseason\u2019s outset.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a slow-moving market for free agents, but it certainly feels like Chris Getz and the White Sox have more work to do as the team looks to take a step forward in 2026. I appreciate the optimism from Jeff Passan and I hope that by the time camp opens in February, there\u2019s no doubt that he\u2019s correct.\u00a0<\/p>\n