I won't try to sugarcoat things for Chicago White Sox fans; this is a bitter, bitter pill to swallow, from one game away from an improbable ALCS berth to three straight losses and an all-too-abrupt exit. It's going to be a tough few weeks on the South Side, and it's only natural to look back at this season and wonder what might've been. To paraphrase Dan Campbell, you never know when you might get back here again.
That said ... well, it's really not all that hard to imagine Chicago getting back here again, and soon. This was one of the youngest teams in baseball this season, one that was at least a full year ahead of schedule. As such, there won't be much turnover to deal with this offseason — beyond, of course, turnover that the White Sox might actually want.
Now it's time to officially put the pedal to the metal, and that could mean leaving these five players behind as Chris Getz thrusts his contention window wide open.
C Edgar Quero
Quero is still just 23 years old, and he's only a year removed from showing some real promise offensively as a rookie. But he appeared in just 69 games in 2026, and he was largely awful at the plate in them. Kyle Teel is clearly the catcher of the future in Chicago, and given Quero's struggles as a defender, it's tough to see exactly what his role on next year's team might be.
But again, he was a top-100 prospect not all that long ago; it shouldn't be hard to find a team looking for young catching talent to try and develop. If the White Sox are looking to bolster their pitching depth via trade this winter, dangling Quero feels like a natural place to start.
RHP Luis Castillo
Maybe this is wishful thinking; Castillo is due north of $23 million next year, and it's hard to imagine many teams getting excited about taking that contract off of Chicago's hands considering his 5.85 ERA this year — including an 8.42 mark after the trade deadline. It's entirely possible that the White Sox still think there's something left to unlock in the soon-to-be 34-year-old to try and get him back on track, or that they give him another shot in the rotation to avoid dumping him for nothing.
That said ... man, it feels like Castillo as even a No. 5 starter next spring is untenable. Chicago has some money to burn, and moving on from this mistake feels worth the trouble even if it requires them to eat some salary or attach a lower-level prospect to get it done. Their sights should be set far higher as Getz goes about rebuilding this staff.
RHP Erick Fedde
Fedde deserves major kudos for the work he did to stabilize the back of Chicago's rotation this season. That said, his 3.83 ERA in 2026 sure doesn't pass the smell test, with just 99 strikeouts in 141 innings and a whopping 5.01 FIP. This is a time bomb just waiting to explode, and the White Sox should say thank you and part ways before it does so in their face next season.
We've seen in recent years that teams don't really care much about descriptive metrics like ERA in free agency. They care about prescriptive ones, and Fedde doesn't project to be a viable starter again in what will be his age-34 campaign. Maybe he can fit as a swingman or as Minor League depth, but if he finds a big-league deal somewhere, Chicago can let him go.
OF Randal Grichuk
The White Sox could still use a righty platoon bat in the outfield, someone who can offer a different look and spell Sam Antonacci, Braden Montgomery and others. (Brenton Doyle doesn't really feel like he qualifies.) Grichuk was a godsend this year, posting a 141 OPS+ after being dumped by the Yankees early in the regular season.
So, why no reunion? Put simply, I'd love to see Chicago attack its corner outfield situation a little bit more aggressively. There are several interesting options, from Seiya Suzuki to Randy Arozarena to Ian Happ to Taylor Ward and others. Grichuk is a useful player, but the White Sox need another needle-mover in this lineup, preferably someone who can hit at the top of the order and get on base.
OF Tommy Pham
Really, Pham is just a lesser version of Grichuk, at this point a lefty-mashing bat who has little to no value as a fielder or base-runner. He was vital in a pinch for the White Sox down the stretch, but this isn't really a profile worthy of burning a roster spot on, and Chicago can do better.
The good news for the Southsiders is they're in a position to keep building beyond this season. They've arrived early and the future is bright. Upgrading from Pham should be easy to accomplish, but it is an order of business they need to take care of.
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