With young core to build on, what's next for White Sox in 2026?

CHICAGO -- Even with a 57-96 overall record, even with a six-game losing streak in tow following a 3-1 setback to the Orioles on Wednesday afternoon at Rate Field, even with a third straight 100-loss season on the horizon, the 2025 White Sox have made progress and built momentum.

General manager Chris Getz stressed that point during his 32-minute end-of-season meeting with media members on Wednesday morning. So, how do the White Sox take that next step upward and onward in 2026? It’s certainly not a one-move process, with Getz talking about his young core dominating the offseason programs and providing them every avenue to continue to develop and improve.

White Sox fans would like to see the team add through free agency, buoyed by this group’s 25-31 run since the All-Star break and holding visions of not quite as distant grandeur. The club is in review meetings presently, going through the 2025 season, so it’s too early to say what the team will or won’t do.

But Getz provided insight into the overall thought process without tipping his hand in any direction.

“You have to get an understanding of what the free-agent market is,” Getz said. “Obviously, what other clubs are trying to accomplish in regards to working out a trade to help out each club. So, time will tell. You need to kind of get a sense of how quickly the market is going to move.

“More than anything, you look at the free-agent market, you look at the pitching and the hitting, and what we feel like can be a fit here. It’s a little too early to predict how everything will play out. I think all areas of the team can be improved.”

One question for Getz centered on adding pieces more significant than what the White Sox did this past offseason. Of course, they were coming off 121 losses at that point and still in the nascent stages of their rebuild. It also could be argued any player acquired in free agency or trade who helps the team should be considered significant.

“Our primary focus is certainly making sure these guys close out the year strongly, have an excellent offseason and get ready to go in Spring Training,” Getz said. “We’ll look at the free-agent market. If it makes sense and we match up, then we will go ahead and do that.

“What’s really going to drive this are the players that are currently in our uniform. If there are opportunities to supplement this group and continue to drive this forward, we are going to go ahead.”

There appears to be payroll room for Getz and the front office moving into 2026, although that salary number has not been set based on the tenor of Getz’s comments despite nothing stated specifically. Luis Robert Jr. has a $20 million club option with a $2 million buyout, and Getz expects Robert to be with the team, although Robert was likely shut down for the season on Aug. 26 with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.

Andrew Benintendi is owed $16.5 million in the fourth of his five-year, $75 million deal and there aren’t any other major individual salary commitments. Some of this young crew, playing 26 games in 27 days as part of the big league schedule for the first time, might have hit a little bit of a wall in these final weeks.

Then again, a tough finish doesn’t take away from the strong showings for catchers Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero or right-handed hurlers Shane Smith and Mike Vasil, who were Rule 5 Draft additions gradually moving into staff stalwarts. There’s also infielders Colson Montgomery (18 homers) and Chase Meidroth (current 13-game hitting streak) as part of this crew.

The White Sox aren’t anywhere near where they ultimately need to be to play meaningful baseball in October, and Getz reiterated there’s work to be done for this organization, which was apparent to everyone involved before Getz’s statement. But the club has something to build off for the future.

“This group wants to get better every day and we never give up. They prepare every day to win,” said Martín Pérez, a veteran leader who left Wednesday’s game in the fourth inning with left shoulder soreness. “I know it’s not easy to win games, and sometimes we do our best and it doesn’t happen. But I think next year is going to be different.”